“Now.”
His hands forced my hips to move, and I obeyed—rolling, rocking, chasing my pleasure. His tongue met every movement, relentless, and the sounds coming out of me weren’t words anymore.
A whisper of cold silk climbed up my calves, sliding under my dress. The tendrils moved like fingers, peeling it from my body before it floated away.
Ride me.
That tunneled inside me, breaking me open. I ground myself against his mouth shamelessly, and ecstasy tore through me in bright waves. My nails raked his scalp, anchoring, holding on, and the deep satisfaction of it shoved me toward the edge.
My vision erupted with stars.
The pleasuredetonated. Ripped straight up my spine and exploded behind my eyes. I came apart with a sharp cry that echoed off the walls.
His lips gentled, drinking the aftershocks. When the shaking finally eased, he rolled me over, climbing up the bed to face me.
I stared at him, breathing hard. I wasn’t satisfied. Not even close. The ache between my thighs had only sharpened, but it wasn’t just physical.
Ineededhim.
I grabbed his jaw and dragged his mouth to mine, pouring in my overwhelming feelings. I tasted myself on his lips, hot and slick, and it made me wild. I kissed him harder, biting his lower lip and he groaned, his hands fisting in my hair, pulling me closer?—
A knock shattered thesilence.
Kairos went rigid. “The world better be fucking ending,” he snarled against my mouth, “or whoever’s on the other side of that door has three seconds to run before I gut them.”
“It’s me,” Elwen said flatly.
“Fuck. Off.”
“Vaeris burned another village. No survivors.”
The words drenched me in ice.
Kairos pulled back, his expression lethal.
“Don’t move,” he said roughly.
He ripped himself off me and stormed to the door, yanking it open. I sat up slowly, covering myself with furs. They spoke in low, urgent tones.Razed to ash. Moving west.
Kairos shut the door with a heavy exhale. He turned and crossed to the bed, sitting on the edge. His hand found mine under the furs.
“I have to go.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. I’ll return in a few days.”
I nodded, my stomach sinking with the image of him riding into battle. I pictured smoke rising from the embers of a village, and my eyes stung with tears.
His palm cupped my cheek. “It is not your fault.”
“People are dead because I’mhere.”
“Vaeris did that. Not you.”
My throat ached. “I should’ve stopped it. If I were stronger…if I could defend myself?—”
“Youarestrong.”
