Page 12 of The Storm of the Empire (Flyers Of The First Kingdom #3)

ELEVEN

HAZEL

M y ears rang. What he said couldn’t be true…could it?

I knew not all kingdoms held the Goddess in such high esteem anymore, but in the Storm Kingdom, we knew we were made of the Goddess’ magic, and we saw her work every day in our storms. How could those tasked with her honor be doing the work of Uriel?

Luka stood and came to me. Crouching before me, he took my hand, and I didn’t have the capacity to draw it back while my head swam with doubt.

“I know it’s a lot to digest,” he said softly, “and I don’t have all the answers, but I know what I have seen, and I suspect it goes deeper still. Nyx trusts me to unravel this, and I won’t let him down. I’m here to see what I can find out about who is involved and where it leads.”

I shook my head in utter disbelief. “I just can’t fathom the priests being involved in trading Dragon’s Bane.” I knew what they did for my kingdom and the Twelve.

Luka blew out a deep breath. “I delivered it to them myself on many occasions.”

My brain wouldn’t process his words. Surely, I’d misheard him. He couldn’t be saying—but it was there, written on his face. I found the ability to pull my hand away at that. “That’s another thing. You were involved in the trade yourself, and I’m supposed to trust what you say? That sacred herb of yours has been killing off dragons for centuries.”

“You throw accusations without knowing anything about me. I knew not what I grew or what it was for, only that my people believed it to be our divine work. You cannot even begin to understand where I come from or how I was raised. I knew nothing of dragons or magic. Only whispers when I left the compound. Yes, I did harm, and for my small part in that, I am sorry. But you have to understand, we were lied to.” His hands clenched into fists, and he stopped himself, fighting with a demon I did not know, but he was calmer when he spoke again. “I have done a lot of things I’m not proud of in the past in order to survive. But I swear to you and the Goddess herself that I only want to do good. I will help Nyx bring safety and peace to the kingdoms if it’s in my power to do so.”

My head reeled. I didn’t know what to believe. My faith had always been a deep part of me. Without the Goddess we would not be alive or prosperous. She gave us the gift of storms and the knowledge to survive them.

I studied him. He seemed sincere, but it was all so confusing.

He lifted his hand and gently rubbed his finger over the crease between my brows. “You’ll make your head hurt, scowling at me like that.”

I scoffed. “Forgive me, but I feel like I have plenty to scowl about. If what you say is true, then everything I hold dear could be in question, and I’m afraid of what that means.”

“It is true. But it’s not all the priests, and it’s not just in Storm. It’s threads woven through the core of the kingdoms. As I said, it may be that it’s only a small group within the priests and the majority are not involved. But everything I have discovered so far has brought me here, and I am determined to get some answers for Nyx.”

He seemed so loyal to Nyx, and vice versa. But even that seemed strange to me.

I grounded myself in his words and realized both things could be true at the same time. Priests were not the Goddess, and rot could taint even the most closely guarded harvest. It only took one spore or overripe fruit, and it would spread overnight. She was still good and all powerful, but fae were fallible.

“I just don’t understand why Nyx sent you and not one of his lieutenants—or better yet, a whole flight if this is what he suspects?”

“Because whatever is happening here is underground. It requires infiltration, which can’t be done by flyers or known figures in his legion. He has no one else like me because I do not belong, nor do I have a place others would miss me. I am no-one. I blend. I’ve been doing that to survive for as long as I can remember, and I have nothing to risk or lose. And if I can do some good, even at the cost of my life, then it will be worth it.”

I gasped before I could stop myself. He really couldn’t think so low of himself, could he? But he was right. Nyx couldn’t send a dragon without drawing everyone’s attention to it. His story made sense.

“You can’t speak of yourself that way.” I scrambled to find a way to combat his words. Every fae was valuable to the Goddess. She breathed life into each of us at our birth, sealing our name in her heart for she was all love.

He looked at me with understanding, like he well knew the position I was in. “It’s true. I’m tired of merely surviving. I was born into a lie, and I’ve fought every day to find a place for myself among the ashes of my past. I would rather do some good and be part of something important than have stood for nothing in this life.”

I cupped his face. “You’re talking like your life is over. It’s merely in peril.”

Luka smiled softly. “Only peril, you say? Well, that’s nothing then.”

