Or more accurately, it was the fae wielding it who had worked a miracle.
“Come,” Len ordered as his teeth closed around my nipple, a flash of pleasure pain sending me right over the edge.
His cock swelled inside, and I could feel every ridge against my pulsing walls as I screamed his name. He groaned mine, spilling into me in short, jagged thrusts.
It took a long time for us both to ride out our pleasure, and when we were done, I knew that there was nothing in any worlds that could compare to what I’d just experienced here with Len.
More than sex, there had been a bonding between us. An acceptance.
Love.
The full scope of our true mate bond might still be lost in what remained of the glamour, but it didn’t hurt this connection we had.
In truth, it felt like we’d just moved one step closer to finding out the truth.
To finding everything.
40
SAMANTHA
Len used more crystals from his jacket to clean us and create some clothes. “I could use my own energy, but it’s best to conserve it,” he said, when we were dressed and ready to start this journey again.
“Can you feel any drain from the Deep yet?” I asked. “I don’t really know what losing power feels like, since I’ve clearly been cut off from a large source of mine all of my life.”
Len, now in black fatigues, a plain black shirt, and his silver trench coat, stepped into a pair of black combat boots as he answered. Subtly, I attempted to wipe at my mouth in case I was drooling—he was rocking badass special-ops, and it was a good look on him.
“The drain is slight,” he admitted, lips thinning. I wasn’t surprised he was annoyed, since it was a theft of power without his permission, and he was too old and princely to be cool about that. Not to mention we needed everyone at full power to make it through.
Not all tests would be about submission like the last one. Some would undoubtedly require strength.
“Our time of rest did help though,” he added, and I couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped.
“Rest,” I chuckled. “Right.”
He crowded me against the crystal wall. “Yes, mate.Rest.And just so you know, I plan on resting with you many more times over our life, and each will only add to our energy and strength.”
My laughter faded as my hips jerked toward him. Dammit, my body was already trained to obey his command, and what he was promising we wanted.
As his lips brushed mine, he flicked his hand out and recalled the stones. The land of blue sand reappeared around us again, and the sexual tension faded enough that I could focus on the task at hand. The reality of our situation was more apparent outside the sphere of stones, and I knew we’d done all therestingwe had time for.
Len took my hand, and my new black boots—very similar in style to his—crunched on the blue sand as we crossed it. This time he’d dressed me in dark jeans, a plain black shirt, and a less elaborate silver jacket that ended just below my ass.Silver for a silver princess,he had said. He always thought of everything, right down to a brush and hair tie, so I could quickly braid my long hair down my back.
The sensation of being cared for, of having someone in my corner, would never get old.
“Do you have any guesses of how far we still have to travel to reach the Origin and Great Queen’s line?” I asked as our pace picked up.
The darkness around us didn’t cease, and I had zero idea of what direction to even head in. Thankfully, Len appeared to be following a source of power.
“There’s no way to tell in a land surrounded by energy such as this,” he said. “From the little I’ve discovered, we’ll face at least two more major obstacles.”
Great, if they were anything like the guardians and the red lava floor, it should be a piece of cake. A cake poisoned and laced with explosives.
After walking for a few minutes, we ran into Simone and Lucien. They looked relaxed, and I thought I caught a flash of blood on Lucien’s lips. “Time to move forward?” the vampire asked.
Len nodded. “Yep. If we rest any longer, we run the risk of the land trying to drain us to get us moving.”
Lucien didn’t argue, gathering Simone under his arm, a heated and possessive look on his face as he pulled her close. Simone all but melted beneath his touch, and when she caught sight of me gawking like a creeper, she shot me a slow smile and a wink.
