Page 40 of The Heart of Nym (The Twisted Roots Duology #1)

Nymiria rolled over onto her side, adjusting the pillow under her head to better support her neck.

With all of the darkness outside, there was no way to tell what time of day it was.

But she'd decided that it didn't matter.

Because Aziel's bed was the most comfortable bed she'd ever had the honor to lay in.

The sheets were like satin against her skin, the pillows were just the right amount of firm, and the mattress was just the right amount of soft—

She moaned, wiggling her body deeper into the grooves of the mattress that cradled her perfectly.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" His voice came from the doorway, a low and seductive sound that had her body heating instantly.

She slowly turned to face him, pulling the sheets up just enough to cover the fact that she'd removed the nightgown she'd been wearing. Aziel stared back at her with an intense darkness burning in his eyes, his movements slow as he sauntered towards the bed.

There was a feeling low in her belly, a coiling sensation that started there and spread through her limbs.

Her lips parted when he stepped into the light of the fire blazing in the hearth, revealing a muscled body decorated in deep, dark lines that spread across his chest and stomach like branches of a tree.

The roots of his hair were now just as black as the branches marking his skin, his eyes a mix of warring blues and greens.

The moonflowers along her skin started to tingle, causing a shiver to run up her spine as she watched him slip into the bed behind her.

His thighs pressed against either side of her body, encasing her completely.

And even though she had every right to run away or flat out murder him for touching her this way, she didn't. She didn't want to.

His hands were trailing along her back, moving up to her shoulders, circling around her flowers and fisting the back of her hair.

With a gentle tug, her head was resting against his shoulder, her neck bared to him.

She felt the tip of his nose along the dip between her shoulder and her jaw, his other hand gripping the sheet that still concealed her body.

He tugged at it, drawing a gasp from her when the fabric scraped over her peaked breasts.

"Look at you," he whispered, his tongue dancing over the crook of her neck. She lifted her hips in response to his thumb grazing over the swell of her breast. She felt empty. Hot. Everything felt like it was one fire. "I have never seen someone so perfect in my entire life."

"You're just saying that." Her breathing hitched, a wet heat gathering between her thighs—pulsing harder and harder with each intoxicating stroke of his hands.

Aziel chuckled. "I don't believe in saying things I don't mean, moonflower."

"Moonflower."

"Moonflower."

"Moonflower…"

Nymiria jerked upwards from the bed, one hand clutching at her pounding heart and the other shoving a tangle of wild hair away from her flushed face.

She looked down at herself, confirming that she was still in her nightgown and that Aziel was, in fact, not behind her.

She didn't have it in her to be embarrassed.

She'd had plenty of sexual dreams in her life, but this one…

gods, this one felt so real. It was like walking through a memory or a future that was to come.

It didn't feel like some wild fantasy, it felt like a fucking prophecy.

And it scared the shit out of her.

Shaking her head, she tossed the covers away from her body, squinting against the light that filtered in through the large window on the right side of the room.

Light?

She bolted out of the bed, nearly sprinting her way across the room, catching herself with her hands against the windowsill. The world down below was gorgeous. Pristine. With rolling green hills and butterflies, birds chirping as they flew past the window and fluttered up into the sky.

It was hard to breathe. Because she recognized this place.

She'd memorized it—mapped it out in her mind to the point that she could walk these fields with her eyes closed.

The river that ran through the kingdom was still in the same place, glittering and shining with beautiful flowers sprouting along the banks. And the forest…

She shuddered, eyes homing in on the vacant plot of land where the old cabin once stood.

Walk away. The voice splintered through her mind, pulling her from the trance that would surely have kept her riddled with heartache. She slowly turned away from the window, only to walk hurriedly to the balcony outside of the washroom.

She could see why Aziel had the tub placed where it was.

From where it sat in the middle of the room, it overlooked snow-capped mountains and the other side of the river.

It still took her breath away, her mind a muddled mess because she once believed that she'd never see this place again and that everything beautiful here had died when she abandoned it.

