Page 36 of Queen of Legends and Lies (Dragons of Tirene #4)

Chapter Thirty

A furious Sterling leads us out of the winding cave tunnels, his grip on my hand almost painfully tight. Mercifully, the trip back to open air takes less time than the one in.

We emerge onto a grassy hill overlooking the ocean.

I collapse to my knees, overwhelmed with relief to be back above ground.

My fingers dig into the cool, damp earth as I inhale the salty sea breeze.

While the air here is infinitely sweeter than in the dank underground, I still can’t shake my apprehension.

Maybe because I know Xenon is still back there somewhere.

Tanwen and Dame wait, crouched on the hilltop and trying to blend in.

High overhead, Kaida glides, keeping an eye on our surroundings to ensure no one approaches.

Earlier, they transmitted alarm and fear through our connection, but now that I’m topside again, they seem calmer.

I didn’t mean to scare them by staying out of reach for so long.

At least someone here believes in me.

Sterling barks at me to mount up, jerking his head toward Dame. I hurry to climb onto her back, not wanting to further provoke his ire. Now isn’t the time or place to argue, and I know that’s what’s coming as soon as we’re out of danger.

Tanwen and Dame take flight, their powerful wings carrying us up and away from that horrid labyrinth. Kaida joins us in the sky for a lengthy, quiet ride back home.

It’s only when Dame lands on a familiar stretch of beach on the southern border of Tirene that I realize how long we were trapped down there. The sun is just peeking over the horizon, the early dawn light glinting off the rolling waves.

As soon as my boots touch sand, Sterling rounds on me again, brown eyes molten with anger. “What were you thinking? Going off alone without a word to anyone?”

He paces in agitated strides, hands cutting through the air to punctuate his words. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him this unhinged, this emotional. And in those cases, I wasn’t the target of his fury.

“I had to do something! We needed answers, and I thought?—”

“No, you didn’t think! Not about the consequences or the risks.” He steps closer, towering over me. “Not about those who love you and would be devastated if anything happened.”

Underneath the anger, I hear the fear, the anguish in his voice. Oh, gods. In trying to protect him, I’ve only caused him more pain.

My vision blurs with unshed tears. “I’m sorry. I never meant to worry you. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

He chokes out a mirthless laugh. “You decided, alone, to not only throw yourself into danger but to take my choice away from me by never even giving me one! Brilliant plan, Your Highness .”

The formal title stings. His words bleed with so much pain. I reach for him, desperate to close the distance.

“Please, Sterling. I had to do it. I never thought anyone would be in the caves. And Hallr told me about them, so I thought they were safe enough. Celeste disclosed their location. I have no idea why or how Xenon was there.” I search his face, willing him to believe me.

Sterling’s hands tighten into fists at his sides, and I can practically see his desire to shake some sense into me. “Which is why you shouldn’t have come alone. Even if the council didn’t agree, you could’ve told me . I would’ve come with you instead of having to follow along after you.”

“Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you!” Maybe he wants to strangle me, but I’d love to feed him to the dragons. “If you came back here…” My anger fades away like mist in the afternoon sun.

“If I came here…what?” He studies my face, hands clasping and unclasping like he doesn’t know what to do with them. “What are you hiding from me, Lark?”

Tears burn in my eyes. “The last time you were here, I watched you kill my friend. Watched you almost kill the remaining people in this world that I care about.” My breathing quickens into pants.

“You never talk about it, but I know you. And I know the guilt of having to do unspeakable things at Xenon’s demand is going to stay with you forever.

The last thing I wanted was to dredge up that memory, especially when it’s still so fresh. ”

For a long moment, he remains rigid, unyielding as stone. Then, incrementally, the harsh lines of his shoulders soften. He clasps my outstretched hand in his warm, solid one. “Lark…”

Tears trickle down my cheeks. “I may be strong, but I’m not strong enough to deal with that again. I won’t. I will not allow you to be re-corrupted. To be controlled. To suffer.”

“Hey. Look at me.” He lifts my chin. “I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere. But I make the choices for my body and my heart, not you. I choose what I will and won’t do, what I will and won’t risk. And I choose you, Lark. Every time. Over everything.”

Fuck.

He’s right.

If Sterling hadn’t found me, I doubt I’d have escaped that cave with my life intact.

Either that, or I’d have ended up corrupted.

And he’d have to go through everything I did.

I’d be putting him through the same hell.

But worse. Because he has no way to cleanse corruption.

He’d have to live on without me, never knowing what happened.

Why I left.

Why I didn’t tell him.

Why he was suddenly alone and needed to explain things to everyone else.

“I’m sorry. And I swear I won’t do that again.

I won’t leave without discussing it with you first and won’t make choices for you.

” The words ring with solemn finality between us.

