Page 15

Chapter fifteen

T he next morning, I woke up feeling lighter. I pulled away from Eren slowly, making sure not to wake him up. I looked over at his perfect face: his strong jaw, seductive lips, shapely nose, and those adorable dimples. I dragged my fingers along the ribbons of muscles that adorned his abdomen. Gods, he was perfect, and he was mine.

I continued my hand down his abdomen into the sheets until I reached his sex. I wrapped my hand around his girth and squeezed. He took a deep breath in before he let out a moan. I smiled, studying how his body reacted. I turned my attention to my hand, stroking him slowly while I felt him harden and grow. His fingers trailed down the length of my back.

“Find what you were looking for, princess?” he whispered.

I turned my eyes to him and smiled. “Good morning,” I replied sweetly, continuing to stroke him.

“It is a good morning,” he said, pulling me on top of him. He kissed me passionately as his fingers tangled through my thick hair. He pulled back and looked into my eyes with a smile. “I thought I had dreamt last night, yet here you still are.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m exactly where I want to be.” I kissed him again.

His hands trailed down my curves as he cupped my bottom. I moved my mouth to his neck, sucking and biting down his body, savoring every mouthful. I took his length into my mouth, causing him to moan and tense. I worked him until he was on the brink of climax, then pulled away, positioning myself on top.

He looked up at me, admiring the view. I smiled, slowly lowering myself around him. He let out a groan as I forced him all the way inside of me. I began to move back and forward, watching his pleasure grow. The door to his room flung open as Firel came barging in unannounced. Eren sat up with me still on top of him. He held me close, reaching for the sheets while he shielded my body from view.

“What in Azeer’s name are you doing here, Firel? Get out!” demanded Eren, covering me as best he could.

I could still feel him inside of me. I closed my eyes, focusing on our perfect fit. I buried my head into his neck and continued to move slowly. His grip around my waist tightened as he held the sheets against my bare body. He let out a deep grunt. I laughed, continuing to kiss his neck.

“I … uh,” mumbled Firel uncomfortably. “The king … he requests both of your presences in his private chambers.”

I continued to move, quickening my pace. Eren’s grip tightened, preventing me from moving any faster.

“We will be there shortly, now get out,” demanded Eren.

Firel turned, trying not to look. “Should I … should I tell him you are on your way, or should I give him a specific time?” asked Firel.

“For the love of Azeer, out, Firel!” yelled Eren, before he slammed me into the mattress, unable to control himself any longer. The door banged shut. I laughed with joy while he kissed and touched and pleasured me. I never wanted to start another morning without this again.

We took a bath together for the first time, which added another twenty minutes to our already delayed start. I had Atalee bring me a dress. We got ready and had each other one more time before finally making our way to my father’s chambers. We walked through the halls hand in hand, smiling at one another. The court stared, not used to seeing this type of affection, but neither of us cared.

We entered my father’s room to find lunch on the dining table. Eren pulled out a seat for me before leaning down to kiss me on the shoulder. He took his own seat to my left. I blushed at his display of affection. My father sat across from us and watched while he placed food into his mouth. Eren filled my plate and poured me a glass of wine before serving himself. My father sat back and smiled.

“I figured the two of you would be famished,” commented my father, “since it took you over an hour to grace me with your presence from the time I first called for you.”

I blushed. “Lunch is much appreciated. Thank you, Father,” I said with a smile.

“And we apologize for our late arrival. It won’t happen again,” Eren added, winking at me.

My father paused, looking between the both of us. “Don’t make tardiness a habit. Now, onto business. The rift has finally reappeared along our west border, as Narella warned. We were prepared and the threat was eliminated as it came through, but we have had multiple reports that the rift also opened along our southern border and the light court’s northern border this morning, while you both were occupied.”

“How many creatures came through?” I asked.

“Dozens. Our lands are swarming with them. I’ve sent out multiple hunting parties, but I am afraid the rifts are going to keep appearing, as Narella foretold,” said father.

I looked at Eren; he wore his thinking face. “What is it?” I asked him.

He looked at my father and then to me. “I have a theory, and it is going to sound a bit crazy,” said Eren.

“What has that crafty brain come up with this time?” asked my father.

Eren snickered, leaning against the table. “Your majesty, there are a few things we have been keeping from you that we’d like to inform you about,” he said, looking at me.

I nodded, letting him know I was on board.

Father assessed the two of us closely. “Go on ….”

