The sliding of the deadbolt behind her echoes in the room in a way I’ve never heard before. The finality of it, like it was closing the door on who we were. After this, that door will be opening to two completely different people. This little world right here in this apartment is going to change, and then everything outside of these walls will change, too.
For better or worse, this is it.
“Come here, my Songbird,” I urge Belissenda, and she does as she’s told, nerves causing her legs to shake. I wrap my fingers around the back of her head and neck, tilting her face to mine. “I love you more than the heavens love the earth. More than darkness craves the light. More than words will ever convey.”
The tears that have been coming and going all morning return, though now they’re falling against a sweet blush across her cheeks and a small smile stretching her lips.
“I love you, too,” She allows me one lingering kiss to seal our promises, “Now let’s do this and go get your soul brother back.” Before I can argue or delay any longer, she closes her eyes. She relaxes into my hold, a silent command to get this over with.
With one last deep breath, I reach out to find the life force living inside her chest. That beautiful golden light buried beneath all the other pieces of her. She’s so vibrant, sogoodthat it feels like a crime to snuff it out. Against my better judgment, I let the instinct to feed take over, allowing the hunger for her to consume me.
At the first drag of her light, she releases a pained whimper, and her knees buckle. All I can do is whisper that I’ve got her, I won’t let her fall, she’s safe. All the while, I’m taking from her the core of all that she is, sucking it dry. She clutches my shirt, fear and pain lighting up every receptor she has, begging her to fight back against the wickedness feeding from her.
And still, I continue because she’s not even close to having given me enough yet. The darkest part of me, the one I try to pretend doesn’t exist, the part thatcravesthis, urges me to take more and more andmore.All the while, the fight slowly leaves my sweet Belissenda. Her iron grip against my chest eases, her head lolling back until I have to cradle her whole body against me lest she fall to the floor.
No more pained whimpers leave her, her body unable to even protest the intrusion any longer. Her breathing is quick and shallow, almost rickety in its frailty. The beautiful pink that always colors her skin has gone, a gray taking its place, lips turning blue as her light goes cold. I stare down at her nearly lifeless face, the monster inside me still asking for more.
For everything.
It screams at me that if we don’t take everything, we’ll lose her.
Everything?
She has nothing left to give.
More, it still screams.
Tears splash across her no longer breathing chest and neck; I’m unable to stop the flood of them falling from my cheeks and the tip of my nose. The thrum of her heart stutters, fighting to stay in motion before finally ceasing its beating altogether.
At the silence surrounding us, the monsterfinallyrelents.
And then, at the monster’s behest, I give everything back and more.
I force a piece of whatever twisted soul I have inside me into her chest, begging it to be enough. Begging to have been quick enough, powerful enough,carefulenough.
Silence.
Still so fucking quiet.
“Bel,” I beg, “You gotta wake up, baby. I need you.”
I give her more and more, surely more than any mortal body should be able to contain, and still, her heart does not beat; her chest does not move. “Please, Bel. Come on!”
All at once, it finally happens.
Her heart beats, she heaves in a huge breath, and her eyes open so quickly and widely that she startles us both. And there, beneath everything else, is her light, gold and glittering, dancing within the piece of mine that belongs to her now. A cage, protecting her light from the world that would take it from her.
“Hi,” she breathes a sigh of relief, grinning in triumph.
I smash my lips against hers, feeling her surprise and joy more profound than ever. I swear to the gods, no other kiss could ever compare to this one. Love and lust andhope.
So much hope in this moment that I never want to let it go, just cling to her for eternity.
Isla is going to be so pissed about this.
Keeping our lips connected, I pull Bel down to the ground with me, wasting no time climbing on top of her. This differs from any of the countless times I’ve had her thus far. As I hold her close and grind my hips against hers, her arousal fuels mine, back and forth in an endless cycle of feeding each other’s emotions, sending us higher and higher.
I’ve not even gotten her clothes off yet, and I already know this is going to be the most mind-altering, earth-shaking intimacy I’ll ever have— that anyone will ever have.
