Page 5 of Queen of Legends and Lies (Dragons of Tirene #4)

Chapter Four

A sea of night, where dreams drift like boats on a silent tide, cradles my being. Somehow, I feel both formless and attached to my physical body.

I’m aware of myself and my surroundings, but there’s nothing to touch and not even a hint of light to anchor myself to.

I’m all alone.

The ache for Sterling is a compass needle in my chest, spinning wildly, seeking true north.

I push that longing out into the void, calling to him across the distances that separate our souls.

If nothing else, I can dream of him. Our time training together.

Nights spent in each other’s arms. Anything to erase the memory of fighting against him, of that emotionless face as he carried out Xenon’s orders.

I miss you so damn much.

Then, it happens.

A surge, a spark, a jolt of energy lighting up my veins.

My heart jumps, and I forget to breathe.

A voice emerges from the emptiness. “Hey, Duchess. I miss you too.”

His voice. Rippling through the darkness, gentle but strong.

Joy erupts inside me.

Sterling’s here.

I blow out the breath I’ve been holding. “Is it really you?”

Oddly, I can sense my body lying in the bed. I’m on my side, a pillow cool against my cheek. Breathing slowly, I fight to relax, to stay in this state, to stay here with his presence. This dream, this vision, this alternate reality. Whatever this is, I want it to last.

“It’s me.” His familiar, loving aura envelops me, and I swear I can smell his delicious leather, soap, and spice scent.

Emotion clogs my throat, robbing me of the ability to speak.

He cups my face, thumb brushing away my tears as if they’re nothing more than morning dew. “Why so sad?”

A ragged laugh, edged with pain, escapes me. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s Xenon or the drachen. Maybe it’s the way the world is falling down around me. Maybe it’s because I just saw you…at Flighthaven…corrupted.” I press my hand against his, pinning him between my cheek and palm.

We’re touching but not. I can tell my cheek, my physical cheek, is still against the silk linens and not his battle-calloused hand.

This is more like an impression of him. And an impression of me.

How I feel I am, not how my body is. Strangely, though, in this realm, I still have wings along my back, as does Sterling.

Maybe these aren’t our bodies but the manifestation of our magic. Spiritual representations of us.

“I’m not sure what we are here, but I know I am here. Just as I know I was stuck in my body before I felt your presence and came to you. There’s no need for your sadness.” Even as he rejects my grief, his whisper is a balm. “I wasn’t at Flighthaven.”

“Yes, you were. I saw you. I fought you. I?—”

“I. Wasn’t. There. That wasn’t me, love.

Remember that.” His spirit, unmarred by the corruption that has taken control of his physical form, anchors to mine.

A tingling warmth spreads through me at his words.

“I’m so fucking sorry for what I did. But what you were fighting was not the real me.

” He presses his palm against my chest. “I’ve been here this whole time. ”

Clinging to his words like a lifeline, I try to staunch the next wave of tears.

He’s here, somehow. The real Sterling. The man I love.

Not that empty-eyed monster who would have killed me at the snap of Xenon’s fingers.

I have no idea how any of this is possible, but I’m not willing to waste an opportunity.

Especially not one that could help with his rescue.

“Well, in that case, maybe I should catch you up on matters. I was at the royal council meeting tonight. You were right about how awful some of them are.”

Sterling places a finger on my lips, his silent command halting my words. “Tell me nothing. I can feel the presence of another. Not here exactly, but within my body. It’s not safe to speak of anything that may help Xenon and the drachen.”

My mouth snaps shut, the stories dying on my lips. My heart splinters at the thought of his suffering. The knowledge that layers of dark enchantment separate us and trap him is almost too much to bear. “Are you…in pain?”

He brushes my cheek with his knuckles, and I lean into his touch.

“It’s like being adrift in an uncaring sea.

Sometimes, there’s movement, echoes of screams, glimpses of horror through a veil so dark it might as well be a wall.

” A shudder passes through his form. “But mostly, it’s just emptiness.

A void where reality should be. Then I felt you.

And somehow, here I am. I’m guessing you’re dreaming, which means you’re safely back at the palace. ”

“Yes.” Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks again, but I hold them in. “I’m going to save you.”

“I have no doubt.” I envy his confidence. “You’re the most capable, brilliant, beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I fully believe that you will find a way, not only to free me but also to destroy the drachen.”

“I wish I had as much faith in me as you do.” The spark of hope he’s kindled refuses to die out.

He drifts closer, wrapping his arms around me like he’s afraid I’ll vanish. “Shall I show you just how amazing you are?”

Before I can answer, his lips meet mine. It’s as though I’ve been plunged into the sun’s core.

Heat floods me, and every nerve ending flares to life.

He presses against me. Phantom hands slide over my neck and back, and his pelvis rocks the swell of my belly. My hands trail over his sides, my breasts pushing against his bare chest.

He deepens the kiss. Tasting. Exploring. Devouring.

