Page 57 of Raven Rebel (Sablewood #1)

Brenna

S ighing, Brenna threw her head back as Emrys bit into the soft flesh of her inner arm. The prick of pain was worth the satisfying draw of his mouth on her. His tongue licked the trail of blood before his lips closed over the wound once more. After a moment, he pulled back.

“Heal it,” he ordered.

She blinked, trying to focus through the haze she felt around him.

Drawing on her magic to heal was becoming easier each time.

Without using her hand to direct it, she was able to push the magic into the wound in her arm and heal it.

Emrys grinned and licked the spot to remove the last of the blood.

“Ready to try me?” he purred. She sat beside him in bed, the black silk sheets up to her waist. His linen undershirt hung loose over her breasts.

Emrys produced a small blade from his bedside table and drew it across his bare chest. She rose up on her knees, pressing a hand to his chest. He leaned against the headboard, watching her while a smirk graced his handsome face. She tried to focus on his wound, but he was distracting.

“I cannot work when you look at me like that,” she said.

His gaze darkened. “Taste it,” he urged. “See if you can taste my magic.”

The idea should revolt her, but she felt intrigued. Steadying herself, she dipped her face to his skin and tentatively dragged her tongue over his skin. Blood soaked her senses. It tasted like merlot, smooth and thick. His magic lay dormant in the crimson liquid she swallowed.

She closed her eyes and pressed her magic into the cut, closing it up after a moment of effort. Her lashes fluttered open and she inspected the perfect skin. Her hand trailed over the fine dusting of dark hair over his pale chest.

He sucked in a breath and she paused her exploration, looking up at him. “Don’t stop on my account,” he murmured. His smile revealed a pair of sharp canine teeth that stirred heat within her.

“I think,” she said, pausing as she explored new sensations, “that I can sense your emotions.” A flash of pride warmed her.

“Our bond is deepening. You have access to my magic,” he said.

“Will I have to drink blood to use it?”

He cocked his head, keen eyes questioning. “Yes. Do you not wish to?”

With a giggle, she straightened. “Not particularly. I mean, your blood is one thing, but I can’t imagine using it on anyone else.” She frowned. “How often do you drink from others? ”

Emrys brushed her hair over her shoulder and ran his fingers down her bare arm. “Not often. And rarely from biting them.” His tongue darted over his bottom lip, fascinating her. “Argyro asks me to use my magic from time to time. The subject will be cut and their blood placed in a cup.”

“Does that bother you?”

He shrugged. “I am here to serve him, and it is my magic. It’s what I’ve known my entire life.”

Brenna considered that for a moment. “I think I’d prefer if you weren’t biting anyone but me if you can help it.”

Smiling, he twisted until he pressed her back into the pillow. “My jealous mate, you want my fangs to be yours alone?” The heat of his breath roamed from her jaw to her throat.

“Maybe.” Her whisper was rough. He kissed her again, taking his time thoroughly claiming her.

She wove her fingers into his hair and pressed his head down gently.

He complied, trailing kisses down her neck and moving to the swell of her breasts.

His fangs cut into her and she sucked in a breath, letting it out with a moan.

The feel of his mouth on her delicate skin was exquisite.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating against her skin.

He licked at her and she felt the wound close.

When he pulled away, blood covered her bottom lip. He kissed her again, the metallic taste coating her tongue. Her own blood tasted different from his lips.

Sitting back, he wiped the crimson from her lips and popped his thumb into his mouth to lick it clean. “Beautiful.”

She reached for him, but he caught her wrist. “As much as I would love to continue this, my light, we have to attend a dinner with the king and queen,” he said, brows furrowing as he lifted her hand and inspected her long fingers. Turning it over, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“I don’t mind. Actually, I’m looking forward to it. I like dressing up pretty.”

“You are beautiful in anything and especially in nothing,” he growled, wrapping his arms around her hips and dragging her closer. She squawked as he bit down on her ass, not breaking the skin but hard enough to leave a mark. “I haven’t bit you here yet,” he mused.

“Feel free to,” she said breathlessly.

“We will never get to dinner if we start that again,” he said with a low laugh that sent fire through her blood.

As he released her and rose, she considered dragging him back to bed.

