Page 80 of The Heart of Nym (The Twisted Roots Duology #1)

“Desi, I request that you let this heal on it's own. We don't need any interference, it could tamper with the magic. It should heal in a day or so, maybe sooner, considering the strength of your Grace.” Dieve explained. “I’ll be sending you back with fresh cloths, some herbs, and a pack of dragon tarts.” She turned to Desi, then, and patted her on the cheek.

“Nymiria is in good hands with you, little one. Your parents would be so proud.”

Desi gave a thin-lipped smile and tucked an unruly braid behind her ear, bowing her head in thanks before she and Nymiria left the old house.

Their walk back to the palace was slow, Nymiria’s arm hooked through Desi's to give the impression that they were merely on a leisurely, late-night stroll. No one batted an eye at them.

In fact, every person they passed seemed to nearly jump out of their way, their eyes wide and full of the same unreadable look. Nymiria kept her head down and her grip on Desi’s arm tight.

By the time they reached the palace gates, Nymiria’s body was exhausted.

Sweat had formed along her brow and it was a struggle for her to get up the stairs without it feeling as if the wound was stretching the length of her spine.

She landed face down on her bed with a huff, allowing Desi to unlace her from her dress and rid her of the black-stained garment.

She refused more clothing, but at least let Desi cover her bottom half with a sheet while she checked the wound.

It was still oozing that ungodly black liquid, but the smell was gone. She was thankful for that, at least.

Desi settled in beside her on the bed and though she said nothing, it was as if Nymiria could hear her thoughts.

She drew in a deep breath and turned her head to face her friend.

“I don’t feel any different.” Nymiria confessed.

There was a deep sadness she felt as soon as the words left her mouth, as if she’d expected to become some fearless warrior the moment the one rune was removed.

“Perhaps all three have to be removed for it to work.” Desi sighed. “Either that, or, it is still sleeping. Perhaps it is also scared of what will happen.”

Nymiria smirked. “Would be my luck, wouldn’t it? Having a Grace that was terrified of my recklessness and the complete lack of control I have over my impulses.”

“Maybe it just knows how tired you are.”

Tired was an understatement. Her body and her mind were exhausted.

There was no warning label, no way for her to know what the day would have entailed.

Aside from the pain she believed she would never forget, Nymiria was also haunted by the fact that Camalia had either been filled with a terrible hatred or an uncontrollable fear of her.

If it was hatred, Nymiria could sincerely say that she could not have cared less. But if it was fear, from someone that evil and that powerful…

Nymiria smiled.

She had to be dreaming again.

The world in which her dreams took place always seemed much brighter, far more colorful than her reality. One telltale sign that she’d ventured into the dreamscape was that she felt no pain.

After having her back sliced open, she was sure that she’d feel some sort of discomfort, but she didn’t.

All she could feel in this state was the wind in her hair and the soft rustle of petals against the tips of her fingers.

Nymiria opened her eyes to the pale pink blooms, the pads of her fingers dancing over the petals and trailing over the vine that had latched itself onto the thick stone railing of the balcony.

She knew that she was at Aziel’s palace, her memory having stored every tiny detail of this place, down to the ornamental pot with a tiny trellis covered in the start of a wisteria vine.

She hadn’t taken Aziel for much of a gardener, but his home was surrounded by beautiful plants and colorful blooms. A splash of color amongst the consistent black and purple he’d chosen to decorate his home with.

“Are you lost?”

Nymiria startled, heart thudding as she turned to look at the owner of that beautiful voice.

Aziel squinted back at her in the sunlight, the bright rays catching the silver of his hair, making it look as if it were actually glowing.

His earring glinted in the rays, swinging back and forth from his ear.

Her eyes trailed from his face to his chest, which was made visible by the low V of his unlaced tunic.

He’d done it purposefully. Even in her dreams, she knew that he was a menace and he loved to taunt her—tease her with glimpses of the parts of him that she couldn’t resist. Gods, it was pathetic how she could melt like this.

Just one look at him and she was wiping saliva from the corner of her mouth. Not literally. Mentally.

Physically, she just watched him and tried to pretend that she still detested everything she saw.

