Chapter 15

Hadi

I walked forward, hoping that Sun was right. He was half delirious, his eyes drooping and then opening again and again, but I had no choice but to trust him.

Suddenly, his head lolled against my shoulder and despite myself, I stopped breathing, waiting.

“Sun?” I whispered and he startled, lifting his head again before resting it tiredly on my shoulder.

“Where are we?” he asked.

I swallowed and shook my head at the sound of his groggy voice.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, continuing.

My footsteps echoed, a steady set of eight in a clipping pattern, back and forth over the walls of damp rock and mud. I couldn't make out exactly how big the tunnel was, but the fact that I could walk comfortably suggested that it was quite big. Big enough for an army to sneak through, I bet. That was comforting at least. Perhaps Sun was right.

He started awake once more and then hissed in pain.

I bit my tongue and kept walking.

It would have been faster and easier to have him sitting on my spidery back, his warm arms around my waist, his chest against my back the way I had gotten used to. But I did not dare rest him there with the hope that he would stay put and not slide off and get even more hurt.

“It's cold,” he whispered and that nearly undid me.

I stopped dead, straining in the darkness to see more. We were in complete darkness, but my ability to see in the dark made it so that I could make out a small bit down here. I couldn't see the whites of his eyes anymore. They were closed. And he was indeed cold.

Even at the top of the mountain, after walking through snow in slippers for days, Sun had not complained of the cold. He was stronger than that. He was stronger than this.

“Sun,” I whispered, but he did not answer.

I cradled his body closer, sinking down to wrap around him, hoping to offer him a small bit of my warmth.

His head lolled back, limp as the rest of him.

A breath shuddered from my lungs.

Was this it? I wondered. Would it all come to an end now in the dark? Sun and I alone, cradled together helplessly.

I had to admit, there was some poetry to it. The noc king and the top human warrior, reduced to nothing, not even seen as they faded from life together.

“Sun,” I whispered, and there was an unexpected ferocity in the sound. Anger that I hadn't noticed coursed through me, a last-ditch desire to fight. “Don’t you die on me, Batu Sun. My life is in your feeble hands…”

But even as the words left my mouth, the anger faded, revealing itself to be a facade of what I truly felt: despair.

Sun's body felt too cold against me. Any minute now, he would be gone and that... That was so damn unfair. I'd only just–

“I've only just started to know you,” I found myself saying to his deaf ears. “And you've only just started to know me .”

Not as the king of the nocs, not as the great Alhadya, not as his enemy. He had just started to see me , and I was only now realizing that no one ever had before. He was the first to look beyond what was presented and see what lay beneath and I wanted more. It was so unfair to get a taste of what Clem, Bracken and Kiar all got just before it was all taken away.

I'd fooled myself into thinking it was about sex. That I wanted to claim him and to own him but that wasn't it at all, was it? I wanted Batu Sun to want me. I wanted our bond to mean more than a means to an end.

It had happened so fast. One minute I had been ready to destroy him, then he'd looked straight through me, challenged me, made me want him and now… now I would do anything I could for just a bit more time. I would beg.

“Please. Stay. We still have so much to accomplish together...”

I shut my eyes, feeling foolish, but out of ideas.

“Goddess of the moon, Tsuki,” I whispered desperately. “Please. Don't let him go like this.”

My voice felt heavy in the silence and of course nothing happened. I had never been the praying type. I didn't think I had ever done it before, but here I was, praying to the goddess at the very end and expecting results.

Was it really too much to ask though? Hadn't she chosen us? Hadn't she brought back that monstrosity of undead horses at that battlefield, and for what? For Sun to be so distracted that he was fatally wounded?

“This is your fault!” I suddenly bellowed into the silence. “Do something!”

My voice echoed back to me, full of vitriol.

Suddenly, there was light.

It was dim, even in the pitch black of the tunnel and coming from somewhere on Sun.

Shaking, hoping , I searched frantically through the layers of Sun's new robes, trying to find where it came from.

When my hand closed around a cool, round stone, I laughed, unable to believe it.

“That couldn't have worked,” I said aloud, but sure enough, I pulled the moonstone from Sun's pocket.

It was glowing weakly, the light flickering like it was barely able to remain lit. Of course. Tsuki had used the last of her strength on those horses, hadn't she? That was what Clem had claimed, anyway.

For a moment, I held the stone, waiting for something to happen, for Sun to spring to life once more. Nothing changed. When I held the light close to his face, I saw that his jaw was slack and his lips were pale and parted. There was no color on his skin. He already looked like a corpse even though I knew he still clung to the last threads of life.

“Wake up, Sun.”

I held him steady, stroking loose strands of hair back as I crouched there, searching for any sign that he was recovering.

Frustrated, I clenched the stone in my fist.

“What do you want me to do with this blasted thing?” I asked Tsuki. Surely, she wasn't activating it for entertainment.

I pressed the stone to Sun's forehead and his brows flexed for a moment. I held my breath, but his face went slack again.

“Come on, Sun, wake up. Please.”