“Narella was how I found Gen’s body after … after she was murdered. She was also the one who delivered the demons to our door.” Eren stopped, looking to me to tell my father the last bit.

“She also saved me last month,” I said, embarrassed by my foolish actions. “For the past few months, I had Tryverse Feynar reconstructing my mind. He would take away the memories of what the demons had done and replace them with other memories that weren’t my own. He did it so much that it began to shatter my reality. That was what caused the seizure I had at the chamber meeting. I went into a coma and almost died.”

“I went to Narella for help,” continued Eren. “Otar told us she is a god. I thought that if anyone would have the power to save Gen, it would be her. She agreed to help and sent me into Gen’s mind to retrieve her.”

My father appeared calm, but I could tell he was fuming inside. “What is your theory, Erendrial?” asked Avalmon.

“I believe Narella is leashed the same way the other creatures are to Alaric,” explained Eren. “She has assisted us every time we needed it. When I’ve met with her before, she’s allowed little hints about her situation to slip. She’s talked about having to check in and having a specific time frame she could stay. At her court appearance, she told us where the first rift was going to open. Why do that? Why not allow it to be a surprise?

“What if she is looking for a way to free herself from Alaric? What if she is helping us in return for her freedom? This would change everything. We would have a god on our side who has intimate knowledge of Alaric’s operation.”

“That is a theory, Erendrial. One we cannot prove, and if we are mistaken, it would cost us everything,” said my father.

“I know how to contact her. If we can just—” said Eren, but my father held out his hand to stop him.

“No one will be contacting the god without my permission,” the king said, turning towards me. “Daughter, I know what occurred in your past is traumatizing, but you cannot act in this reckless manner. You have more than yourself to think of. You are next in line to the throne. You were foolish and dabbled in powers neither you nor Feynar fully understood or could control. He is very young when it comes to his gift. That was irresponsible.”

“Your majesty, she was trying—” Eren said before my father interrupted him again.

“And you—how dare you keep this from me? I should have been the first being you came to for help. You had no right to act on your own. Gods are tricksters. I am sure Narella expects something in return for assisting you now three times. You will be king someday. You need to exhaust all your options before gambling away your greatest weapon,” said the king.

Eren shifted uncomfortably, refusing to bring his eyes to my father.

“I’m sorry, Father,” I said.

“Back to the rift,” he continued. “If the number of creatures coming through continues to grow, as I expect they will, prepare yourselves for a visit to the light court. We will have to convene with them to develop a plan and a larger military attack. If what Narella said is true, we need to prepare for war. In the meantime, neither of you will be attending another hunt until I’ve cleared you to do so.”

“But your majesty, my team—” began Eren.

“Your team will be fine,” said my father. “You have trained them well, Erendrial, but you are now a royal. Your safety is a priority. You can’t be running into battle every time a creature passes through. Have confidence in your team and our warriors to do their job. That is what they are there for.”

“If things continue to worsen, when should we prepare to leave for Urial?” asked Eren.

“Within a week. We will reassess then, but a visit to the light court is unavoidable. We need to be ready for anything.” We both nodded. Father stood from his chair, moved around the table, and kissed me on the head before looking down at me with endearment. “I’m sorry I had to be so harsh on you. As your father, I am glad you are safe and happy.” He pulled me into him for a hug.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly. “It won’t happen again,” I whispered. “I promise.”

He pulled away and nodded to Eren with a smile.

We left his rooms and headed down into the city. We went to Herstus’s cafe and ordered two hot chocolates. Eren was quiet while his powerful brain worked.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“Narella. I really think she is the key to winning this. We barely know anything about Alaric. She could win this for us. She could be the arrow he doesn’t see coming,” said Eren.

“Ah,” I gasped as Otar’s sigil began to spin and burn, a sign the creature had died yet again “Seriously, Otar!” I exclaimed.

Eren laughed. “Come on. I can’t wait to watch the temper tantrum he throws when he finds out you’re mine,” he said, winking at me.

We called our ragamors Eeri and Tarsyrth and took off into the sky to find Otar’s dead body. The sigil led us to a wide river at the border of our territory, near the light court’s land. We dismounted and headed into the cold water. The river was deep, and the current was violent. I looked around for Otar’s body, but couldn’t find it.

“I’ll go beneath to see if I can see him. Stay here,” said Eren. He dove under and then finally emerged two minutes later.

“Did you find him?” I asked.

