Not before a Prince of Promise.
But before a King...
A King of obscurity and flame.
Of darkness and embers.
Of shadows and fire.
He closed his eyes and inhaled the last cold winter air, allowing it to reverberate in his lungs.
Dorian stood from the throne after a few moments and walked down the steps to Reverie and Corbin. His form dwindled only from his eyes. The Infis lowered their heads as he walked by, cowering before him. Both his guards stood upon his approach, and he watched as they pushed their swords back in their belts.
"Neither of you ever have to bow to me," he told them. "Ever. You are my Second and my Commander. I will always fight by your sides as myself and nothing more."
"You'll fight at our sides as our King," Reverie said, chin lifting to him.
Adrenaline surged his form. He grabbed her off the ground, lips capturing hers. Hungrily. Desperately. Fluttering heart, be damned. Her mouth opened, his tongue slipped inside her, and his every muscle came alive with the arousal of her mouth against his. His form continued to pulse on the surface, those blackened streaks coursed over his skin as her hands pressed to his cheeks.
He'd never kissed anyone in his form before, and the new sensation of it consumed him. Raw and powerful. His senses heightened. Her legs tightened around his waist as his hand threaded beneath her ass, the other around her throat. He wanted to hold her there. Put a pause on everything around them. Heat spread, not from his form over him, but from the warmth of her touch against his body. Her arms tightened around his neck, nails digging into his hair until he had to force himself away.
His vision vibrated again as he pulled back from her. "Do you have them?" he managed.
Gasping for air, her widened eyes moved over his face, and then she nodded.
"My King," and the salutation coming from Corbin's lips made Dorian's head jerk. Corbin opened his mouth to say something, but Dorian's lips slammed into Corbin's, his still holding Reverie around him. Hand pressing to Corbin's cheek, he devoured every sweep of his tongue, to the point that Corbin grabbed him just to stay on balance. And when finally he pulled back from him as well, he looked breathlessly between the pair, and he allowed Reverie's feet to hit the ground once more.
"One day, I'll kiss you both like that when my life isn't in mortal danger," he promised.
—Reverie shrieked.
Dorian jerked as she jumped into his arms, her head flinching to her feet. An Infi had crawled up the side and grabbed at her ankles. It hissed. Her scream echoed in his ears, and Dorian shook with the rage draining his insides. He reacted without thinking.
Because Reverie never flinched.
He grabbed the creature up by its neck, flames blazing on his arm. As it clawed him the way the one had the day before, he reached that flamed hand into its chest. Skin burning. Ribs breaking.
He ripped out the creature's beating heart.
Still holding it, he let its body sag in his hand and dwindle to the ground, and his eyes darted around to every single Infi. His stare landed back on the one who had made the deal.
The heart disintegrated in his grasp.
And the Infi before him kneeled.
"Speak your words carefully, my Liege," Aja warned.
"Every Infi here is to stay in this town until I command differently," Dorian stated. "You are allmine. Your loyalty and your lives belong tome. You are to obey my orders and my orders only. I am leaving. Tonight. I will deal with the Infi already in the south on my way to find my sister. Until I release you, you are all to stay here. This town is now your prison. Get comfortable."
A shudder passed over the Infi crowd and then into Dorian's own body. It made his jaw tighten, his fists clench, and then a wash of power settled over his bones. His eyes blazed open.
Every Infi cowered to their knees.
The deal was done.
And the Infi were bound to him.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
