Page 52

Chapter Fifty-Two

A elia

Reign averted his smoldering gaze as I stepped into the ceramic basin, adorned with ornate silver trappings. I dipped my foot in, then glanced over my bare shoulder finding myself wanting him to look. Perhaps, after all this time, I’d finally begun to shed my delicate mortal sensibilities.

Or, maybe, the stirrings in my chest that had kindled over the past few nights spent sleeping in Reign’s arms had emboldened me, reminding me what it felt like to be loved by the powerful Shadow Fae, and how it felt to love him in return.

I’d faltered earlier this morning when he’d asked, my nerves getting the best of me. After the time spent in Helroth’s clutches, I’d forgotten how to trust myself, trust my instincts… trust my own heart. But after the chaos of today, I’d come to a realization: I was falling in love with Reign all over again.

There was a brief instant when I’d watched Ruhl atop Mordrin plummeting to the earth, that I was certain it was Reign instead. I’d blinked and the brothers had switched positions. It had lasted for only an instant, a side effect of Helroth’s cursed illusions, perhaps. When the image righted itself, though, and Reign was still beside me, the flood of relief I’d felt was like being dragged from the depths of the Shadowmere Sea, gasping for breath just as my lungs were about to give out. The crushing weight of despair lifted, leaving me weak, trembling, and desperate to touch him, to confirm he was real.

That he was still mine.

And now I desperately needed the physical confirmation.

Fully immersed beneath the tepid waters, I leaned my head back against the ledge and allowed my gaze to leisurely rake over the beautifully savage male. Tracing the sharp lines of his bare back, I drew in a breath as I took in every muscle honed to lethal perfection.

As if he’d felt my roving gaze, he canted his head over his shoulder and smoldering midnight orbs met mine. “You’re going to have to control your wandering thoughts, princess, or I’ll need that cold bath more than you.”

Oh, Raysa, he’d felt me ogling him through the bond. Surely, the rush of desire must have been overwhelming. The heat kindling low in my core flushed my cheeks, and I barely resisted the urge to sink beneath the water to hide. No, I wouldn’t hide from this anymore. Helroth had kept us apart for long enough. I wanted Reign, I loved him. So, I summoned a courage I didn’t know I possessed and lifted my arm out of the tub, beckoning him with an outstretched hand.

“Why don’t you join me?”

His eyes widened, and a tidal wave of lust flooded our bond, only further emboldening me. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one affected by the steamy bath. He remained perfectly still, unnaturally so, for an endless moment.

“Please,” I finally whispered, embarrassment still tingeing my cheeks.

As if that one word shattered his final defenses, a swirl of shadows exploded from his form, the dark tendrils making quick work of his boots, then the laces of his breeches, and within seconds, he stood completely bare before me.

Reign’s body was forged for battle—broad shoulders brimming with power, a chiseled chest sculpted from years of training, and arms thick with muscle, carved by wielding broadswords and shadows alike. His torso tapered into a lean waist, each ridge of his abdomen hard as honed obsidian, a testament to his relentless discipline.

Reign’s strength wasn’t just in bulk but also in his lethal grace—fluid, controlled, like a predator forever coiled to strike. Dark runes traced his forearms, a roadmap of raw power beneath sun-kissed skin, while every shift of his stance sent a ripple through taut muscle, a promise of force barely restrained.

My cuoré was a warrior, a weapon, a Fae god draped in darkness.

And he was stalking toward me with a feral gaze that had nerve endings I didn’t even know existed flaring in anticipation. He leaned over the basin, piercing gaze locked to mine, a bittersweet twist to his lips. “This will be the ultimate test of my self-restraint.”

“I have the utmost confidence in you.” I held out my hand, the slight tremble embarrassing. He didn’t seem to notice, or maybe the strength of his grip chased it away. I scooted forward in the basin, making room for him.

“Noxus, help me,” he whispered as he stepped into the tub and settled in behind me, wrapping his long legs around my hips.

A hiss escaped as his hard planes met my soft ones, and I could feel every inch of him pressed against me. I searched my fragmented thoughts for memories of any other time we’d been this naked together. I doubted I’d forget that—but then again who knew the depths of Helroth’s abilities?

