Page 69 of Blackwarden

“It’s my home,” I blurted out, wondering if there was some strange Fae magic still at work. Maybe it was the Gatehouse, which had thankfully retained its sentient charm.

He said he hadn’t been able to feel my emotions since he’d destroyed the portal, but I wondered if he still had a tiny connection to the Earth Mother. If he ever managed to return to his home through one of the other Fae portals, could he regain his magic and his immortality?

“I’d like to go there,” he said as he took a step toward me, paintbrush and palette still in hand.

A sudden rush of jealousy gripped my heart. I didn’t know if I was ready to share him with anyone. Keres was gorgeous—arrestinglygorgeous. He would draw attention anywhere he went. Even more so for his distinctly Fae traits. It was hard to hide horns and wings when you didn’t have the magic to glamour yourself.

He leaned down to kiss me and my thoughts were instantly banished. This was a promise, a claim. No one else mattered but us at that moment.

Would I ever tire of this? Of him?Of us?The paintbrush and palette hit the tile and clattered away as he pressed me against the wall. I knew the answer to my own question.

No, I would never be tired of this. I would never be tired of him, or the way he made me feel alive, precious—completely his.

“Ms. Greene,” he said, voice low and breathy, pulling me deeper into him.

“Yes, Keres?” I breathed, my pulse racing.

“What do you want, my love?”

I couldn’t take in breath fast enough as he kissed down my neck, his lips leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. A grin spread across my lips. I knew what I wanted.

“My midnight apple.”

He smirked, a wicked gleam in his eyes, as he swept me into his arms.