Unsure what else to do, I rubbed the stone over his face. When that did nothing, I traced it over his neck, then his chest. He inhaled sharply, then sagged, his breathing stronger.

I stared, heart racing as I finally realized what to do.

Pulling him forward into a proper embrace, I held Sun's sleeping body to my chest and felt for the wound. His blood had long soaked through the webbing I had plastered to the deep cut. It was cold now and coated my hands, making the stone slippery as I held it to the spot.

For a long time, I did not move, my cheek pressed to Sun's. Every instinct I had was fixed on him. His heartbeat against my chest, the temperature of his skin, the sound of his breathing. Any change would be felt straight away. I had never been so focused.

Then, the light of the stone suddenly weakened.

“No!” I hissed as the damn thing flickered out, leaving us in darkness, Sun still limp in my arms. “Dammit! You blasted goddess, come back!”

I was breathing hard, barely holding my anger and frustration in check as hopelessness rushed through me.

“Sun... Shit .”

I sagged.

“Don't tell me this is the end after all...”

“...You can't get rid of me that easily.”

I nearly dropped him in my shock.

Sun’s arms suddenly closed around me, stilling me.

“Whoa,” he chuckled breathlessly. “Easy.”

“I'm not a horse,” I spat. “Don't talk to me that way.”

And then I wrapped all four arms around him and clung to him with abandon.

I didn't care what he would think. I felt weak with relief.

For a long time, Sun was still, then he stroked my back gently and rested his chin on my shoulder.

“What happened?” he asked. “Where are we?”

“In a tunnel,” I managed. “An abandoned tunnel under the battlefield. We fell into a hole–”

“When the horses rose and–and I was stabbed,” he said, remembering. “Is that why I feel like I was trampled by a stampede?”

I nodded.

“Yes. And you were nearly dead. We all were.”

He was silent for a long time.

“And you were worried.”

I couldn't exactly deny it. My instinct was to pretend all I had cared about was myself, but it was too recent, and it was too dark. It was like none of this was real. All we had was sensation and feeling.

“Did you heal me?” he asked.

“You have Tsuki to thank for that.”

“Tsuki. I see...”

I turned my face toward him, my nose pressing into his silky hair.

“We should go find the others, I'm guessing,” he said.

I forced a nod even though I had no interest in releasing him. This was the first time I had felt like this; like Sun was all mine. It was just us in this underground world. How often did I have him all to myself? The others were normally a stone’s throw away.

“Hadi,” he whispered softly and suddenly his hands were weaving into my hair. “I'm okay. I promise. Don't worry.”

“You nearly weren't,” I informed him.

“I had no idea you cared so much,” he mused.

I felt a rare blush heat my cheeks and was grateful that the dark was there to hide it.

“Come on, then,” I said. “Let us continue to the end of the tunnel.”

I released him, perhaps a little bit too quickly because he hissed in pain as his feet touched the ground and he reached out blindly, steadying himself on my arms.

I held him, regretting letting embarrassment control me.

“It's not your fault,” Sun said, as though I'd said it aloud. “You're not used to having emotions, I know.”

I didn't bother arguing.

“Can you walk?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said, but as soon as we had taken two steps, I heard him stumble.

“Get on my back,” I ordered, but when he attempted to hoist himself up, he cried out and ended up on the ground taking short, sharp breaths.

“I thought you said that Tsuki healed me,” he gritted out.

“She did her best with what energy she had left, I suppose,” I said, crouching down to find Sun on the ground.

“Gentle!” he hissed as I lifted him.

“Sorry,” I said, holding him still.

He didn't move for a long time, still trying to regain his breath.

“Wow,” he finally breathed. “I've been stabbed before, but never into the ribs, I guess.”

His voice trembled nearly as hard as the hands clinging to me.

“You need to rest,” I decided.

He started to argue, but I cut him off.

“There is no point rushing. No one knows we're here aside from Kiar, Bracken, and Clem, and I imagine they will not rest until they find us.”

That seemed to calm Sun at once and despite myself, it stung. I was here, but I was not enough. I should not have been jealous, I knew we were all one, but I had never really been one of the group. Not properly. I had always been on the outside, first, a shadow, then an enemy, then a grudging ally.

I tried to push the feeling down, but I could not help but want more.

“Let me take care of you,” I whispered and before Sun could argue, the way he clearly wanted to, I threw my web up to the ceiling, creating something of a hammock before carefully lifting him into it.

He didn't say anything for a moment and then chuckled softly.

“You are so full of surprises,” he informed me. “I truly didn't think you had it in you to be so...”

“What?”

“Sweet,” he informed me, and my defensiveness evaporated. “Come here.”

I stepped up to the hammock, reaching for him. I could see only the white of the webbing, but that was enough. My hands found him, tracing his skin through his silky clothes.

“Are you comfortable?” I asked.

“MmHm. Do you want to climb in with me?” he asked.

He probably did not mean anything suggestive by it, after all, he was in pain and recovering from nearly dying, but I could not help hearing it in that way. Besides, I was far too weak to resist him right now, so I did not bother trying.