Again, flashes of a dark pond, fear and pain lancing through my skull, each one fleeting yet powerful in the same instant. I blinked and they evaporated, buried in the dark recesses of my muddled mind.

Reign’s arms sank beneath the surface, curling around my waist, and all other thoughts vanished. I leaned into him, his firm chest somehow still the best pillow I’d ever encountered. Despite the cool water, heat thrummed through my veins at his proximity, at the feel of him everywhere . Our skin met in dozens of places, and I could feel each and every one acutely. His chin resting on my shoulder, his inner thighs cradling my behind, his hand drifting across my stomach, just inches above my aching center.

Stars, perhaps Reign wasn’t the only one who would need to practice restraint this evening.

“This feels new,” I blurted, my voice rough with desire. “Have we ever done this before?”

“Enjoyed a bath together?” Reign asked, his lips skimming the sensitive shell of my pointy ear. “No, we have not.”

“Why the realms not?” I squealed, cocking my head over my shoulder.

A deep chuckle vibrated his chest, the warm tremor soaking through my skin and settling into my bones. “Since your memories are still muddled, I will remind you that our relationship was forbidden upon campus grounds. It wasn’t as simple as it seems to indulge in a bath together. Plus, there was the prophecy, the blood vow, the cuorem, Ruhl…” A wry grin curled the corners of his lips as he glanced down at me. “Honestly, I’m surprised we made it this far.”

“It sounds like our relationship has been fraught with quite a few ups and downs.”

“That would be putting it mildly.” He paused, his nose brushing the shell of my ear. “There was the time I held you beneath the waters of the healing pond. Perhaps more memories of the incident are resurfacing?”

“Maybe…” There was something familiar about the feel of the water and his slick body against mine.

“Then again, you’d been poisoned, and I feared you would die in my arms.”

“Realms, that sounds dreadful.”

“It was. Like you said, we’ve endured quite a few ups and down.”

I settled deeper into his hold, my entire body relaxing against the familiarity of his, because even if my mind couldn’t remember him, my body certainly did. “And yet, here we are. Somehow, we’ve found our way back to each other again.”

“And we will keep doing so, even if it takes an eternity to complete the cuorem bond. Because you are mine, starlight, and there is nowhere you could go where I wouldn’t follow, no offense too unforgiveable, no future without you in it.”

Twisting my head to meet his smoldering gaze full on, I murmured, “I may not remember all the details of our tumultuous past, nor do I feel exactly as I once did—but, gods help me, Reign, you’re unraveling me all the same. And despite everything, I am certain of one critical fact: Prince Reign of Umbra, you are making me fall in love with you all over again.”

He remained perfectly still for another moment before a slow smile melted across his face. “Oh, Noxus, starlight, you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that,” he whispered, a tremor in his deep voice. In the next instant, his lips claimed mine with the force of a tempest, wild and unrelenting, as if he were a drowning man and I was the only breath of air he’d ever need. I knew this with utter confidence, because I felt it through every cell in my body. The bond buzzed in eager anticipation, the heat growing between my legs with each sweep of his tongue.

As if he’d sensed my mounting desire, his fingers danced down my torso, disappearing beneath the tepid waters, which were growing more heated with every passing second. A groan parted my lips when he found my aching core.

My hips rocked into his palm, and his fingers stroked and teased. How he knew exactly what I needed when I barely had any notion was beyond me. I may not have remembered much, but I knew my experience with males was limited. With his free hand, he cupped my breast, drawing my thoughts to nothing else but the tingling across my flesh. He caressed my sensitive skin, toyed with my nipple, intensifying the burning flames lighting up every inch of my body.

Oh, Raysa, his touch was driving me wild. The cuorem hummed happily, the typical agitation that flooded the shimmery strands quieted. Pleasure built, blossoming to uncontrollable levels, and my body took over, hips rolling, back arching. A flurry of desire, a tangle of his and mine, burned so brightly it bloated my chest, surging through my veins like wildfire. Just when I was certain I couldn’t withstand another moment of bliss, Reign’s icy shadows traced my exposed flesh, scurrying across my neck, dropping to swirl around my breasts and diving deeper, below the surface.

