“Oh, gods!” he whispered, “I can’t… you’re so…” then another shudder took him as his released seemed only to build and continue.
“I just need—”
“I know,” he whispered and then one of his hands was sliding down between us, finding my clitoris, pressed and trapped between our merging bodies, and with a twitch of his fingers. I felt a white-hot flash of ecstasy, which rose over the building cliffs of my pleasure and finally crashed down on the other side.
I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. My sheath, contracted, gripping his erection tight, squeezing. He gave a jaw-dropping, wide-eyed, silent shout as his release seemed to culminate into a single moment of ultimate bliss. His body was so tense above me, he jerked and shifted for a long moment before he finally fell onto me, spent.
I was right there with him through that extended climax, feeling his pounding heart through his shaft inside me, matching my own as I shuddered and tensed with my own world-melting joy.
And we lay, gasping and panting together for a long moment.
“I’ve never…” he whispered. “No woman… That was incredible.” His head next to mine warmed my ear with his breathy praise. He then began to nibble my ear, sliding his tongue lightly along the ridges and hollows.
That sent a new thrill through me as I said, “For me too. I’ve never felt anything like that.” It was the truth. Silence had always been intense and immediate; a spike of pleasure that I was quite happy with. But this had been a ridge-line of passion, rising higher and higher before it had finally, blessedly all come crashing down.
Alvere withdrew and slumped to one side of me. One of his arms remained over me, warm and comforting as we both fell into slumber.
I was floating in that strange place between wake and sleep when I heard his words, as if from a distance. “I may be required to marry and I may be with other women, but I don’t think any of them will ever compare to you, Legs. I love you.” I felt his soft kiss on my shoulder.
That warmed me as I sank into the depths of sleep… and my dreams of him and me… and Silence and Sparrow, warmed me even further still. I rested very well that night.
The next morning, once everyone was up, I gave my report, feeling an odd mix of elation and confused dismay. I longed to be in Alvere’s arms again, feel him on me and in me and… ohhhhh! But I also had to keep to my duties and that meant telling everyone of what I’d found out from Lynx the previous day.
“They told him that Vauphan wanted the Mists?” Alvere asked, clearly confused. He sighed, raising a brow. “We’ve always been curious about that magical land, but haven’t had any great desire to have it. Honestly, I think most of us believed it would somehow defend itself, or the Lumani would, keeping us from claiming it if we tried.” He shrugged.
“And I think your theory about why the Nobles and Lumani are being killed is a good one,” Maverick said. “It makes a sick sort of sense.” He shook his head. “And I think it’s safe to assume Lord War is a part of the conspiracy. Which makes it seem more and more like the Royal House is behind all of this.”
I couldn’t believe the queen would do this, but I had to agree. With Hale and War both being a part of what was going on… the Royals were certainly heavily involved.
Amber reported on the state of their fortifications. Trenches and earthworks with palisades were going up on the far side of the battle-field, and were nearly complete. They spanned perhaps five miles, from the edge of the forest to the north, to the rushing waters of the Sacha River in the south. Yet it was only a front at the moment. A force would be able to easily skirt through the forest to go around it, or brave the frigid river waters on the other side. She also reported that the majority of the Panther Nobles she knew, were already here, even a few from Pterolycus.
“They’re not preparing for an advancement, not yet,” she said, smooth alto voice like silk as she spoke. “From Legs’ report, it sounds like they mean to hold here, at least until Vauphan cedes these lands and their army leaves.”
“Though,” Alvere said with bitter disgust. “As soon as we do, I fear they’ll claim more. Their attacks in the south are just a feint, but we’ll have to draw troops from somewhere to defend, in addition to constant patrols by our navy. And if we take troops from this front, I do not trust them to remain behind their walls.”
No one countered that statement. We all knew it could very well be true.
Alvere sat forward, head in hands. “No matter my choice, my people die.” His voice was heavy with sorrow. “What do I do?”
To that, none of us had an answer.
Chapter 20
Silence
Silence was relievedwhen Hedgewild finally came into sight as the day dawned.
Sparrow’s dire news had gotten those from House Maverick in the capital moving quickly. They’d been away from the capital that day, heading south. And they hadn’t stopped, traveling night and day, taking turns driving the cart Midnight had acquired. They’d stopped for a short rest in Grovner’s Green — only long enough to warn the small village that an army might be marching through soon — and when they’d set out again in the early hours of the morning, Midnight and Sparrow had flown ahead to get the others starting their preparations to leave.
By the time Silence and Foggy arrived, the house was in an uproar as the few who remained were busy, not only gathering their own things, but anything of those who weren’t present that they thought might be required or sentimental.
This was their home after all, and had been for some members for quite a long time.
Silence didn’t have a lot and gathered his things quickly. With that done, Ant ordered him up to the observatory to help Crane.
He arrived in the dome room to find the usually staid and proper woman muttering to herself as she threw handfuls of paper into the roaring hearth fire behind Maverick’s desk.
She looked up, and Silence was surprised to see tears on her cheeks. She’d always been so removed and emotionless. Her voice was trembling when she said, “How much can you carry?” Then shook her head. “No, I need Ant.” She had several trunks out, packed with the books from the shelves to either side of the hearth. “We need to save as much of our history as we can.”