I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes and was so taken aback by the emotion, I didn’t realize Luka was moving in.

His lips parted mine hungrily before I caught up, but need was raging to the surface in me just as fast. All the unthinkable revelations were just too much, and all I wanted, all I needed right now was to push that aside and feel.

Without a thought to where we were, I met his kiss, tongues tangling as we fought for more.

I pulled at his damp robes, trying to find a way in, while he tugged at my tunic. We fumbled for too long, not wanting to break our connection until we had no choice but to break away.

Breathing hard, I tried to look at where my hands were working to make sense of these damned robes. Then, I realized Luka was still.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly second guessing everything.

“Is this what you want?” He sounded almost patronizing, like I was incapable of thinking clearly.

“If you’re asking if I want to forget that nothing is what I thought it was and pass the time during this storm, then yes, it’s what I want.” I started back in on the robes, but he stilled my hand.

“Hazel.”

“Yes?” I asked, frustration bleeding through my tone.

“I’m not sure your head is in the right place for this,” he said with such sincerity it annoyed me.

“In the right head space for what exactly? A bit of light relief? Because I’m pretty sure I can handle that—thanks for your concern.”

Luka smirked.

“What now?” I snapped.

“It’s just that you seem a little mad,” he laughed, and it had my annoyance rising.

“I am mad. I’m livid, in fact. But I’m not incapable of making my own choices.” I looked for some kind of ties or fastenings down the front of his robes, but in the dim light, it was hard to figure out. “So if you’re out of objections…” I want your cock. But I didn’t say that aloud, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing I’d thought about it since our last tryst.

“Well, pardon me for being wary of letting you at my body when you look like you want to rip me in half.”

“While ripping you in half would sate part of my frustration, it won’t satisfy, so I’ll stick to—” I tugged at the robes again. “What is wrong with these damned robes?”

Luka eased my hands off the fabric and somehow managed to open them with ease. He slipped them off slowly as if trying not to startle a wild animal. I suddenly realized he thought I was the wild animal here. I didn’t know whether to laugh or snarl, but it kind of turned me on.

“Better,” I huffed.

“Now will you listen for a moment before we do something you’ll regret?”

I choked. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

“You’re standing there in nothing but your boots and undergarments and you want to talk?” I gestured at the evidence of his willingness to act not talk. “Your body has other ideas.”

“I’m using my head for a moment.”

I raised my brows. “Then why take the robes off?”

“I was afraid you’d get all dragony if I didn’t intervene.” He smirked, sliding his hand down to cup his bulge. “You’re hot when you’re mad.”

I felt my eyes roll before I could control them. “Do you have a point?”

“My point is, there’s a lot going on right now, and I want to make sure you are thinking clearly before we do something regrettable.”

Why was he so insistent on making sure I understood what we were doing?

Thunder roared outside, shaking the temple to its core, vibrating even the massive stone foundation around us, and he flinched. It was almost endearing which just annoyed me more.

“What’s to regret? It’s just a tryst, nothing more,” I snapped, well past my limit.

He met my eyes as if he had to hold out for one second more before he spoke. “Fair enough.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Perhaps it’s you who might regret it?”

“I can assure you, I will suffer no such remorse.” He took a step closer to me.

“Then why so many words?”

“I thought maybe you had misgivings about our last ‘tryst,’ so I’m making sure it won’t make things awkward.”

“You’re the only one making things awkward.” I folded my arms. “Why would you think I had misgivings?”

“You’ve hardly looked my way since then other than to swing a sword.”

Oh, wow. Was he upset because I wasn’t fawning all over him?

“I thought me swinging my sword at you was what you wanted? I was under the impression that, having made it into my class, your objective was accomplished,” I said harshly.

“I would never say no to more.” He took another step in to me, so that I was surrounded by his scent. It was of the rolling waves and darkness with a hint of something dangerous lurking in the aftermath. It only made me want him more. He was everything I was not supposed to want. He probably had no idea that, with a dragon’s sense of smell, he was killing me with his closeness, but I wasn’t about to give him that small satisfaction.

“So I ask again, why the need for so much discussion?”

“Just trying to do the right thing.” He lifted his shoulders, so sure of himself while also kind.

What a strange mix of a creature.

“Shut up and touch me.”

