I reached a hand up to run my fingers through her hair, the dark tresses seeming slightly darker. I’d noticed since her transformation that Asteria was a bit tanner, the golden glow of the Earendel line shining through. But now, her hair also seemed a bit darker.
I shrugged it off for now. I was much more invested in pulling her on top of me. She whined slightly, always slow to wake up. Even though she no longer had to deal with the pain she felt in the past from the spell keeping her body and magic locked up unnaturally, she would never be a morning person.
She glared at me adorably, and I couldn’t help the lazy smile I gave her in return. She huffed, face crashing back into the pillow, grousing, “You’re way too chipper for this time of day.”
Her hand still came up to run her fingertips over my chest, tracing over my tattoos absentmindedly. I ran my hand down her back, caressing her soulmark. Still in awe, that I didn’t think would ever go away, that she wasfinally here.
“How can I not be? You’re here with me,” I told her, burying my face in her neck. I’d never been someone who overtly displayed their emotions before—outside of anger and fury. I didn’t keep the kingly front up in front of my family and friends, but I also had never imagined such words coming out of my mouth before. And just because I found them somehow spilling out confidently, it didn’t mean they came out easily. The strange vulnerability that putting the truth of my feelings out there caused remained ever-present.
But Asteria managed to bring this side of me out without my permission. Maybe it was being soulmates, maybe it was justher, or maybe some combination of the two, but I couldn’t help it whenever I was with her.
And she made it so worth it. Humming happily, if sleepily, and cuddling into me. I could spend the next thousand years waking up exactly like this.
At least until, when I finally stole a morning kiss, intending on seeing if she was too sore from last night for breaking in the bed this morning, a knock sounded on my door.
I groaned loudly, throwing a spare pillow at the door and hearing the satisfying thud as it connected. My head fell back to the bed, and Asteria cracked an eye open, yawning as she stretched against me languidly. Giving meallsorts of ideas.
“Calix!” Eryx knocked urgently, and my head lifted off the pillow in worry this time. He never bothered me in my room unless it was actually an emergency.
“Fuck,” I cursed, kissing Asteria’s head as I lifted myself out of the bed.
I went to open the door when the thought hit me, and I turned to Asteria. Her perfect breasts were peeking out the top of the blanket. Hard nipples pointing in the air and momentarily distracting me. I shook my head to shake myself out of my Asteria-induced haze.
“As much as I’m enjoying the view, unless you want to flash Eryx, you’re going to want to pull the blanket up.”
She grumbled, still trying to wake herself up. Like a little kitten trying to open its eyes for the first time. I smothered my smile as she pulled the sheet up, covering herself. Allowing me to open the door without risk of an incident.
“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately, my brows furrowing.
“An urgent message came for Asteria from Prince Arien,” Eryx explained, holding up the letter in his hand. “The messenger said it was extremely urgent, and that they needed help.”
My brows flew upward, but Asteria had managed to pull herself from sleep at the thought of her brother potentially being in danger. I could feel her heart racing as she bounced over, wrapped in only my sheet, and took the letter, ripping it open.
Her eyes widened as she read, her panic and rage rising like a tidal wave inside her. I put a hand on her lower back, hoping to brace her and remind her I was here. She took a deep breath, and handed me the letter. I read it over quickly.
“Fuck,” Asteria cursed, looking to me pleadingly. “I have to go. They need me.”
“Wewill go.” I reminded her. “You’re not alone here, my réalta. I can bring our best warriors on my back while flying. We can get there quickly. Hopefully, we can arrive before Aelius’s forces converge on Arien.”
“And if we don’t?” She asked nervously, swallowing hard. “If they’re already there? Or—” She shook her head, cutting the thought off completely. I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want to consider that possibility either.
Arien was growing on me. Unlike Aurelia, he truly respected Asteria as a leader and valued her as a person. Aurelia would need to work harder to achieve any kind of esteem in my eyes.
“If they are there already,” I dipped my head to meet her eyes, my hands taking hers and squeezing. “Then we will join the fight. You’ve done well these last months in training. I have full faith in your abilities. You were born with the dragon song of rage within your heart, and there is no better place to release it than a battlefield.”
“Beautiful brutality,” she whispered, her eyes lighting a bit. “That's why they say you fight like that. You have your own song of rage.”
I nodded with a proud smile, kissing her lightly, trying to ignore Eryx’s pointed cough. Pulling back, I leaned my forehead to hers. “Your destruction will be more beautiful than anything I could conjure; I guarantee you that.”
“This is all Aelius and Cyrus, but neither will be there.” She pointed out, looking disappointed.
I chuckled truly, shaking my head. “Just wait. The time will come. And for now, you can slake your bloodlust on their underlings.
She proved exactly why I loved her so much when she smirked delightedly at the thought.
* * *
We quickly got ready,donning our armor and arming ourselves for the fight to come. I helped Asteria into her armor since Delia wasn’t here. Truthfully, I didn’t feel like being interrupted during the last moments I’d have alone with Asteria before we left.
