Keane smirks and slips two fingers down my folds, stopping just before my entrance only to flick them back up and pinch my clit.
I gasp in straight lust.
Keane chuckles and slides back down, thrusting his fingers back in quickly. He grins when I cry out his name, then pushes another finger in to join the two. I moan and drop my head against the wall, grinding against his hand as he pumps again and again until I’m finding my second release. Keane pulls out fully while I’m still riding the high, only to thrust back in again to make sure I’m thoroughly sated.
“Bastard,” I pant.
He laughs in agreement. “My ego will never let you outperform me,trouble.”
“Of course,” I roll my eyes with a smile.
Keane gently disentangles himself, his fingers reaching for the lace bralette that is still bunched around my naval. He slowly glides it up my body, his fingers brushing against my breasts before he captures my gaze.
“You’re everything, Alexis…” he says a bit husky, “I will die a happy man with the memory of your lips wrapped around me.”
He reaches for my discarded shirt on the ground and brushes it out. “Up,” he commands.
I raise my hands with a smile, letting him bring the shirt down my arms and past my head before it falls onto my body.
“I’ll help you with Ash,” I offer.
Keane nods and adjusts his own clothing as I look around the stall for Stormfall. The Bird of Ash is perched high in a corner, his head tucked into his body in full sleep.
“I’ll let Storm rest until we’re done…”
“Tell me,” Keane’s eyes are back on mine, “did you name him after the fall of ash from the storm, or the fall of your clumsy feet against frozen rock?”
I laugh and push against his chest, “you know the answer to that.”
“You’re unbelievable,” he laughs and runs a hand through his hair.
I grin and walk to the two buckets of water before bringing one to Keane.
“How long will we be in Fumagalli?”
The Prince moves to Ash’s neck and pours the water over his mane, “the horses need a few days of rest before we can set out for Gaumond. And we need to stay here on the border to watch for any more activity.”
I pick up a brush and follow behind Keane and his water, cleaning all of the grime and dirt off Ash.
“Good,” I smile, thinking of the city within the trees, “I’d still like to spend a night in your Hidden City, and hear about what happened last night with you all.”
The Prince nods, “Lord Daniel was already preparing a room for you when I left him. I’m letting everyone sleep for the rest of the day and then we’ll meet for dinner to exchange stories.”
I nod with a large smile on my face, happy to be home.
CHAPTER XIII
HUMAN REBORN
“Your blade, Lady Alexis.”
Desmond extends a hand to me, his dark brown eyes impassive and unreading as he gauges my reaction. I turn in my seat from the pub counter and arch a brow in surprise. He’s holding the dagger I left behind in the Plains.
After Keane and I finished with Ash, he took off to meet with Desmond and Daniel in the Hidden City while everyone else promptly went to the same rooms we were given on our first visit to Fumagalli. It was a welcoming sight to enter my room at the end of the hall, one that made both Golem and I smile at each other the moment we walked in. His smile broadened even more when I headed straight to the wooden slats at the window and opened them wide, the two of us greeting the cool and sleepy air as a familiar friend.
Stormfall approved of the room as well, flying out from under my hair to perch on the bedpost. He was quick to tuck his wings into his body and fell asleep just as I sank into the tub. After a lengthy bath and an even longer nap, the three of us moved to the small pub in the common room to wait for dinner to begin.
“Thank you,” I nod to the Master Informer and strap the blade under my boot, genuinely happy to have it back. He eyes my brown and gold boots quietly before looking up to the emerald long sleeve I’m wearing, no doubt remembering when I last had my blade strapped around my bicep.