With his hands freed to tangle in my hair, and frosty shadows licking over my heated core, a groan spilled free. “Oh, gods, Reign.” The onslaught of emotions and sensations was completely overpowering, crashing through me like a tidal wave, dragging me under with the weight of longing, desire, and something deeper—something I couldn’t name but felt down to my very soul.

“I’m right here, starlight,” he whispered against my ear, his arousal pressing against my back. “Come apart for me, unravel for me and only me.”

Those words, uttered with so much yearning and hunger broke through my final barriers of restraint. The sun, moon and stars exploded across my vision, a luminous spectacle filling my vision as fiery pleasure stole my breath, scorched my veins, and consumed me in utter ecstasy.

My head fell back on Reign’s shoulder as the sensations finally ebbed, my entire body satiated and boneless. A breathy sigh escaped as I drew in a breath and attempted to slow the thundering beats of my heart and wild pumping of my lungs. “Oh, Reign, that was?—”

“Incredible?” he purred against my ear.

“I was going to say heart-stopping, spellbinding, epic…”

He chuckled again, the warm sound seeping deep within my bones. “I’m glad you approve. My shadows have always had a weakness for you.”

“A weakness? They were relentless,” I laughed, the sound of my own voice startling. My body still tingled, vibrations of my release still echoing through my core. Gods, I could spend the rest of my life doing that.

He brushed his lips against my shoulder, up the delicate skin of my neck, then nipped at my collarbone. He shifted behind me, and I could feel him still hard against my back. Oh, goddess, how could I have been so selfish? Here I was reveling in bliss, and he must have been miserable, his own desire left unsatisfied.

I turned around, eager to return the favor when sharp knocks on the door sent me scrambling back beneath the water.

“What?” Reign barked.

A familiar voice seeped through the closed door. “Was I mistaken to believe the two of you were returning?”

“Oh, curses,” I murmured into Reign’s chest. I’d completely forgotten all about Ruhl and Mordrin.

“We’ll be out in a moment, brother,” Reign called out, irritation sharpening his tone.

“Just finishing up a cold bath,” I added. “By myself.”

Reign shot me a scowl, shaking his head.

“What? There’s no need to rub his nose in our reunion,” I whisper-hissed.

The jealous look in his eyes said otherwise. Dismissing his overreaction, I tried to stand but Reign’s arms only tightened around me. Realizing I was leaving him yet again unsated, I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “We will continue this tonight.”

A wicked gleam sparked in those beautiful midnight orbs. “I will hold you to that promise, princess. I've been dreaming about feasting on you for months now, and I will not be easily satiated.”

Another tremor of desire coursed through my body, rekindling the spark in my core. I couldn’t tell if it was mine or Reign’s, but I couldn’t wait to indulge in him all over again.

“Not to rush this,” Ruhl shouted through the thick timber, “but before my dragon was assaulted by Solanthus, I’d come with rather important news.”

Reign stiffened behind me, lifting me up and out of the tub in a whirlwind of shadows.

“Reign!” I squealed.

Reaching for towels for each of us, he wrapped the soft fabric around my shoulders and quickly patted me dry before turning his attention to himself. Once he was sufficiently dry, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and whirled toward the door. “Rest, starlight, as you were supposed to do. I will see what news my brother has brought, and I’ll update you after your nap.”

“I’m fine…”

“Please, for me?” His velvety eyes smoldered as they regarded me, hands framing my face. “I need you in tip-top shape for what I have planned for this evening.”

A silly grin crawled across my face, and I found myself nodding. I couldn’t deny the exhaustion seeping into my bones after the intense expenditure of power and the equally intense release in the tub. “Okay,” I murmured. “But wake me if it’s anything urgent.”

“Of course.” He kissed my forehead before stepping into his breeches and slipping out the door.

I found myself staring at the spot from which he’d disappeared for an endless moment, my heart a rapid staccato beneath my breastbone. I pressed my hand to my chest, counting the manic beats. This was real. It had to be.