Aziel titled his head to one side, a look of amusement flickering over the hard lines of his face. “Did you hear me?” He chuckled. “Or were you too busy ogling?”

Nymiria grumbled something under her breath, shaking herself free from his spell before she began walking back towards the washroom. “I was not ogling.” She snapped. “I was just looking at you.”

“You seemed rather ensnared by me.”

“I was just thinking about how ridiculous it is for you to wear something so revealing. Not an ounce of modesty. Even in front of a lady.”

Aziel let out a chuckle, plopping himself onto the bed as they entered the bedroom. “Is it distracting?”

Against her will, her eyes moved back to his chest—to the black branches that marked his skin, twisting and curling over hard muscle. She frowned. “Yes, it is actually.”

“Take it off for me, then.” He shrugged. “Help me find something less revealing that would suit your tastes.”

Oh, this was definitely her taste. It was her dream, after all.

Might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

Without a word, Nymiria closed the distance between them. She slid on this lap, fingers trailing over the branch nearest his heart before she reached for the hem of his tunic. When she hesitated, Aziel lifted his brow.

“What?” He whispered. “Change your mind?”

“Have you changed yours?” She hummed in response. “You said you needed more time.”

Aziel nodded, his hands settling onto her hips, his eyes trailing over her skin.

She hadn’t realized the gown she wore was practically transparent, a soft material that was so breathable it felt like wearing a dress made of clouds.

Not that she knew what that felt like, but she could imagine it felt the same.

“I want to take my time with you.” He clarified, his hands slowly sliding up her waist and to the sides of her breasts.

His thumbs brushed over her nipples, sending ripples of chills down her spine.

She arched into the palms of his hands, letting him squeeze and caress all he liked until he wove his fingers through her hair, giving the roots a gentle tug that had her tilting her face up to his.

“I want to learn every inch of you—what makes you breathe harder, what makes your pulse quicken. I want to learn it all, moonflower.”

His fingers wove through her hair again, nails scraping along her scalp. Nymiria pressed herself closer to him, admiring each chiseled feature of his face through hooded eyes.

“Don’t fight it anymore.” He breathed. “You don’t have to.”

She awoke to the feeling of her hair being smoothed away from her face and the smell of cherry blossoms filling her nose.

Though she was entirely aware of his presence, Nymiria made no move to give away her arousal.

She would have loved to move closer to his hands, to let his warmth bleed into the frigidness that plagued her soul, but she was afraid that opening her eyes meant that he would leave again.

And the way his fingers wove through her hair and how his nails grazed her scalp was the most pleasurable sensation she’d felt all day. She needed it. Embarrassingly so.

“You can’t fool me, moonflower. I hear your heart beating.” His breath was hot on her ear, sending a ripple of chills down her neck and spine. Still, she did not move. “Seeing as you are so tired, perhaps I should come back—"

“Don’t—" Nymiria grabbed his hand the moment he started to move away, her eyes squinting in the dark to see him clearer. She didn’t have an excuse for wanting him to stay, nor did she have one for why she pretended to still be sleeping and the realization crashed upon her, leaving a bashful heat along the height of her cheekbones.

“I didn’t know if I was dreaming or not.

” She whispered lamely. “It felt wonderful, by the way.”

“What felt wonderful?”

“The way you were playing with my hair.” She shrugged. “It was… gentle. I liked it.”

His hand came up to her head again, weaving through the tangled mess. “Come closer, then.” He whispered. “You can tell me what happened.”

Nymiria was surprised to find that her back no longer hurt, that the pain was just a dull ache as she shifted closer to him. It hadn’t even dawned upon her that she was naked, with nothing but a thin sheet covering her bottom.

“Did you take my pain away?” She asked.

Aziel smiled down at her, still brushing through her hair.

“No, moonflower, I believe your powers are back. You’ve healed yourself.

” He spoke softly, smirking as he watched her wiggle her bottom around, certainly trying to see just how well her body had done its job.

“If you keep that up, I’ll have to bury my face between them.

” When she shot him a perplexed look, Aziel’s eyes dropped to her ass once again. She gasped in disbelief.

She chuckled, but there was a hint of nervousness to the sound. “You would do something like that?”

He arched his brow, fingers stilling for just a moment. “Do it again and I will gladly show you.”