“Yeah. Whatever killed him cut him open and filled him with stones. Give me a second, I’ve almost got him emptied,” he said, diving back under. When he reemerged, I rushed out into the water, helping him drag Otar’s body to the bank. We pulled him out, both panting from exhaustion.

“What did this to him, you think?” I asked.

“Not sure, but I can’t wait to find out. Go on, I won’t look. Resurrect the thing,” he said, walking some distance away.

Otar was missing his arms. His ears were once again removed. His mouth was sewn shut and his stomach was cut open. All his organs were missing. A few rocks still hid inside.

I cleaned him out and then fed him my blood. I lit him on fire and watched while his body turned into an ash cocoon. I made my way over to Eren as the waiting began. He had removed his shoes and was taking off his shirt. I smiled at the sight of him.

“Not that I’m complaining about the view, but what are you doing?” I asked.

He turned around and grinned, gently turning my body so I faced away from him. I felt his fingers fumbling with the laces of my dress. “You’re wet and need to dry off,” he said with a husky voice. “It’s a beautiful day, so why not let the sun do all the work?” He leaned down, brushing his lips against the edge of my ear. “What it misses I will happily lick off.”

“Here? Now?” I asked.

“There’s no one around, princess. Plus, you didn’t seem to care much that we had an audience this morning. You took me off guard, that’s for sure,” he replied, sliding the dress off my body. He moved his mouth to the shoulder bearing our imprint. He kissed and traced his tongue around the lines.

I groaned with pleasure. “I couldn’t stop. You felt so good,” I admitted. “I didn’t care who was watching. I just needed to feel you move inside of me.”

He pulled back and laughed, taking my face in his hands. “You sound like a dark alfar,” he said playfully.

“And I’m proud to be one,” I replied, violently taking his mouth with mine. He eased us down onto the soft grass. “Eren,” I panted.

“Yes, princess,” he said, looking down at me.

“Don’t be gentle.”

He grinned, biting the nape of my neck. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

We spent the next thirty minutes rolling around in the soft grass under the sun. My body was bruised from his teeth and grip. I wore each marking with pride. He looked just as bad as I did, which made me smile.

After we had caught our breath, he helped me back into my dress, fastening the back ever so slowly. With each lacing, he would kiss my neck tenderly. I closed my eyes, enjoying every touch.

“Your nickname should be ambassador of pleasure,” I said.

He chuckled, holding me in his arms. “You are satisfied, I presume?”

“More than satisfied. Though I can’t wait to do it again. You feel better than anything I’ve ever experienced”

“I remember you telling me once that the King Fucker could run laps around me,” he said playfully, nipping the tip of my ear, even though I knew he was looking for me to deny the claim. I turned, kissing him passionately.

“I’ve been with others besides you? Hmm, funny, I don’t remember any others.”

“Good answer, wife .”

My heart skipped a beat. My cheeks warmed from the title. “Call me that again,” I whispered.

“Wife,” he said slowly.

“Again.”

“Wife.” Kiss . “My wife.” Kiss . “My beautiful, brilliant, wife.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers through his hair and began to passionately kiss him, wanting him again in the grass right there.

“No!” I heard Otar yell behind us.

I turned to see him stomping and flinging his arms around as he worked himself into a fit of rage.

“No! No! No!” Otar yelled. “Not him. Not that one! Choose another. I insist. Choose another wicked one!”

“Otar, calm down,” I said, walking towards him.

“Why? Why? Why? He doesn’t deserve you. No, no, no he doesn’t,” snapped Otar.

“Otar, I’m happy. I want to be with him. Please understand that. He is good for me. He’s the one I want,” I said softly.

Otar huffed and puffed while he growled lowly to himself. Eren came up beside me, wrapping his arm around my waist, resting his chin in the nape of my neck.

“Well, Otar,” said Eren sarcastically, “looks like I’m your new daddy.”

Otar lost it. He picked up boulders, throwing them into the water. He rushed up into a nearby tree, breaking and snapping the limbs. He tore at the ground and the bushes around him. Eren stood back watching and laughing at the little devil. I couldn’t help but chuckle along with him.

“You’re evil,” I said to Eren.

“In a sexy way,” he said, winking at me.

Otar finally calmed, walking over to us with his arms folded against his chest. He refused to look at Eren. “I do not claim you,” Otar said, turning his nose up.

Eren exhaled, then approached Otar. He looked him in the eyes more tenderly than I had ever seen him with the creature.

“Otar,” Eren said softly. “I promise you I will not hurt her. Her well-being and happiness are my top priority. She means more to me than anything. You have my word, I will always put her first.”

