45. Keira #2
I follow his gaze and let out a moan at the sight of his hardness sliding into my core up to the hilt, pulling back again so the entire thing is visible except the head, glistening with my arousal, only to plunge back in.
I watch, mesmerized, as his cock disappears within me again and again, paired each time with utter pounding bliss radiating through my core that ramps up in increments.
I claw at the ropy muscles of his back, pulling him down on top of me, needing his chest against mine and his weight to press me into the bed with every thrust. I use my leverage against the mattress to roll my hips, meeting him stroke for stroke.
A fire burns between us as we become lost in each other’s bodies.
His scent, the warmth of him enveloping me, the way he plunges deep within, lighting up all of my nerve endings with blinding pleasure—it is all I know. It erases traumas of the past and worries for the future, only the present conceivable in my mind.
My whole body tightens up then shatters as my climax floods me, and my mind is lost in blissful calm as Aldrin finds his own release.
After a very long time, he rolls off me, lying on his side and scooping me up against his chest. Neither one of us bothers to put clothing on; he simply pulls up the sheets.
“Never make a bargain that takes you away from me again,” he says into my hair, arms tightening around my waist.
“I won’t,” I reply, my voice shaking. “I promise.”
I listen to his breathing as it slowly evens out and he drifts off. Never again, I vow to myself as I feel sleep tugging at me. Never again will I allow someone to tear us apart.
I stand with Aldrin on the main balcony of the palace three days after the final battle, looking down over the City of Vertical Gardens.
Our inner circle and a number of Royal Guards fan out around us.
The setting sun bleeds red across the sky, casting an ominous backdrop for the sight before us. My blood turns to ice.
There is a mass exodus of fae from the city.
Long columns stretch out through the lower streets and into the fields beyond, stepping through open portals to the gods know where. Worse is the fact that they wear those damned homemade uniforms that mimic those of the Truth Templars. That they fly Templar flags.
“We tried so hard to stop Titania from becoming a martyr, to disband her cult. We suffered so much. For what?” I can’t help the way my voice breaks as I turn to Aldrin.
“We had to at least try,” he grumbles. “Maybe that is the reason they leave the city at Torin and his lieutenant’s call, rather than storming the palace again. Maybe those efforts are the only reason we won the election—because we pulled the wool from most eyes, if not all.”
“Is there not something you can do about this, Aldrin?” My father leans forward over the railing beside me, a deep scowl on his face.
Despite his expression, a wave of calm rolls over me.
My father always has that effect on me, like I am a little girl and he will fix all my problems. I only wish that were still true.
Even so, the men on either side of me are my pillars of strength.
“What would you have them do, Father?” Caitlin crosses her arms in front of her. “Declare treason against anyone who has political options that don’t support them?”
My father turns back to her, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know. Surely there is something?—”
“There is nothing to be done,” Aldrin cuts in, grinding his teeth.
“It is not illegal to fly those banners or choose to leave. I have soldiers down there to monitor the situation, but it is peaceful and there are no known Truth Templars among them. As far as the law is concerned, they are civilians choosing to migrate.”
Cyprien’s knuckles turn white with how tightly he grips the railing beside Aldrin. “You can imagine my disappointment when I led the first patrols and found no one to arrest. We cannot prove that anyone down there committed any crimes during the uprising.”
Drake and Rainier stroll out of the main doors and we turn to them. My heart leaps to see both free of blood and gaping wounds, the father’s arm wrapped around the son’s shoulders as they walk.
Drake limps, but he doesn’t flinch with pain when he laughs at something Rainier says.
When his eyes fall on us they glitter with mischief, and he sweeps into a deep, flourishing bow, releasing his son and swinging out an arm for effect.
“My gracious king and queen, if you would allow a lowly fae such as myself to speak, I have news you will welcome.”
“Stop that,” Aldrin snaps. “You know I hate formalities.”
Drake’s smile only deepens, and he opens his mouth to no doubt say something that will only aggravate my mate further, so I jump in. “What is your news, Drake? Anything positive?”
“I have hidden some of my spies among those leaving the city under the Truth Templar flags,” he says.
“The portals they are using lead all over the court, but I am sure they will navigate through a few before they reach their final destination. All we can do is wait to learn where they land. I tried to send my consciousness out to the winds to follow them, but they move in too many directions, and I am still…somewhat depleted.”
