We tremble against each other, mouths desperately colliding again and again. His hands are everywhere, my back, my hips, my face. Water sloshes around us while I move up and down, back and forth. His fingers dig into my hips, and my skin burns under his palms. A sound tears out of him, so raw it makes me weep. Everything in me tightens until I can’t take it anymore. We cling to each other, every nerve on fire, when it finally takes us under.
The tremor from my orgasm continues running through me when I ease forward, my hands finding his shoulders for balance. He doesn't let me go far, just enough to guide me while I turn. I settle back against him, his palms warm on my stomach. His heartbeat steadies under my ear, nearly lulling me to sleep.
“Do you think their hearts keep the same rhythm as ours?” I ask, placing my hands on top of his.
“They do,” he says, running his thumb up and down my belly.
“You can hear them?” I wish I could feel them, or sense them somehow, but I don’t. I know it’s normal, but I was hoping since I have supernatural blood in me that I’d be able to sense them.
“Not yet, but your energy pulses to the same beat now. I noticed it after you came through the portal, I just wasn’t sure what it was. I can feel it through our bond, almost like little tugs. It’s…” His voice trails off for a moment. “It’s amazing.” He plants a kiss on my wet head. “You’re amazing,” he adds, but it’s so silent I barely hear it, almost like he didn’t mean for it to slip out.
“I’m scared, Zarreth. I don’t want them to be the next elders. Not now. Not with Dante out there, and whatever other monsters will come clawing for those seats.”
“Look at me,” he says.
Water sloshes over the side of the tub when I spin around. He holds both sides of my face, his eyes fierce when they meet mine. “I don’t give a damn what Theia said. Nobody is going to decide the fate of our children. Not the Gods, not the elders. Not while I’m still breathing.”
I nod because I want to believe him. And I do; I know he will die protecting us, but he can’t control fate.
And then there’s the other thing that’s been haunting me since the portal. I glance down at the water rippling around my fingers. “What if I turn out like my mom?”
His eyes hold so much warmth, it almost makes me cry. “Melita, you are the most caring person I know. You love harder than anyone and put absolutely everything before yourself. That’s not going to change, and thatis exactly what will make you a good mom. What lies within you, your love, your compassion, that’s who you are. That’s who they’ll grow up knowing.”
I quickly wipe away the tear rolling down my cheek. I’m so grateful to have him by my side. His steadiness, his strength. I know we’ll be a thousand times better than my parents. “Thank you for always being there for me.”
“I will always be here for you, and for them.” He glances at my stomach, voice rough when he continues. “But I should be the one thanking you. I’ve spent my entire life fighting, surviving, never realizing how empty I’d become. You gave that empty life a meaning. You gave me something worth protecting, and now you’ve given me a family.”
Hope nudges in, and tears blur my vision all over again. I’m so lucky to be with someone so amazing. I don’t know why I expected him to react any differently. “I love you, Zarreth, with everything I am.” I lean in, letting my lips find his. His mouth is warm, tasting like the man who has always been my anchor.
I pull back and nearly melt at the tenderness in his eyes. He doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he takes my hands and pulls me up until I’m kneeling in front of him. His gaze drops to my belly as he leans in. “I already know you’ll have your mother’s fierce heart.”
My throat tightens while I wipe away another tear. “And your father’s fire.” I smile. “That makes you our little firecrackers.”
CHAPTER 31
Frankie
“Still nothing?” Brynn calls, while I lower my sword. “I was sure yesterday’s face-plant into the gravel would have shaken the light loose.”
“Ha, ha. Hilarious.” I say, tightening my grip. My shoulders ache, my palms are raw, but it’s my pride that hurts the most.
“Maybe if you stop strangling it,” she says. “The light isn’t prey. You invite it, you don’t choke it.” She flicks her sword upright, the steel catching a glint of gold as she stands in the center of the ring. The large shards of glass surrounding us are humming with her magic.
What I wouldn’t give to chokeherright now. Not long enough to hurt her, just enough to make me feel better. A week of drills and I can only summon a small spark, definitely not enough to feed my sword. And now that she won’t let me wear my necklace, I can’t even do that.Of course she was able to remove it with just a simple flick of her wrist…dang falkyrie magic!
“All right, Frankie. Again. Anchor your stance. Picture the light running up your arm into the blade, like a sunrise climbing the horizon.”
I do as she says and squeeze my eyes shut. The hilt feels heavy beneath my palms. Inhaling slowly, I imagine smoke dissipating around me, giving way to a white light. Warmth flows up my arms, and my hand begins to tingle. The first flicker of light stirs in my chest.
But the dark stirs with it. It presses down the light, curling up from the same place. I try forcing it down, holding it under the surface long enough for the light to grow, but it only drags the other with it. The two twist together, impossible to separate. The light thins. The dark swells. I shove them both back, locking them down before either one breaks loose.
“This is useless. I can’t let go enough to call my light. I still think you should let me practice with my necklace on, at least for a little while.”
“That necklace is a crutch and we’re running out of time. You need to focus.”
I can’t argue with that. The portal has gotten much more dangerous over the past few days. Scouts keep returning with the same bad news. The darkness is spreading, and more deadly creatures are roaming the realm.
And Jess…she’s getting worse. She and Graven are staying in the infirmary wing of the castle. The healers confirmed whatever poison is running through her veins is somehow tied to the portal. Each time it surges, she doubles over in pain. Not even Graven can take it away.
