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Chapter 50

VALE

The taste of Neve lingered on my tongue as we strode, hand in hand, back to Riis Tower.

We’d been outside, practicing and reveling in one another for hours. It was time to warm up and eat an early lunch. If Neve were to continue practicing at all, she required strength.

“I want to check on Luccan,” she said, her cheeks still red from when we’d taken a second break, and I’d feasted on her yet again. The taste of her, the feel of her body releasing, bending to the pleasure I gave—it was unparalleled. I wanted to feast upon her for the rest of my life.

“We should.” I pumped my eyebrows suggestively. “Then we can shower together.”

She laughed. “You want to make up for lost time.”

“Don’t act like you don’t.”

“I would never. Especially not after the trees witnessed me falling apart.”

We entered the tower and went straight to the courtyardwhere Luccan had been working tirelessly. He was there still, concentrating. Anna and Clemencia sat on wooden chairs next to him, chatting, a table of foods and pitchers of drinks, some of them steaming, next to them. I suspected that the ladies were there to make sure Luccan took breaks and ate when he looked too spent. Smart thinking.

In front of him, the air danced in wavy lines. I’d never seen a gateway or portal to the human world being made before, so I took it in with interest as we approached.

That interest vanished, however, when I got a better look at my friend. My brother, in heart. Blood, too, though he did not know that yet.

Luccan appeared to have lost weight overnight. His skin was not only pale but thin in appearance, his eyes sunken into their sockets and red.

“Luccan!” Neve gasped. “You look awful!”

He shot her a glare. “Thanks so much for that uplifting compliment. And good to see you out amongst the people, Vale.”

“I can’t say the same. Not when you’re looking like that.”

Luccan snorted and shook his head.

My wife turned to her friends. “Why did you let it get this bad? Did he take breaks?”

“No! He refused to stop! Why do you think we’re here?” Anna threw her hands up. She wore far more clothing than Clemencia, so her hands didn’t go nearly as high as they should have. Many layers hindered movement, but as a human and not a fae of Winter’s Realm, Anna required them. “He won’t stop, so we stayed beside him, in case he collapsed.”

He looked minutes from doing so. I shook my head. “You have to stop.”

“No way. I’m close.” Luccan stared at the wavy lines in the air and for a moment, a gleam shone in his eyes—almost manic.

I understood. Not only did Luccan wish to help Neve, but he wanted to succeed. He wanted to be one of the great gatemakers. Pushing himself like this was one way to prove that his power was extraordinary.

“Stubborn arse,” I muttered.

Neve shot me a glare.

“He’s trying to prove his magic.”

“To test it!” Luccan corrected. “As if you haven’t done the same.”

“Not to this point.”

“I’ll be fine.” Luccan waved a limp, chapped hand. “You two should prepare. I think I’ll have this thing ready within the hour, but I won’t be able to hold it for more than a few seconds.”

All this work for mere seconds of success. No wonder gateways weren’t made often.

“Let’s go.” Neve took me by the hand, a gesture not unnoticed by her friends. Anna and Clemencia shared feline smirks. “We’ll be back.”