I look him up and down, taking in the way he puts most of his weight on one leg, the dark grooves beneath his eyes that tell me he hasn’t finished healing.
“Are you sure you are well enough to travel to the Summer Court tomorrow? We can find other ambassadors.” Aldrin frowns at Drake, clearly seeing the same things I am.
Our first task in our rule was to set up diplomatic parties to travel to each of the other courts.
They will find out just how much damage Titania did to international relations, propose our ideas for combating the realm-wide threat of the corruption destroying our lands, and determine whether we will receive opposition or collaboration from the other rulers.
They will also announce that we have won the Spring throne. These initial visits will be short and undertaken by our most trusted people. When we are able, we will tour the other courts of this realm ourselves.
Drake grabs Rainier and throws an arm tightly around his shoulders once again, making him stagger forward.
“Of course I am well enough. Can an old man not be a little tired after winning a war? Besides, it is my son’s first diplomatic mission.
I will not abandon him to do it on his own.
It is a proud milestone for our family.”
Rainier grimaces. “I would not be doing it on my own. Lord Cedar is also accompanying us. Besides, we are visiting Summer. They have always been our allies. And it’s just a handful of days.”
Aldrin places a hand on Drake’s shoulder, looking him up and down. “Only if Klara clears you as medically fit.”
Rainier laughs and Drake groans. “Doesn’t that woman already have too much power over me? She is already livid that I spent so much time away from her undercover, then got my dumb ass in that cage.”
A deep sadness rolls through me. I want to reassure him that it wasn’t his fault we ended up trussed up like that.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault except Titania and Torin’s.
I open my mouth to say just that, but a high-pitched whirl screeches right by my ear and a slight breeze blows tendrils of my hair back, kissing the skin of my neck.
An arrow passes right between Aldrin and myself, so fast I almost miss the blur of it.
Absolute chaos breaks out on the balcony.
One moment I am standing there, dumbfounded, and the next I am falling to the ground. Aldrin is wrapped around me as he tosses us down, holding me to his chest and taking the full impact of our fall on his elbows and knees. He covers my body with his, but no more arrows fly overhead.
The Wisteria of Mythanar explodes into action.
The thin branches already interwoven all across the balcony rear up and create a tight canopy over the entire space that no additional missiles can penetrate through.
It is an impressive feat, the sudden, massive growth and rapidly thickening branches.
Leaves and purple cascades of blooms hang from the ceiling of the meshwork, like it just couldn’t help adding beauty to the functionality.
Aldrin finally gets off me and holds out a hand to help me stand on unsteady legs.“Are you okay?” he says softly, clearly shaken.
“I’ll survive.” I dust off my gown as my eyes sweep over my father, sister and closest friends to make sure no one was injured.
The guards on the stairs below shout out orders as they attempt to pursue the archer. Cyprien strides over to the wall that the single arrow buried itself into and tears it out, uncoiling the piece of parchment wrapped around the shaft. He skims his eyes across it.
“What does it say?” Aldrin stalks over to him, rage practically vibrating from his every muscle.
“What does it fucking say?” He rips it from Cyprien’s fingers and reads it for himself, then glances up at me with such regret that my stomach tightens in knots.
I walk to him as though through water, my consciousness feeling disconnected from my body.
I am not ready for any more battles.
“Let me read it,” I whisper, and Aldrin holds the parchment out for me to take. My heart sinks as my eyes move over the cursive script.
We will never stop coming for you. We will spread like seeds on the wind to all corners of this realm, waiting, growing, nurturing our truth until the whole realm knows it.
Then we will come for you and we will show no mercy.
We will have not one army, but ALL the armies of the fae, to stop the spread of your poison.
—Torin, Leader of the Truth Templars
My heart stops as I glance up at Aldrin, who hovers over me with his lips compressed into a thin line. “You were right,” he murmurs, just loud enough for me to hear. “We should have?—”
I place a finger over his lips to stop him, even though I can hear his thoughts roaring in my head.
“Don’t you say it. We could have let the battle rage on for days and it still would have been near impossible to find Torin in it.
We had to stop our people from needlessly dying and suffering.
And it could be an empty threat. It could take him years, decades, to retaliate.
He hasn’t had the time to even reassemble his forces yet. ”
“Yet,” Aldrin says. “But that cult will fester in the shadows if we do not stop them, and soon.” He holds my hands in his. “Whatever comes, we will fight through it together.”