The strategy meeting adjourns before midnight, with Stigian and Lucent alike exhausted. Every decision required extensive back and forth—a battle to gain slight dominance over the other. It took Kyron's persistence, my father's guidance, and the knowhow of Stigian's leading warrior to get a plan under way for merging the two armies.
The Lucent men remain talking at the end of the table while the room clears out. I stand, not in the mood to recap the day's events and kiss my father and godfather on the cheek. After insisting Zek remain with them, I make my exit.
I step into the hallway to find Kyron and Esmeray glaring at one another. The prince claps his mouth shut, cutting off their conversation. It is astonishing that I never saw how much he resembles her and Micah. The angles of their eyes, sharp features, and beautiful golden skin. Like the twins, he is the epitome of LeFur royalty.
"Goodnight, Mother," he says with a bow.
"This discussion isn't over, Kyron."
With a brisk pace, I make my way past them and to the grand staircase.
"I'm sure it isn't," he says, and his footsteps follow behind me.
It doesn't take him long to catch up with his long stride, and we ascend the stairs to the upper floors together. Pushing aside the tension which has lingered between us all day, I bask in our comfortable silence. It reminds me of our days walking back to camp after my training sessions. I always appreciated the tranquility after my body and emotions were put to the test, and today was just as grueling.
Of course, there was one moment which outshined the rest and left me with a question begging for an answer.
"Why do you think your mother is so persistent that you and I marry?"
Kyron shoots me a glance from the corner of his eye. "You don't believe she wants me to find happiness with the woman I share a bond with?"
"Do you believe that?"
"No."
It can't be easy to believe the only parent one has doesn't have their best interest at heart. We're both familiar with the priorities of a sovereign. The kingdom always holds precedence above all else, even one's child. And for that, I'm grateful to be the daughter of a general and a mother who chose to spend her days caring for her children. My parents put me and my siblings above all others; Micah and Borin could never give me that kind of attention. I got the best possible childhood of any sovereign before me.
Kyron rubs the back of his neck and exhales. "My mother thinks you're weak, and I can sway you away from your convictions. To her, you are the easy answer to getting what she wants most... all of Pliris."
Anger bubbles inside me, crawling up my throat and heating my face. Of course, she would think I'm weak; I'm nothing more than a vessel for the power which is useless inside my body. She doesn't consider me a superior being or even an equal partner in my bond with Kyron. If it weren't for my status, she would press him to marry someone else.
I stomp up the stairs until we reach the fourth-floor landing.
Kyron grabs my arms and gently turns me toward him. "She doesn't know you, Raelle. She doesn't understand your compassion and dedication to see a kingdom where every person is equal."
"You used to want that too." I search his eyes for any indication that we still fight for the same cause. "You once told me you would do whatever it takes to tear this kingdom apart. You didn't want anyone else to feel the pain you went through when detoxing from the power you siphoned from others."
"That's where you and I differ. Nothing will deter you from doing what you know is right for your kingdom. And I will do anything for you...no matter the cost." He brushes the backs of his knuckles along the side of my face. "She thinks you are the weaker in our bond, but it's me. You would move mountains for the betterment of Lucent, and I would spend a lifetime aimlessly collecting the stars for you."
I clench my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut, but nothing can hold back my tears. "You are so fucking stupid, Kyron." I grab the front of his shirt to keep from swinging and push him. He steps back, as I say, "You went behind my back and sold your soul to a kingdom you despised. That's not what I wanted! Yes, I wanted to rescue my father, but you were not a price I was willing to pay."
Kyron's spine meets a wall, pinning him between me and it. "I wanted you!" I snatch the crown from his head and chuck it to the floor. My hands curl into fists at my chest and tears blur my vision. "More than anything, I wanted you, Kyron LeFur. And you took that from me. You stabbed me in the heart and left me to bleed without you. I hate you for that."
He grabs both my wrists in one hand and walks forward, forcing me to step back. "Do you for one second think it didn't tear me to pieces to let you go?" We slide into a small alcove on the other side of the hall. My shoulders collide with the wall, and Kyron holds my hands above my head. He pulls the crown from my head, drops it to the floor, and leans in so we are nose to nose. "I did what I thought was right for you. I'd do it again to see you sitting next to your father! I understand it's fucked up, and you can hate me, but I did what I believed would bring happiness to the two people I love most in the five kingdoms."
"Don't say—"
"Don't tell me I don't love you. Don't you fucking dare, Raelle!" His chest heaves against mine as we stare at each other.