My heart swelled at his admission. I still couldn’t believe he was real. That he was my husband. All mine.

“We will see,” Otar said in a snarky tone.

“Otar, what killed you this time?” I asked.

He stomped over to me. “Little fucking midgets with fucked up faces and axes,” said Otar.

“You ran into dwarfs?” asked Eren, seeming surprised by the description.

“I thought you couldn’t find them unless they wanted to be found?” I asked.

“That’s usually the case,” explained Eren. “We haven’t had contact with their kind in over five hundred years. They like to keep to themselves.”

“Well, I found them,” snapped Otar. “What? Like it was hard. You doubt my intelligence, ungrateful prince?”

“Not at all. I am just surprised,” said Eren.

“I was scouring the mountain peaks at the northern border. I stumbled across an entrance towards the top, so I invited myself in. The tunnel led into one of their cities. I was able to stay hidden for a day while I searched their ruins. They had fairies tied up in their dungeons. They raped and beat them. I laughed while I watched one get their wings ripped from their back. That’s when I was caught.

“I tried to explain that we were the same. That I hate … resent … loathe the fairy scum, but they wouldn’t listen. They cut off my arms. Then they took my ears and slit me open. Little fuckers,” spat Otar.

“That goes against the treaty they made with Doonak centuries ago,” commented Eren. “They will have to be dealt with once we have the rift under control.”

A zap ran up my spine before it made its way to the brain. Otar felt the pain and reached for me before I could hit the ground.

I saw Narella, standing by a cave of poppies. The same cave the demons had taken me to be tortured and later murdered. She smiled, offering her hand to me. I took it, feeling a sense of comfort. She pulled me into her and brought her lips to my ear. “Come find me,” she whispered. I snapped my eyes open to see Eren and Otar looking down at me.

“What did you see?” asked Eren.

“I think Narella just hijacked my gift,” I said, sitting upright. “She sent me a vision and told me to come and find her.”

“It could be a trap,” stated Eren.

“I agree with the asshole,” growled Otar. “Narella cannot be trusted. No, she cannot.”

Eren turned my face to him. “I know you, princess. I don’t want you to go, but if you decide to, I am coming with you. Understood?”

I smiled and nodded. Eren was right. Narella could be the key to winning this thing. We would have to make contact with her if we wanted what she had to offer. I would be going into the meeting completely blind, but it was a risk I was going to have to take.

“After dinner, I will go to meet Narella,” I said to Eren and Otar.

“May I kill her?” asked Otar.

“Not unless something goes wrong,” I answered. “Otar, you will stay close but hidden, for the time being. She may still be unaware you are working with me.”

“She’s a god, princess. She knows,” said Eren, running his hand through his hair. He was stressed about my decision, but supported me. “Where are you supposed to meet her?”

I dropped my eyes, feeling a shiver of fear run up my spine. “The cave where the demons took me,” I said quietly.

Eren’s head popped up with a look of puzzlement. “You aren’t going,” he said adamantly.

“Eren, this may be our only chance,” I replied. “You even said it yourself. She could be the key to ending Alaric.”

He huffed, clenching his jaw.

I went over to him, taking his face in my hands. “I’m right here. That cave is just a place. It doesn’t hold any power over me anymore. Plus, you and Otar will be there if anything goes wrong.”

“She’s a god, Gen. We don’t have a clue about how powerful she is. This could be a trap.”

“If she wanted to kill me, she could have when I was lying unconscious on my bed, but she didn’t. This is going to work. It must,” I said, smiling up at him.

“I can’t lose you again,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

“You won’t.” I pulled his face down and kissed him softly for reassurance.

“Yuck! May I go” snapped Otar, pouting behind me.

“Yes, meet us after dinner, and please don’t get yourself killed before then,” I said.

Otar glared at Eren before disappearing.

I turned back to him. “Do you need to check in with the others?”

“It’s probably a good idea. Hopefully, Zerrial and the others are back by now,” Eren said, calling Eeri down from the sky. He mounted and then pulled me up onto her back. I turned around in the seat and straddled my legs around him, placing us face to face.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I like the view from this angle better,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Have you ever had sex while flying a ragamor?”

He laughed, pulling me in closer. “You’re going to get us killed,” he said, rubbing his nose against mine.

“At least we’ll go out happy.”

He leaned down slowly, pressing his firm torso against mine as I laid against Eeri’s back. He kissed me passionately as we shot into the air.