Tears stung in her eyes, her heart swelling with a feeling that she'd longed to experience again for the last ten years.

Home.

Home. This was her home.

It was wild and beautiful and everything was just exactly as she remembered. The air had a floral scent, mixing with the smell of moss and dew. There were no gray clouds, no intense fog that obstructed the views. It was just sunlight and clear skies for miles.

A soft scuffle of feet had her turning her head towards the part of the balcony that led to the dining room, her eyes immediately finding the culprit of the sound.

The last time she'd seen Desi's brother, he was dressed in all-black, his outfit suiting that of a ranger or a soldier.

Even now, he was clothed in black, save for the purple beads that hung around his neck.

Judging by the decor and Aziel's usual choice in clothing, she was starting to come to the conclusion that it was not just uniform, but a style choice.

She plucked one of the pink mandevilla flowers from the balcony railings and walked towards him, smiling as she tucked the bloom into the pocket of his shirt. "Fancy seeing you here, old friend."

"Is there something wrong with my outfit?" Trio chuckled.

Nymiria shook her head before turning back out to the scenery. "It just needed a little pink." She smiled. "Is he the king here?" She asked.

Trio laughed and shook his head. “Aziel? Gods, no. He’d be a horrible king. He did lead an entire revolution, though. That must count for something, I suppose.”

“But he has a palace.”

“Yes, he does. The people here wanted to show their thanks. All he asked for was a home.”

Nymiria thought of him, of the story he told of him and his mother being sequestered to servants quarters and basement rooms. And then, upon her death, him being stuffed into the tower that doubled as storage space.

He’d never had a place to call home. He was treated as baggage, as an item that was worth just as much as the junk they’d filled that tower with. Not a boy. Not a son.

She turned her head the moment tears began pricking at her eyes, her stomach hollowing. She wondered what it was like for him to finally have a home. To be surrounded by people who appreciated him—who saw him and didn’t run away. People who loved him enough to build him an entire palace…

Trio took up the space beside her, bracing himself against the railings and his eyes following her gaze.

"Don't tell him that I lifted the veil. He will have my neck if he finds out.

" Noticing the solemn look that had spread across her face, Trio released a sigh and turned to her fully.

"You lived here, didn't you? This was your kingdom. "

Nymiria nodded slowly, tilting her head to hide the tears falling down her face. It was bittersweet. While she'd only dreamed of ever returning, there was still that memory of her final days here that loomed over her—the hatred, the anger, the pain.

Don't.

The voice rattled her again, straightening her posture and forcing the thoughts from her head.

She blinked out at the horizon, the realization of Aziel's magic striking her.

It wasn't that she couldn't feel the pain, but that he was blocking her from feeling it.

Warmth spread over her body, like a warm blanket being placed on her shoulders.

She drew in a deep breath and forced a small smile.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Nymiria asked.

Trio took a step closer to her, placing his hand on the small of her back and pulling her to his side.

He didn't know why he did it, but he believed she needed that—that comfort.

"I am morally obligated to advise you not to share anything with me.

" Nymiria frowned and Trio just chuckled in response. "I gossip when I drink."

Nymiria couldn't hold back her laugh. She shook her head at him, nudging his side.

"I'll take my chances." She drew in a long breath, bracing herself for the truth that was about to come out.

Words she hadn't whispered to a soul in nearly three years.

But Trio was kind. He was gentle. And even if she'd only met him one time before, she felt like she'd known him her entire life…

or that she was going to. "My mother was the queen here.

" She said. "She vanished a few weeks before I was captured.

To this day, no one knows where she is. I've talked to every guard and camp warden in Yaar and no one has seen anyone that fits her description.

" She gave a small shrug, her fingers trailing over the chiseled grooves of the railing in front of them, her eyes focused on the pretty pink flowers.

Trio smiled down at her, releasing her from his embrace before bending at the waist. A bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, princess."

Nymiria scoffed, slapping at his arm. "Don't do that." She grumbled. "I'm hardly the type of person who is deserving of a bow."

His brow furrowed. "And why is that?"