Page 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

N arissa could not get away from Solarius fast enough.

She bolted to the opposite side of the cottage, toward the bedroom.

Once safely inside, she closed the door and let her body sag against it, let the strength of the hardwood support her flustered state.

Shoving back her messy, fallen waves, she took a slow, steadying breath and rested her palms against her abdomen.

She was not blind and she was most certainly not oblivious to the fact that he was so plainly aroused by her presence.

It was flattering beyond measure to know she had such an effect on him, and truth be told, she’d been forced to squeeze her thighs together more than once while she kneeled before him.

But sweet shores, it was his eyes that did it to her.

The way he looked at her, like she hung the moon and danced among the stars.

Had he always looked at her like that?

Her mind said no while her heart whispered yes , and there was no denying that shred of truth.

She saw the heat simmering in his gaze each time they argued, each time they hurtled snide, uncaring insults at one another.

And every time, she ignored it.

Every time, she pretended it was rage lurking there instead of lust.

But when she tended to Solarius’s face and broken ribs, his silver gaze was molten, swirling with the charge of desire and longing, and she would gladly have lost herself in those endless pools of liquid moonlight.

Admittedly, it had been slightly rude of her to leave him so abruptly.

Narissa shoved away from the door.

Planting both hands on her hips, she paced the small length of the room.

She wanted to be angry with him for unknowingly letting Calfair take advantage of her.

She wanted to be frustrated thinking of all the heartache they could have been spared if he hadn’t been foolish enough to think she chose Calfair over him.

The mere thought of it made her skin crawl.

Narissa heaved a breath of irritation and lifted the bronze handle on her trunk.

She rummaged through her belongings, gently shoving aside neatly folded piles of satin slips and lacy undergarments until she found what she was looking for.

Tucked beneath the exquisite nightgowns and bundles of fancy unmentionables was a long, rectangular wooden box.

Narissa carefully flipped both brass latches and opened the lid to find her collection of tonics, serums, potions, and elixirs all carefully cushioned against a bed of sapphire velvet.

A dozen corked glass bottles and vials were individually labeled with tiny parchment tags in her tidy handwriting.

Running her fingers over the bottom row, her pointer finger paused on a vial filled with a shimmery bright green liquid and a tag that read “veritas serum.”

Her mouth pulled to one side as she considered Lady Aria’s request.

She was grateful her personal supply of concoctions had made the trip from Azurvend to Galefell, and though she hated to part with the truth serum—for one never knew when such a potion would be useful—it would be far simpler to give this one to Lady Aria as opposed to brewing another one here.

Narissa sensed him before he spoke.

She snapped the lid shut and glanced up to find Solarius standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

He looked rumpled and positively delicious with his shirt wrinkled and unbuttoned, hanging open to reveal the full expanse of his chest and solid abdomen.

Her gaze trailed over him appreciatively, taking in the dip of his hips where his pants were slung low, admiring all the pieces of him she struggled to ignore when she slathered that healing ointment over his beautifully crafted body.

Solarius grabbed the door frame with one hand, leaning slightly to the right while his other was carefully splayed over his injured ribs.

Narissa rubbed her lips together and replaced her box of potions, then stood, dropping into an awkward curtsy.

“My lord.”

“My lady.” His voice was thick with restraint.

He stared at her, seconds ticking by with painful slowness as the yearning in his gaze kept her rooted in place.

Toying with the long sleeves of her gown, Narissa waded through the tension between them.

“Did you require something?”

He blinked.

“I was wondering if you would like to sit outside with me?”

“In the cold?”

“It’s snowing.” Solarius released the frame of the door and rolled his shoulders back.

“I could start the fire.”

Narissa’s brow quirked in amusement.

“You? Start a fire? That is Asher’s realm of expertise, is it not?”

Novalise’s husband wielded frostfire, and while Narissa knew her brother-in-law was quite capable of producing fire, she was not so sure her husband harbored that same skill set.

He shrugged, rolling her humor off his shoulder.

“I’m certain I can figure it out.”

Narissa stole a glance out the window.

The sky was gray and ominous, and large chunks of fluffy snow fell from the sky like pieces of finely woven cotton.

It could be nice to sit around a fire and watch the snow fall.

Her gaze flicked back to him.

“On one condition.”

Hope washed over his expression, and for a moment he looked more youthful than she’d ever seen him.

“Anything.”

“Can we get something to eat?” she asked.

“I’m starving.”

Solarius grinned, heart-stopping and devastating all at once, and Narissa was reminded of why she fell in love with him in the first place.

Narissa sat cuddled next to Solarius beneath a pile of fur blankets on a cushioned settee as heavy flakes continued to fall from the gray winter sky.

The balcony of the second floor stretched overhead, shielding them from the swirling snowfall, but making for a spectacular view of the mountains.

Their dark gray outlines slanted across the horizon, the peaks a brilliant white against a backdrop of slate.

Narissa shared an overstuffed footstool with Solarius, their legs outstretched near the stone pit where flames of faerie fire crackled and snapped, dancing with the tumbling snowflakes.

She secretly enjoyed the way his long legs brushed against hers with every slight movement, every casual adjustment.

Shockingly enough, Solarius had managed to light the fire without any assistance, and Narissa would not deny she was quite impressed.

Especially when the haunting play of shadow and light illuminated him in a way that made him look both tempting and treacherous.

But now she was curled into a plush pillow, her body just breaths from the heat of his own, and a platter of delicious treats was spread before them.

There was a variety of dried meats and aged cheeses, cloudberry spread and crackers, pistachio wafers, and a bowl of olives.