It would be so easy to seduce him, but she did enjoy wearing a court dress and attending dinners.

And she could let him strip her bare afterward.

Sighing, she crawled from the bed and looked for her dress.

“If I’m going to continually be undressing in your rooms, I might need some of my clothes here for afterward,” she said.

Emrys didn’t answer, but she knew that smirk.

He was planning something. She smothered a grin and focused on pulling on her dress from that morning.

She had planned to go to the healing ward to practice, but Emrys promised he would help her as long as he was the one making her bleed.

Besides, his method of helping was far more enjoyable.

It took a dozen more kisses before she was dressed and walking across the hall to her rooms. Emrys stayed with her, his hands in her hair and tracing her curves. “I thought we had dinner to attend,” she teased, turning to seize his face and kiss him on the mouth.

“But we haven’t been together in this room yet,” he muttered as he lifted her by her thighs and carried her to the bed. Curtains fluttered aside as her back hit the mattress.

She turned her face toward the massive windows that stood open, the sea breeze floating in.

In Emrys' rooms, they were in near constant darkness, but here in her suites filled with dreamy sunlight, she could see every detail as he kissed her chest and worked down her stomach, unlacing her dress.

As he nipped at her breast, he slipped both hands under her skirts and hauled them up before hooking fingers into her undergarments and tugging them down to her knees.

“We are going to be late,” she said, each word strangled as he kissed the sensitive inside of her thigh. “Did you change your mind?”

“Yes,” he growled. “I want everyone to know you are mine.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but her brain went blank as he licked her center in one languid stroke. Instead, an embarrassing moan escaped her. Her next breath was a gasp.

Emrys hauled one of her legs up over his shoulder and grabbed her hip, holding her still as he worked her with his mouth.

A string of nonsense words poured out of her, ending with his name repeating, pleading.

Brenna tensed, every muscle feeling as if she would break, as her world shattered and reformed around her.

With a satisfied grin, Emrys laid her skirts back and crawled up her body to kiss her.

She parted her lips, tasting herself on his tongue.

Sighing, the arm cradling his face flopped back down onto the bed beside her.

“You are most beautiful like this.” Emrys kissed the tip of her nose and said, “It’s time to get dressed, my light, or we will be late for dinner. ”

“You are truly evil, doing that to me and then expecting me to walk and talk.” Her hair stuck up on one side and her legs felt like jelly. Sucking in a deep breath, she shook out her arms to rid herself of the lingering tingles before sliding off the bed.

While brushing out her hair, she looked over her shoulder and grinned at Emrys. “Do you want to select a dress for me to wear? I don’t know how formal these dinners are.”

“I’d love to,” he said, his tone suggestive.

Unable to tame her curls, she brushed them out and twisted them into a chignon, securing it with diamond pins. She selected ear cuffs to match and spent a moment admiring her reflection, the jewels glittering in her ears while her face held a beautiful flush and her lips were swollen.

When she turned, Emrys held a dress of shimmering black.

She had never worn it, as black was Meara’s preferred color, and she more often wore softer golds and creams. In fact, she did not recognize the dress at all.

Frowning, she inspected the gleaming fabric.

Gold thread wove throughout the black silk, so the entire dress seemed to glow like embers beneath shadows.

“Did you get this for me?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I had it commissioned for you after I met you.”

“Truly? And what if we had not seen each other again?” she said, wrinkling her nose at him.

“Not possible.” Emrys smirked at her. “I would not have let that happen. I could have sent my forces to give Cerne his orders. I came to see you.”

She slipped her dress off, preparing to don the gifted gown when a thought struck her. “Why?”

“I thought I made that clear, but if you need to hear it again, I am happy to remind you.” He stepped closer, his eyes the darkest crimson. “ I felt it from the first moment I saw you. And then I tasted your blood and I was sure.”

She swallowed, overcome by the intensity of his affection. “I saw you standing by the king,” she finally admitted. “I thought you were incredibly handsome, but I never thought you would be interested in me.”

“How could I not be?” he said. He leaned back against the dressing table, rolling his onyx shirt sleeves and watching closely as she pulled the dress on and laced up the back. It was loose in the faerie style, dipping low to show her breasts and a vee of her belly.

