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“Sometimes when you’re gone, I lay in bed and think of all the horrible things that I have brought into your life. Maybe youwould have been happy with someone else or just living a full life, not this half-life I’ve cursed you with. All I can think about while you’re away is how unworthy I am of you.”

Cassius looked away from me as if he were ashamed of himself. I pulled his face back toward me so he could see how genuine I was.

“My life would not have been better without you. You gave me a reason to live; you breathed life into me when I thought no one would ever want me. What I remember about my life before you was no way to live. I would take this half-life with you over a full life without you. Even when I’m in Exile, my heart knows you are missing, and it longs for you.”

His eyes traced mine before leaning in and kissing me slowly. Cassius kissed me like it would break the curse. His tongue slid against mine as his hips moved forward.

My moan was lost to the pouring rain. My hips rolled up to his, but Cassius kissed me like we had all the time in the world. He moved against me, causing a delicious friction that had me holding my breath.

“Cassius,” I breathed with a plea.

He understood what I wanted as he lifted his hips and pushed into me slowly.

There was no rush in how slowly he filled me. A deep groan escaped him as he filled me completely.

“Stars above, I could die right now, and the heavens could not compare to you, Thea.”

His hips slowly pulled away from me before thrusting back in. My eyes focused on him. Cassius’ pretty eyes slowly started fading to black as he stared down at me. Something about how gentle he was being was almost too much to handle. His mouth devoured mine as he picked up pace.

“Cassius...” I gasped for air, but I didn’t know what I needed from him—more or less?

“Use your words, my love. Tell me what you want from me.”

My whole body felt like it was on fire, but it was my love for him that consumed me. My eyes glanced over his face before he rolled us without warning.

Cassius smirked up at me when I started sliding up and down him at an unbearable pace. His eyes drifted down my body, but it was as if his hands were touching me. He let out a groan of approval when he watched where we joined together.

“You look so fucking good like this, Thea. Look at how good you take all of me.”

My eyes followed his, and I couldn’t help how turned on I was getting. Cassius’ hands rubbed over my thighs and my hips, tugging me roughly against him. My orgasm crashed around me, flames bursting out of me as I called out to the stars above.

“That’s my girl,” he groaned before flipping us again. Cassius leaned over me, just to kiss me roughly before he leaned up. His shadows twirled around him, and I knew he wasn’t in control of his magic right now.

“Fuck,” I muttered at the sight of him. Black eyes, black shadows, the tattoos on his ribs flexing with each thrust into me.

“I want to hear you again. These noises you make make me want to mark you as mine again, so there is no mistaking who you belong to. A mark that no curse can break... no gods can keep me from you. Do you see what you do to me?”

His shadows slowly crept down his body and over mine. I cried out in pleasure when they gripped my wrists and held me down so I couldn’t move.

“Mark me,” I begged.

Cassius’ eyes were pure black as they raked over me at my plea. I wanted him to mark me, to show the realm I was his again. My magic surged forward, and my fire magic wrapped around him as his shadows moved away from my wrists and toward my chest.

“Cassius,” I moaned. When his shadows moved, I glanced over my heart to see a ‘C’ above it, surrounded by crimson flowers.

“Mine,” he muttered as his hips kept surging forward. My fire mist wrapped around his arm, and when it moved, it showed a red viper wrapped up his arm.

“Mine,” I repeated.

Cassius leaned over me and kissed me. His tongue tangled with mine as my moan tore through me. His shadows swarmed around us in a frenzy, as if they did not know what to do with all these overwhelming emotions. My fire encircled his shadows as Cassius breathed heavily against my damp skin.

“Cassius…” I breathed as my orgasm crashed around me. I yanked him closer to me, and he stilled as he found his release. We lay there as the rain pounded, our breaths struggling to catch up.

“I love you more than anything, Thea.” He leaned back.

Something about his words made doubt creep into my mind. What if I couldn’t get the stone? What if this curse was never broken and I had to leave him repeatedly? We lay under the overhang, listening to the rain pelting down all around us. The prophecy still lingered over me like a dark promise of relief from this burden. I knew which kings I would kill and which kingdoms would crumble.

But when would I fulfill that destiny? Would it be as I got the bloodstone? Thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to figure out how all these pieces would fit together and bring me back to Cassius.