A familiar heat sizzles between us and we simmer in it, letting it bring our anger to a boil. Pinned to the wall by his body, I shift against him and the fabric of my dress slides away from my leg, leaving it exposed through the slit running up the side. He wedges his thigh between mine, the leather of his pants pressed to the thin lace covering my throbbing center. I dig my fingernails into my palm, fighting the urge to rub against him.
"You really fucked this up, Your Grace," I hiss and my lips brush against his.
"I'm well aware, princess." He presses his hips against me, and my lips part at the touch of the hard swell between his legs.
I can't stop; I capture his bottom lip between mine and bare-down on his thigh, rocking against it. He releases my hands and grips my waist as the other slides along my outside of my naked leg. My fingers plunge into the hair at his nape, and his tongue slides against mine.
Why is it out of everything I've done in the past months, this feels the easiest? There is no need to prove myself or refrain from thinking about the hurt I've endured. My rage can course through me, as can my mounting desire. Kyron is the cause of my calm, my fury, and my passion.
I place my hand over his on my thigh and guide it up, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. "Touch me," I say into our kiss.
His fingertips press into the delicate fabric of my undergarment, sending a sensual chill down my spine. He sucks in a breath through his teeth, rubbing circles over the bundle of nerves which have ached for his attention since the moment I saw him.
"I want to give you what you need, Raelle."
"I need more," I breathe, yanking the hem of his tunic from his pants.
He drags his tongue up the column of my neck and slides my lace undergarment to the side, his flesh finally touching mine. Two fingers slide through my folds and dip inside me, curling upward. His hand grips my lower back, rocking me over his fingers.
"Oh fuck," I moan, digging my nails into his sides.
My hand slips from his shirt and finds the tie at the front of his trousers. The length of him pulsates under the taut leather, begging to be buried between my legs. I yank on the string until it gives way, and he falls into my palm, hard and smooth.
His gaze of onyx and amber meets mine, and he wraps my fingers around him, guiding my hand up and down his shaft.
"Fuck, that's good," he hisses, and his fingers become bolder between my legs.
My body burns with an emptiness only he can fill. I grab the back of his pants and pull him closer, nudging his fingers which dance over my slick center with his cock.
"I need you to fuck me, Kyron. Make me forget."
"No. You will remember how good we are together, princess."
He moves his hand away from where our bodies meet and grabs the back of my thighs, lifting me from the ground. My dress rips as I wrap my legs around him and sink down on his length. I tangle my fingers in his hair and press my mouth to his in a feverish kiss.
Every cell in my body comes alive, buzzing with the physical connection and his gift. I pull at his power and command it to shield us. Tendrils of shadows slide up Kyron's chest and swirl around his neck. They caress my skin, heating it like the sun after a long winter.
Kyron braces me against the wall, freeing a hand to roam over my bare shoulders and down my chest. He lowers the red silk of my gown, and his mouth skims over the swells of my breasts as his fingers pinch and pull my hardened nipples. I tilt my head against the wall and close my eyes, lost in his touch.
He takes one of my hands from his hair and lowers it between us. "Touch yourself," he commands with a gravelly voice.
My fingers swirl over my center, touching me the way they do at night when I think about Kyron. Only this is a bliss I can never achieve on my own. Both of Kyron's hands on my ass, sliding me up and down on him, touching me in places I can never reach on my own—the deep recesses I only want him to fill.
Like his shadows coiling around my body, the same sensation grows in my lower stomach. It expands and retracts each time Kyron thrusts into me until it grows to the point of uncontainable. My fingers move faster, my breath comes quicker, and I tug at Kyron's hair.
His lips brush my ear as he says, "That's it; let go, Raelle."
I gasp as the first wave of my climax pulsates through me and my sex squeezes around him. Kyron covers my mouth with his, his tongue finding a rhythm which matches what he is doing to my body. He swallows my lustful moans until they are nothing more than small whimpers.
Controlling my body, he brings himself closer to his release.
I press my cheek to his, loving even this simple touch, and I breathlessly say, "You don't need to worry; I've taken the elixir in the last year. Don't hold back."
He bites down on my shoulder, muffling his moans. I hold the back of his head and squeeze him tight, finding joy in pleasing him in such an intimate way. He shudders in my embrace, emptying himself inside me. We cling to each other, panting for breath and slowing our hearts.
Kyron releases my legs, and I go slack, grateful for him and the wall holding me up. He brushes my hair away from my face and kisses my forehead. "I love you. You don't need to say it back. Just know I've loved you from the moment you fell in my arms during the battle at Lake Holly, and I've never stopped loving you, Raelle."
I push a strand of ebony hair from his forehead and search his eyes. He loves me, and I love him. With everything I am, I love him. I'm just not sure I can trust him.