A vow. A bridge tentatively rebuilt. “From now on, we’ll make decisions together.

Even the difficult ones. How did you find me anyway? ”

He stiffens. “One of the guards overheard you talking to Celeste about the caves, and thank the gods he did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had any idea where you went.”

We still have a lot to discuss, but for now, I let him wrap me in his arms.

Sterling’s gold-flecked eyes bore into mine, intense and unwavering. His hands slide around my waist, rough palms igniting sparks across my skin even through the fabric of my tunic as he pulls me flush against the hard planes of his body. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

My breath hitches. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Damn right you’re not.” His possessive, demanding mouth crashes down on mine.

I open for him instantly, tangling my fingers in his hair as our tongues duel for dominance.

Heat lances through me, desire and desperation twining into an intoxicating cocktail. I want to be closer to him, crave his skin against mine. Need him whole. Safe. No longer angry with me.

I need the heat from his body. The pulse of his heart. The passion of his love.

His lips trail fire down the column of my throat, teeth nipping with just enough force to pull a gasp from me. “Mine.” His breath heats my collarbone. “You’re mine, Lark.”

“Yes.” The word is both a pledge and a prayer. “Always.”

Frantic hands tug at buckles and laces, shoving fabric aside until there’s nothing between us but slick flesh and racing heartbeats.

We sink to the beach in a tangle of limbs, oblivious to the tide’s ebb and flow and the dragons that wait nearby. I map the scars on Sterling’s chest, careful to avoid the cuts from the drachen’s talons as I revel in the flex of muscle beneath his bronzed skin.

His mouth finds mine again, kissing me over and over. Calloused fingers glide down my spine, and I arch into him. I moan when his steely length presses into my belly, wiggling until he hits just the right spot.

He bites his lip while gripping my hips and gently shoving me to the side. “Not yet, love.”

I huff out a frustrated groan. “What are you?—”

“Teaching you patience.”

“You’re not my damn instructor anymore.” Done waiting, I reach for his erection.

“Maybe I should be.” He grasps my hand, then the other, smirking as two bands of ice form over my joined wrists. “Because I think you need a lesson.”

“Bastard.” I glare at him, though I can’t deny the shiver of anticipation that crawls down my spine.

He takes his sweet time toying with me, trailing teasing kisses up and down my thighs while tracing lazy circles on my hip.

After a short, torturous eternity, he finds me wet and ready, which elicits a downright wicked smile. “Ah, I knew you’d like being restrained.”

I arch my back as Sterling’s talented fingers continue their lesson. I moan his name, almost like a prayer, as he brings me to the brink of ecstasy. Then he slows. Balancing me on a blade’s edge.

My eyes flutter open, which startles me because I don’t remember closing them. Nerves dancing, I shoot Sterling a bewildered glance, wondering why he’s doing this. Getting me so close only to leave me hanging.

“Well, have you learned your lesson? Feeling patient yet?” His face is smug, though there’s also blatant desire in his beautiful eyes.

“Jackass.” I try to sit up, but he gently pushes me back down.

“Mmm.” He stretches out beside me, kissing me so sweetly that my irritation melts away. “Keep calling me names, love. It only makes me harder.”

“You’re so messed up.”

Another kiss. “You have no idea.”

His fingers find my clit again, and after only a few well-placed strokes, he sends me toppling over the cliff.

Breathless and trembling, I reach for him, desperate to return the favor. Sterling reads my intention, and my icy restraints shatter, freeing my wrists.

He groans, burying his face in the crook of my neck as I work him with both my hands and mouth. He tastes like desire, and it fuels my fire even more.

Just as I’m about to bring him to the brink, he pulls away, leaving us both gasping for air. “I need to be inside you.”

He doesn’t have to say it twice.

Sterling positions himself at my entrance, and with a deep breath, he thrusts inside me, burying himself to the hilt.

We moan in unison, our bodies meeting as though we were never apart.

I wrap my legs around his waist, urging him to move faster by rotating my hips against him.

He complies, his hips rocking against mine in a primal rhythm.

Sterling kisses my neck, my jaw, my throat. His cold-infused hands skim up and down my sides, leaving an icy trail.

I moan his name, arching my back as the first waves of pleasure wash over me. “Sterling.” My nails dig into his back, each finger heated. I drag them down to his ass and pull him closer, deeper.

He growls in response, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he, too, teeters on the edge. “Come with me, love.”

That’s all I need to hear.

A scream rips from my throat, my entire body tensing as the release tears through me. Sterling isn’t far behind.

For a moment, we lie here panting, our bodies still joined.

Then, with a sigh, Sterling rolls off, sitting up and gathering me into his lap. He rests his chin on my head, the peace of chirping birds and lapping waves settling over us. But we both know it won’t last.

We have a war to win. A kingdom to protect. And an army waiting just past our borders.