“I think I’m ready,” she said, spinning to show how the dress shimmered when she moved.

Emrys tapped his chin. “Almost.” He withdrew a box from his pocket and opened it.

A gold necklace sat within, a briolette cut sunstone on the end of a long chain.

Her mouth fell open as he lifted and clasped it around her neck.

The stone settled between her breasts, and she picked it up to study the swirls of gold glittering from within the blood red gemstone.

Looking up, she had to clear her throat. “Thank you. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever received.”

Emrys' smug smile stayed in place as they walked through the passages and entered the dining hall.

It was the same vast room as the banquet, but now a massive quartz table stretched the length of the room.

Dishes of food and bouquets of white flowers covered the glittering surface.

Most of the chairs were occupied, and the attendees looked up as they entered.

Voices quieted, dropping into whispers, as Emrys led her to the last few empty seats toward the middle.

King Argyro sat at one end, his charcoal beard threaded with silver beads. Queen Araluen sat opposite her husband with her jeweled hand holding a chalice casually as she spoke with a grizzled fawnling beside her.

“Lord Emrys,” Argyro said. “Good of you to join us. I would like to speak to you after our meal.”

“Yes, Sire.” Emrys held out a chair and Brenna sat, allowing him to push her in. He slid into the chair beside her and set about pouring two goblets of wine. The dark red liquid made her think of the blood she licked from Emrys' chest, bringing a flush to her cheeks.

Emrys leaned close and murmured low in her ear, “Stop blushing like that. It makes me want to throw you on this table and give you a reason to.” The heat across her face deepened, the blood tingling in her skin.

Queen Araluen addressed her from further down the table. “Brenna, so glad you could join us again.”

She smiled, taking a shaky breath and willing the redness in her face to cool. Emrys' hand rested on her thigh, warm through her thin skirt and not helping matters. Exhaling, she focused on the queen. “Yes, Your Majesty. I am grateful.”

“How is your sister?”

Brenna looked to Emrys. He squeezed her leg and answered the queen, “Unfortunately, she chose not to join her in this visit.”

“Pity,” Araluen said, taking a sip of her drink.

As if her action was the permission, the room relaxed and the two dozen guests began eating and conversing at normal volume.

“Brenna,” Emrys said, “this is Herrick.”

The fae male was slender and tall, with dusty green scales running up his arms and over his cheekbones. He nodded his head and smiled, showing fangs and a forked tongue. “My lady. ”

“Lovely to meet you, Herrick,” Brenna said, practicing a courtly smile.

“Herrick is the commander of the high king’s armies,” Emrys explained.

“Oh,” Brenna said, “that must be a daunting role in the current circumstances. Thank you for your work.”

“It’s my honor.”

“How goes preparations? Have the forces from Caelia’s court arrived?” Emrys asked, taking her hand as he rested his forearm on the table and leaned back, stretching out his lean legs.

Herrick hissed. “No, the Winter Court was unresponsive.”

“Are they not loyal?” Brenna asked, her voice pitching high.

Emrys sighed. “Caelia is close friends with Sigmis. And the Court of Shadow and Snow is near to the Court of Darkness and Void. They will not stand against Argyro, but she will surely drag her feet. It is why we sent messengers off to her first.”

“We do not need their frigid soldiers,” Herrick snapped.

“Right,” Emrys said, tipping his chin up and summoning his charming grin.

Herrick turned to speak with the fae female beside him, one with thin horns that spiraled above her head. Emrys took a long drink of his wine and tipped his head toward Brenna.

She ran her thumb over his knuckles. “How long do you think we have?”

“They are still arranging their troops. It will be at least a week,” Herrick said.

“But it could be that soon?”

Emrys leaned nearer. “Do not worry. They are no threat to us. ”

Brenna’s stomach flipped. She hadn’t been thinking of herself, but of her sister. But it wasn’t something to discuss at this dinner.

After dinner, a trio of musicians played, and a few of the fae danced.

Emrys twirled her around the room, his hand gripping her waist tightly.

She lost herself in the music and the feel of the spins and dips.

Her worries would catch up with her shortly, but for now, she could savor being the center of Emrys’ attention and all that entailed.