There was also a tiered tray filled with tiny cakes, frosted cookies, and sugared berries.

She popped one of the little cakes into her mouth, shimmying her shoulders and humming to herself as the flavors of rich raspberry and vanilla cream filled her with a sense of contentment.

Solarius’s brow lifted in amusement, the corner of his mouth tugging up one side.

He tossed an olive into the air, then caught it in his mouth, and Narissa rolled her lips to keep from giggling like a lovesick youth.

He reached for another olive.

“I appreciate the fact that you love food as much as I do.”

Narissa smirked and grabbed a one of the thick chocolatey cookies decorated with frosting and took a hefty bite.

She sighed as she chewed, her gaze sliding to meet Solarius who was sitting back, watching her, his grin widening with mirth.

She licked a smudge of frosting off one finger.

“Good food nurtures the soul. Why should I concern myself with regulated portions or the size of my waist when there are delicious cookies to enjoy?”

Solarius lifted his glass of warm apple cider.

“I’ll drink to that.”

As the snow continued to tumble down from the darkening sky, Narissa snuggled further into blankets, aware of the way she sought the nearness of Solarius’s body for warmth.

He stretched one arm out, letting it fall around her shoulders as he pulled her in closer.

His scent enveloped her, the layers of fresh citrus, warm spices, and the tempting hint of bay rum soothed her, and she inhaled again, breathing him into her lungs.

The bond hummed between them, a gentle nudge, a comforting reminder.

Yet the pleasant solitude and ease of being with him was overrun with his racing mind.

Despite his relaxed, effortless outward appearance, his thoughts would not settle.

“The chaos of your mind will not calm, Solarius.” Narissa turned her head so it rested on top of his chest, and he was forced to look down at her tucked beneath his arm.

“If there is something you must know, then ask.”

“What’s your favorite season?”

She blinked up at him.

That was not at all what she expected.

Narissa twisted the fur fibers of the blanket between her fingers.

“Well, I love the longest days of Midsummer. When the air is heady and clings to my skin, when I can no longer tame my ridiculously wavy hair. I love how the sun takes forever to bleed across the sky, then paints it in hues of pink and gold. It’s hot and a little sticky, and only the fall of twilight offers reprieve.”

She peered over at him and found his gaze focused solely on her mouth.

“Do you have a favorite season?” she asked, more breathless than she ought to be considering she was curled into his side and not exerting any kind of energy.

His eyes continued to linger on her mouth, and her skin heated beneath the intensity of his gaze.

“I like summer, too.” The pads of his fingers strummed her skin in lazy strokes along her collarbone.

“What’s your favorite color?”

Narissa was grateful for the distraction of another question because his teasing touches sent a rush of blistering heat straight to her core.

She swallowed hard.

“That one is tricky.”

He chuckled.

“Is it?”

“Yes.” She angled her face so their lips were a breath apart, so if she looked closely enough, she could see the silver of his eyes darken, could witness his pupils expand every time he looked at her.

“I have so many.”

“Tell me about them,” he murmured.

“I love the color pink, but my favorite is a delicate blush shade, like the beach of Azurvend. And I like blue, but only when it’s mixed with green, like the waves of the Arcasian Sea or the aquamarine beads on my favorite pair of earrings.” The last words shuddered out of her.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Your eyes.” He said it with such assurance, without hesitation or thought, that a blush colored her cheeks.

Solarius reached out with one hand, gliding two fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face up to meet him.

“They remind me of a frostbitten ocean set on fire.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks burned and his compliment left her flushed.

But he didn’t back down and she didn’t pull away.

Time seemed to disappear when she was with him, there was no dawn and no dusk.

It was like being caught in a void, where hours were measured in stolen glances and longing stares, and seconds were nothing more than faint breaths and quickened heartbeats.

Each moment was an eternity, carved into the memory of her mind.

Solarius’s hand trailed up the side of her face, cupping her cheek like she was treasured, and she melted into him like clay, ready to be molded and sculpted.

He hummed an evocative tune, one that tickled her subconscious and made her fingers itch to play her harp.

“I love that song,” Narissa whispered into the space between their mouths.

“I know.” His thumb traced her bottom lip, and her body ignited, set aflame by his touch.

“Music is everything the heart cannot say.”

In the next breath, the lyrics drifted down the bond as he sang them into her mind.

“And so two souls were set adrift,

One to the heavens, the other to the sea,

And I stood alone on that treacherous cliff

Whispering to the night, come back to me.”

Her magic soared, the summoning of the tides racing toward the lure of moonlight.

He lowered his head and Narissa curled her fingers into his shirt, drawing him near.

He kept his grip firm as he dragged her closer, so she was almost sprawled across his reclined body in a tangle of blankets and skirts.

His free hand slid beneath the fur blanket and grabbed her thigh, hiking it up over his lap.

A shiver of delight raced down her spine.

“Are you cold?” he asked, his lips moving over hers as he spoke.

“Not exactly.”

“Me too.”

It was a nonsensical response and Narissa didn’t care.

All she wanted, all she craved, was the feel of Solarius’s mouth on hers.

“Lord Solarius.” A female voice squeaked, piercing the moment, deflating the sexual tension, and the servant assigned to their cottage, who’d all but made herself scarce for the majority of their stay, suddenly appeared at the most inopportune moment.

“A letter, my lord. From House Celestine.”

“Fuck,” Solarius murmured against Narissa’s mouth, and she bit back a grin.

He hefted her into his arms and stood, cradling her against his chest with a pile of blankets trailing around them.

“Come on, Rissa love. I know you said you weren’t cold, but your lips are turning blue, and I much prefer them pink.”