Chapter Thirty-Four
Avari
Like an explosion, the space between our bodies vanished.
Lacking inhibition, determined to reach their target, the flames within me burst toward River, forcing him to take a small, steadying step back.
Then, as if he’d lost his restraint, his answered mine, spiralling around us in a wild chase, trapping us inside a heated capsule that wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I had imagined.
I missed it. It felt like home.
Our fires teased and tugged at one another, as if scolding me for holding them apart for so long.
All they craved was closeness—intertwined energies, shared breath.
It was freeing, protective… as if, at that moment, nothing in the realm could ever hurt me again.
Like nothing could ever hurt us. It felt as though a part of me, long misplaced, had finally found its way back.
Neither of us spoke. We simply felt. Lost in the pressure and heat coursing through our bodies as our restless flames rushed to make up for lost time.
We were one. Our senses blurred, our bodies attuned, allowing us to feel each other in a way that bordered on overwhelming.
His dominant energy remained careful, almost reverent, urging mine to yield without force.
My flames chased the high of being consumed by his.
The energy surging through us felt like light. It was life.
Behind me, the bedding began to smoulder, the rising heat dragging my attention back. Reluctantly, I pulled my flames in. Satisfied with their brief connection, they didn’t resist.
River’s faded more slowly, lingering as they brushed against my face one last time. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the amber of his eyes.
Feeling awkward, I stood, casting a small oxygen-free dome over the bed area that caught fire before getting back to the intrigued-looking King of Fire.
‘I waited so long for that,’ he said, utterly breathless. ‘I almost forgot what it was like to feel so… alive.’
‘I…’
‘Didn’t mean to do that?’ he finished, smiling gently and holding my gaze. ‘I know you didn’t. You have no idea how much it cost me to stop myself at times. You have nothing to be ashamed of.’
‘It’s just… we’re spending so much time together lately, and my fire keeps pushing and pushing and urging me to give in. It’s maddening.’
Amusement flickered in his eyes. ‘I feel the same.’
‘Then how do you cope?’
His fiery gaze dragged over me, slow and deliberate. I shivered. ‘I get to spend time with you; at this point I’m grateful I have that. Even if I’m holding on to hope that you may someday forgive me.’
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness was a delicate thing between us. How could I tell him I had already looked past what he’d done long ago? That didn’t mean I could trust him the way I once had.
The betrayal… at first, I needed time to understand it.
But gaining siblings who cared for me, who truly saw me, had put things into perspective over the past few weeks.
Of course, he had tried to save his brother.
How could he have known I wasn’t like my mother when we first met? He had taken a chance.
And yet, even if I understood him, I wasn’t sure I had any chances left to give.
He looked at me like I was the reason he breathed. I looked away. ‘River… can we just rest, please?’
A fragile smile flickered across his face before he turned away too. ‘You get the bed; I’ll take the couch.’
‘What?’ I glanced toward the tiny two-seater in the corner. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll get no sleep on that thing. Let’s just keep our fires contained, okay?’
His brows drew together, but his eyes lit with something brighter. ‘You mean… You want me in the bed with you?’
‘Gods, you have such a way with words.’ I blushed, turning slightly in the hope he wouldn’t notice. ‘I just want us to get a proper night’s rest, and if we stay on our respective sides, the bed is big enough for us to share.’
‘Works for me.’ He removed his T-shirt and tossed it aside before jumping under the cover. ‘Are you going to just stand there watching me, little witch?’
‘Oh, uh, no.’ I gathered my hair into a ponytail and lay down. My temples throbbed from the intensity of our connection. Other parts did too, but I refused to think about that. ‘Good night, River.’
‘Sweet dreams, Ava.’
River
Her leg rested over my groin, just enough pressure to have me begging the Gods for self-control. I stared at the ceiling, forcing slow breaths through my mouth. It was useless. Every time I allowed myself to look at her breathtaking form, my resolve faltered.
The little witch wasn’t just beautiful. She felt made for me. Everything about her was my personal temptation, and the struggle to contain myself was very real.
She had once thought me a cruel monster.
I wasn’t about to prove her right by becoming something worse before she had truly forgiven me.
Because once she did, all restraint would be gone.
I wouldn’t just cherish her. I would consume her.
And she would be mine, completely, unravelling for me the same way I unravelled at the mere sight of her.
Whether it was instinct or something deeper, having her near wasn’t enough. It was a blessing she allowed even that. I couldn’t complain, not after everything that had happened. But I needed more. And part of me knew she did too.