He was on me then. My tunic was lifted over my head and thrown over his shoulder, and I found myself perched on a crate. His mouth explored my neck and chest while his hands made light work of my leathers. He stripped them completely off, boots and all, and then he drank me in.

“Breathtaking,” he whispered.

Hardly , I thought.

Undersized and too athletic for most tastes was my lot. But I wasn’t displeased with my body. His fair skin contrasted with the darkness of my own in the low light as we came together. Pink to my deep bronze.

I nodded to his under clothes, not that they were hiding much. “Now you.”

He divested himself of the garments in no time, and then we were face to face, naked and poised, but if any more time passed before one of us made a move, it was going to become seriously awkward.

“Luka,” I warned.

“Patience,” he scolded.

“It’s running thin.”

His fingers trailed up my thigh, and I shivered even in the muggy air of the cellar. He paused before he touched where I wanted him, and I held my breath. Come on Luka, don ’ t toy, I said in my head, but I wasn’t ready to give him the satisfaction of the extent of my need.

He did toy, though. He feathered his fingers teasingly rather than giving me what we both knew I wanted, and I snapped, standing to meet him chest to chest. I shoved him back against the wall and took his dick in my hand, showing none of the teasing he had. I wanted this, and I was tired of waiting.

He blew out a breath as I stroked, and I glared at him in challenge. But he gave no objection. For long moments, he relented to my touch and savored the sensation. Then his eyes darkened, and I sensed a turn.

Slowly, he stopped my hand, taking my wrist in his grip and slipping my hand from his length. He spun me and pinned me facing the wall with my arm locked against my back in his firm grip. He was taking all the control back, and it made me wet.

He knelt behind me and grasped my hips, angling me for better access while spreading me wide open. Then his talented tongue was exploring. He licked me from my clit to my arse, and I shuddered at the sensation.

He muttered some kind of prayer to the Goddess, but I feared that while committing this act in her holy temple, she would not save him, and I didn’t care.

Both of us be damned so he could get inside me quicker.

He played with his fingers at my entrance, and I wanted to beg for him to sink them inside, but I bit my tongue. He would likely make me wait longer if he knew how desperate I was.

My silence was rewarded as he plunged his fingers in without warning, and I cried out, the sound immediately swallowed by the storm.

He worked me, finding a spot inside that felt brand new. Maybe it was the position, but I had never been touched in such a way. Never found myself building in moments from just fingers in my cunt and no touch to my clit, but there I was, quickly getting there. Panting from the pleasure and pressing my fevered skin into the cool wall, my legs began to tremble, and I felt all my control slipping.

Who was this fae, and where did he learn such a thing?

I wasn’t aware that he had gotten to his feet at any point, but when he increased the pressure of his fingers against that spot and then whispered in my ear, “Come for me,” I was done for.

I released so hard that a gush of fluid slid down my shaking thighs.

I hadn’t even caught my breath before his cock was pressing into me. I sucked in a sharp breath then. It was a tighter fit than I’d expected. Even a night spent exchanging oral pleasure had not prepared me for how we would fit together. I was small, and he was…not.

“Luka!” I cried.

“Right here,” he hissed, clearly fighting his own battle with the pressure we were creating for each other.

“I—” I didn’t want to say ‘can’t,’ but I wasn’t sure if I could.

“Easy,” he soothed, seemingly more in control. Lucky for him.

His hand slipped around my hip, guiding himself inside before his fingers found my clit. The intense pressure of him filling me almost hurt because of his size, but it quickly eased with his expert knowledge of my body.

I sighed with relief. That was until he moved, and I realized nothing could fully detract from his dick.

“Fuck,” he growled. “You feel—” He didn’t finish—or if he did, I lost track of his words.

Nothing got through. The storm faded away, the cellar disappeared. Only feeling existed, and I was lost to it.

He slammed into me again and again, and I was flying. I absently wondered what this would feel like whilst flying, him inside me while my wings carried us through the skies. I wasn’t sure I could carry us both with only wings shifted, but the fantasy was lovely.

“Goddess, Hazel,” he groaned, snapping me back to the moment. “You’re so tight.”

“You fill every inch of me. I can barely breathe.” I was so close again, barreling towards a release that felt too big for me to handle, but he was right there with me, holding me up, and together, we let go, both moaning out our pleasure into the storm.

I didn’t want it to end.

The closeness.

How he filled me.

All of it.