I blink, and my nightgown and his pants vanish, like I’ve simply willed them away. Or maybe I subconsciously used elemental magic to burn them off. Or perhaps in this semiconscious state we’re in, anything is possible.

His arousal digs into my thigh, and I reach down to stroke him.

He groans. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Don’t say that.” I run my thumb over the sensitive tip, causing his body to go rigid. “What if?—”

“No, love.” He covers my hand with his, flipping us both so I’m under him. “We’re not going there. I’m going to be fine. I have the utmost faith in you.” He guides his hard length to my entrance. “Right now, I just need you. Are you ready for me?”

“I’m always ready for you.”

He plunges inside.

And holy. Hells.

Inch by glorious inch, I take him.

Stars explode in my vision, sensation after sensation pouring through me. He’s everywhere, stretching me, filling me, making me whole. He starts to move, thrusting in a delicious rhythm.

Am I imagining this?

In the past, there were times when I wanted to get closer to Sterling, even when we were naked and covered in sweat, our bodies touching from head to toe. Even when he was buried deep inside me, I sometimes longed to pull him closer, to feel even more of him.

Now, I can.

Somehow, I draw him deeper, the strength of our connection infusing me.

Lust, desire, love, hesitation, an unwillingness to hurt me, the need to go slow in this unknown place where anything might be possible…

Sterling’s emotions, thoughts, and reflexes ripple through me.

“How…?” Sterling’s startled laughter delights my senses.

I know he can sense my response. My yearning. My desire to remove every barrier separating us. My need to become one with him, to join ourselves in ways our bodies would never be able to handle, to have both carnal and spiritual knowledge of him.

“Incredible.” His coolness delves into my heat, and I return the favor by imbuing my warmth into him, touching him in places I never knew existed. “You are absolutely incredible. Have I told you that before?”

“Yes.” I trail kisses up his neck, across his jaw, then stop at the corner of his mouth. “Glad you still think so.”

His lips brush mine in a soft, sensuous kiss. “Always.”

Our exploration continues, and we map out every inch of each other’s bodies like we’re trying to memorize the way home.

We move together, slow and deliberate, as if time itself has stretched out for us alone. His focus never wanes. Our bodies blend and separate, writhing together in an intimate dance as profound as the unseen magic swirling around us.

There’s no rush, no urgency, just an unraveling of souls and bodies, each touch a revelation, each kiss a promise.

Our love becomes a tangible force, wrapping us in a cocoon of emotion and desire, the physical expression of our bond transcending the dream that contains it. And in this moment, in this meeting of hearts and souls, I find my anchor against the storm that rages outside.

“I love you.”

“And I love you.” Sterling strokes his thumb under my bottom lip. “No matter what happens, I need you to remember that.”

Together, we’re unbroken and unbreakable. Undiminished by shadow or corruption.

Deep in my core, the spark of my magic flares. My fire gushes out, not to run along his flesh, but to dance through his body. I hold him tight, pulsing with desire.

The world falls away, the very air charged with the current of our connection. Sterling and I, a fusion of ice and fire, meld together in a chaotic swirl of give and take. I’m aware of his every sigh and shift.

Each caress pulses through my being, and I release a breath I’ve been holding for an eternity. “More.”

Sterling complies, his movements mirroring my urgency. A storm brews within me, a tempest of emotion and elemental force that I’ve never felt before. Raw power gathers at our joined hands, our locked eyes, our entwined hearts.

And then, as I crest into a wave of pleasure so intense it borders on painful, I sense it.

Suddenly, I am awake and breathless, my body damp with sweat and sated. My power surges forth, unbidden and fierce enough to snap my eyes open.

I gasp, lost in the sensation, attributing this heightened state to Sterling’s adept touch, to the love that consumes us both.

As my head starts to clear from sleep, I register the noises outside my windows.

The shouts are loud enough to penetrate the glass and walls.

“Put that damned thing out!”

“What the hells? You want to burn the whole garden down?”

“Sorry, Mila!” comes the bewildered response. “It just…exploded.”

I groan, realizing I am no longer in the dream state. No longer in that perfect place where I could be with Sterling so completely.

I roll onto my side, filled with a curious mix of vitality and exhaustion. A few ever-lights dot the walls, and the flames from the candles and lamps cast dancing shadows across the expansive suite.

“Did I do that?” I murmur, half to myself, half to the memory of Sterling that lingers like frost on my lips.

But this time, there’s no answer.

“Hold on, my love. I’ll get you back.” I know he can’t hear me, know he’s somewhere far away, fighting his own battles, but tonight has given me new conviction.

A fierce need to act, to save Sterling, to cleanse the land of corruption, pulses through me. It strengthens my resolve, even as the softness of the bed invites me to stay, to rest, to dream once more.

As sleep claims me again, I hold on to the certainty that I will bring him home. That, together, we’ll face whatever nightmares await us. Because if tonight has taught me anything, it’s that our powers are greater than we know, and hope is a weapon all its own.