I leaned close to him, finding his face with two of my hands and holding him still to kiss his smooth cheek.

He let out a soft chuckle again, then his hands were on my face, and he turned me, catching my lips with his.

“You know,” he said gently, “back in that cell in Black Lantern Prison, sex rejuvenated the others...”

My breath caught.

“I don't need to take any of your energy Sun,” I argued weakly.

“They were weak, so they took from me,” he said calmly. “I’m the hurt one here. Who’s to say it won't work the opposite way right now.”

I shook my head, but he pulled me into another soft, lingering kiss and I knew I could not resist him any longer.

“If we do this, it is going to be my way,” I whispered.

He let out a soft sigh.

“Okay... and what is your way?” he asked, a touch of nerves in his voice.

Without answering, I once again used my web, allowing some to slide free before using it to wrap his wrists.

“This again?” he asked, but then, as I continued, he fell silent. I could hear his breath sharpening as I wrapped him up, spreading his legs apart and holding them open with my webs, then wrapping the rest of him, attaching bits here and there until he was held tight, his position secure and open for me.

“Okay,” he whispered. “This is different, I admit.”

My heart was pounding, but the simple comment made me feel so good. He had three other lovers and yet what I was offering him was already unique.

I wished I could see his face, but at least I had all four hands free to feel what I couldn't see.

Reaching out, I took my time feeling his body wrapped in clothes and web. When I reached his cock, it was already hard, aching for me and all I could think was that this time, I needed to feel it and to taste it.

I managed to get his silky pants loose with little effort, exposing him to the damp air. Sun held very still, scarcely even breathing. Before, I would have thought he was a little nervous of me still, not quite trusting what I would do, but now I knew it was different. It was anticipation.

The moment my lips touched his cock, he sucked in a sharp breath of surprise.

“Hadi,” he started, but I sucked it down, all the way to the base interrupting whatever he had been about to say.

A moan sounded deep in my throat at finally getting a taste of what I had been lusting over. Sun groaned and jerked, and pleasure spiked through me because he could not escape. I had him tight in my clutches, wrapped up, trapped, the very best way to devour a meal as I always thought, and this one was a particularly tasty one.

I could feel him trying to relax, to let me do as I pleased until I got my fill of his cock and slipped lower, tasting his sweet hole with my tongue.

He jerked again, this time, trying to get closer. Each time he did, I pulled back just enough to tease him, to never let him get enough until finally, his moans sounded so frustrated I was sure he was close to breaking. That was when I pulled back entirely.

Sun made a pathetic whine, completely by accident and then, in his frustration, he thrashed in my web, trying to free himself.

“Yes,” I whispered, gripping his hips. “Try uselessly to break free, little Sun.”

He moaned and sagged, giving up at my words until I lined my cock with his wet hole.

“Oh fuck,” he gasped. “Yes. Do it already.”

I didn't need any more encouragement than that. Hopefully now, after training himself on Bracken and Kiar, he would be more than able to take me despite our size difference. Either way, now was the time to find out, so I held him still and pushed my hips forward, careful with my pincers near his sensitive human skin.

For a moment, his body resisted me and then– heaven .

My eyes shut, head falling back in pleasure.

I was finally inside of Sun, one with him the way that I was meant to be. It was too much all at once and the control I normally had, especially with my meals, vanished all at once.

Gripping him with all four hands, I began to fuck him harder than I should have, harder than I had been planning to abuse his healing body. He cried out, thrashing now, trying to break free, or perhaps just in reaction to my abandon.

I reached for a rope of webbing and pulled, hoisting his hips up higher, changing the angle and Sun completely fell apart.

He cried out a string of curses that turned into nonsense words and then his entire body stiffened, and he climaxed, my cock alone pounding his orgasm out of him.

His body constricted, his hole getting impossibly tighter, making the pleasure border on pain and that was what it took for me. My body strained forward, chasing the overwhelming feeling of his hole chocking my cock until finally, I released the thick strands of web. It was more automatic than anything how I pulled out as the thick stream of my release continued, filling Sun, and then sealing his hole as I removed myself and the last strings sprayed free.

Sun was still moaning, each breath a deep heave followed by an almost wounded sound.

“Did I hurt you?” I asked, still trying to catch my breath.

“You did something to me,” he whispered breathlessly.

I stroked his body, feeling the warmth of his exposed ass and just letting myself touch him for a lingering moment before I took hold of the webbing smeared across his skin. I pulled it, gently extracting it from inside him.

He gasped and jerked as the last of it slid from his hole and then fell back, limp.

I wondered if he had fallen asleep until he yawned softly.

“You should cut me down now,” he suggested.

“Of course. We should keep going.”

“Yes,” he agreed sleepily.

I used my hands and hip pincers to free him and then helped his stiff body onto my back. It was easier from this height for him to hoist himself onto me, but as soon as he was seated with his thighs around my waist and his head against my shoulder, I felt him sag with the weight of sleep.

“Rest now, Sun,” I whispered. “You're safe with me.”

“I know I am...” he whispered in return.