Page 52

Tension builds, sweet and relentless. I sink deeper in the water, sliding my hands over her thighs until I cup her. She inhales sharply, illusions sparking in a swirl of pastel light across the pool’s surface. Our eyes lock, a question unspoken. She answers with a faint nod and a trembling smile.

The water laps at our hips, cool and liquid silk against heated skin. Lysandra’s legs tighten around my waist, her pussy slick and welcoming as I sink deeper into her. My cock throbs, every inch of her clenching around me, and I groan into her neck, biting back a curse.

“Gods, Lysandra?—”

Her breath hitches, fingers digging into my shoulders as she arches, taking me deeper. “Xelith… yes, move, just like that. Give me more.”

The pool ripples around us, her magic shimmering across the surface like scattered stars.

My shadows coil beneath the water, dark tendrils caressing her thighs, her hips—anywhere I can’t touch her fast enough.

She gasps as they brush her skin, her magic flaring in response, painting the night in streaks of silver and gold.

I move inside her with slow, deliberate thrusts, savoring the way her body grips me, hot and tight. “You feel… fuck, you feel perfect,” I rasp, dragging my lips along her collarbone.

She whimpers, nails scraping down my back. “More—please.”

I give it to her. My hands grip her hips, lifting her slightly before pulling her back down onto me, harder this time.

Her cry echoes through the orchard, illusions bursting overhead in radiant arcs.

The bond between us sings, amplifying every sensation—her pleasure, her need, the way her pussy flutters around my cock as I fill her again and again.

“I feel you,” she gasps, her voice trembling. “All of you… your shadows, your heart?—”

“Yours,” I growl, claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. “Always yours.”

Her thighs shake, her body tightening around me as pleasure builds, relentless and sweet. I can feel her nearing the edge, her breath coming in ragged bursts, her magic sparking against my skin like static.

“Come with me,” she begs, her voice breaking. “I want to feel you when I fall.”

I can’t deny her. My thrusts grow rougher, water sloshing around us as I drive into her, chasing that blinding release.

Her pussy clenches around me, and she screams, her back bowing as her climax crashes through her.

The force of it drags me under—my cock pulses inside her as I spill deep, my groan muffled against her throat.

“Lysandra!” I let out a roar of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.

For a heartbeat, the world whites out. Magic erupts around us—her magic, my shadows—twining together in a radiant storm, sealing this moment between us.

When I finally come back to myself, she’s trembling in my arms, her forehead pressed to mine. Tears streak her cheeks, but she’s smiling, her breath still uneven.

“That was…” She laughs, breathless. “Gods, Xelith.”

I brush my thumb over her lower lip, my voice rough with emotion. “Forever. That’s what this is.”

Her eyes soften. “Forever,” she whispers.

And as the water stills around us, the orchard silent except for our shared breaths, I know—no vow could be stronger than this.

Slowly, the illusions subside, shimmering motes dissolving into the moonlit water. My shadows recede as well, leaving only the quiet of the orchard clearing. We remain entwined in the pool, foreheads pressed together, breath mingling in the aftermath.

My heart thuds, hammered by the enormity of what we just experienced. Lysandra’s eyes flutter open, a tear tracking down her cheek. I brush it away, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

She lets out a trembling laugh, voice hoarse. “That… was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.”

I nod, throat tight with the same awe. “The bond,” I whisper, “magnifies everything.”

She smiles through her tears, illusions flickering faintly at the corners of her eyes. “I love it,” she confesses. “And I love you, Xelith.”

My chest clenches, a surge of warmth flooding me. I press a hand to her cheek, letting her see the gratitude in my eyes. “I love you, Lysandra. You are my anchor, my reason. Forever.”

We linger in the water a while longer, savoring the closeness, the hush, the quiet rush of water lapping at our hips.

The orchard illusions rest now, subdued by our contentment rather than fear or lust. My shadows swirl lazily around my shoulders, matching the lull in my heart.

We are one, illusions and shadows, orchard and fortress, siren and Dark Elf.

At last, we slip from the pool, the night air cool on our damp skin.

She finds her cloak, draping it around her shoulders, while I gather my leathers.

We share a shy laugh at the state of our hair and the faint orchard dust still clinging to our wrists.

Then she steps close, burying her face in my chest.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, voice muffled. “For letting me have this moment, away from prying eyes. For seeing me not as a tool or a captive but as your… mate.”

My arms envelop her in a gentle embrace. “Always,” I say, lips brushing her temple. “We stand as equals, and I want every part of our bond to reflect that.”

She tilts her head up, pressing a quick kiss to my throat. The orchard illusions swirl anew in a faint, joyful pattern behind her. Then she pulls back, eyes shining. “So what now?”

I breathe in the crisp orchard air. “We return to the orchard enclaves. We plan. The farmland needs us to unify them, keep them safe from any fortress retaliation. But now, we do it as soul-bound partners.”

She slips her hand into mine, cords glinting in the moonlight. “Lead the way, my prince,” she teases, though her eyes sparkle with genuine adoration.

I laugh, gently pulling her along. We make our way through the clearing, illusions casting silver arcs across the grass. The orchard watchers might still be celebrating, or perhaps they’ve drifted to exhausted slumber. Either way, we’ll join them soon—part of a community that no longer cowers.

Yet in this moment, I pause at the clearing’s edge, turning back for one final look at the moonlit pool.

Lysandra stands at my side, illusions drifting around her ankles like wisps of stardust. My shadows curl from my arms, an inky swirl that meets her illusions in a mesmerizing dance.

That sight—a siren rebel and an exiled Dark Elf prince, bound by more than vow or politics—hits me with such raw beauty that I can hardly speak.

She seems to sense my awe, leaning against my shoulder. “We’ll come back here,” she says softly. “Whenever we need a reminder of what we fought for.”

My throat tightens. “Yes,” I manage, voice husky. “We should. This clearing is ours now, a sanctuary beyond the fortress’s reach.”

A sense of finality settles over me. Despite the looming threats, the uncertain future, we stand triumphant in this single, bright moment.

Our third and most profound union, sealed by our vow, anchored by illusions and shadows.

We might face war tomorrow, outriders the next day, endless trials in the orchard enclaves.

But for tonight, we have each other, body and soul.

“Let’s go,” Lysandra murmurs, blinking away tears. “They’ll wonder where we are.”

My arm holds onto her waist, leading her gently from the clearing. She leans into me, illusions hugging her shoulders like a shimmering shawl. My shadows pulse in quiet harmony, acknowledging that she and I share a bond no fortress can shatter.

As we pass the final line of ancient orchard trees, I glance back one last time, capturing the image of moonlight on still water, orchard illusions fading into the night.

It’s a fitting final image: two souls entwined, forging a new path through the orchard gloom, unafraid of darkness or the council’s wrath.

We are bound by magic and love, illusions and shadows, forging a world where we stand together—and any who follow us might find freedom from the tyranny that once gripped Protheka.

I hold Lysandra closer, inhaling her warmth, feeling the hum of our shared magic.

We step into the orchard enclaves’ domain, hearts steady, eyes forward.

This is our resolution, our final vow: we will defend each other—and anyone who dares join us—against every threat that rises.

And in that unity, illusions and shadows become a single, radiant force that no darkness can overcome.