The way her light green eyes lit up when our flames finally mingled, the way her gaze lingered in the hot tub… I didn’t need her scent to know she wanted me. She had more self-control than I ever would. If she had given the slightest permission, I would have taken her yesterday.
I dragged a hand down my face. Her soft breaths were the highlight of my month. Not because she looked beautiful in her sleep, but because she finally felt safe enough with me to let her guard down. That meant I still had a chance to fix what I had broken.
I couldn’t resist brushing my fingers through her dark brown hair; its soft waves spread across the pillow. I was fairly certain I had swallowed one during the night. Waking up and trying not to choke, trying not to wake her, had been an experience.
I had never allowed anyone to sleep beside me before. I took my rest seriously, especially with war looming.
This was different.
‘Morning,’ I said as she rubbed her eyes. Then she startled when she realised the way she positioned herself on me and removed her leg. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Uh, yeah. Not bad.’
‘I’ll let you get ready for the day. Any requests for breakfast?’ I asked, sitting up, hoping to hide the growing bulge in my trousers.
Ava ran her fingers through her slightly tangled hair, loosened sometime during the night, before insisting she wasn’t hungry.
I took it as my cue to leave and return with food anyway.
If there was one thing I had learned about the little witch, it was that her mood took a sharp turn whenever she got peckish.
Just before entering the buffet, I stopped in my tracks, hearing a hushed conversation between two women.
‘I’m not supposed to say, but it happened again. I’m telling you, the same thing happened in the Air Kingdom recently,’ one whispered, clearly emotional.
‘How do you know they’re related in any way?’ the other asked.
‘My brother serves in their guard; he’s mated to an air noble, remember? It’s just like what has been happening there. Slashed throat. Dagger in the heart.’
A woman gasped. ‘But why?’
‘Who knows? Bad things have been happening recently, but in our Bergville? Nothing ever happens here… I’m scared, Patricia. How do we protect our children?’
‘Relax, Elena. Nothing is happening. It’s just an isolated incident,’ she said, and I checked my phone for any reports of weird attacks. Nothing.
Writing a brief message to Michael and my Executive Officer Cecil, I trusted they would dig into what was happening in the Air Lands while I attempted to learn more from the women.
The second I entered the room, they blanched and curtsied even when I was adamant I didn’t need such submission. ‘Can you tell me more about what happened?’
‘What would you like to know, my liege?’ the one scared for her family asked while brushing her hands against a piece of cloth. The women worked here.
‘When did the incident happen? And where?’
She cleared her throat, while her reassuring colleague stayed silent. ‘On the outskirts, my liege. The old windmill house by the smallest mountain.’
‘Throat cut and daggered, right?’ I made sure I remembered the details.
‘That’s right,’ she said, nodding excessively and looking relieved.
‘Give me directions to that house, please.’
Moments later, I headed back to our room with a selection of sweet pastries I was sure Ava would appreciate. I couldn’t stomach anything after what I’d just learned.
Knowing she wouldn’t either, I let her eat in peace before breaking the news about the change of plans.
‘We need to stay in town. I need to get to the bottom of what’s happened here last night,’ I said as her curious gaze snapped to mine.
She was receptive enough to notice something was off and waited for me to start the conversation. She knew me well; she probably realised I wouldn’t have said anything until I was ready anyway.
‘What happened last night?’
I sighed. Getting Ava dragged into a weird murder case wasn’t what I’d planned. 'Somebody was killed in town last night. The local chief of police is trying to solve it, but I must go and check it out.’
‘Of course.’
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tested my luck. ‘I don’t suppose you’d like to stay here and enjoy—’
‘Is that a serious question?’ She shot me a look so cold that I felt my fire flicker inside me. My mate was seriously hot when she was angry.
I smiled, but it quickly died down. ‘Okay then. I was just offering; the scene might be grim.’
Ava jumped off the bed and looked at me incredulously. ‘I didn’t think a murder scene would be entertaining, River.’
I hadn’t meant to imply that. I only wanted to spare her from that kind of gore. For the longest time, I had hoped to shelter her, to help her grow a power she would never need to use to defend herself. But lately, I was starting to see that perhaps I had been wrong.
Strength took many forms, and my mate was not meant to stand on the sidelines. As much as that unsettled me, it made me just as proud.
‘Ready to go, then?’
‘Lead the way.’