I stare at him, uncertainly. “Daire, you promised to try not to hurt Aurelius…”
“Sadly, the dragon doesn’t seem to have made the same promise.” Daire savagely bites his thumb, smearing ancient rune symbols on the side of the pool. “Copy those on my hair and then my wings.”
I nod, raising my finger to my mouth.
Daire bats my hand away, placing his finger into my mouth instead.
I sigh, biting down. Then I gently take his finger out of my mouth, squeezing to coax his blood onto my thumb.
I peer with interest at the beautiful design of the runes, before copying them. I smear Daire’s blood across his curls and then onto each of his silky wings, which he has stretched out.
I stare at him, anxiously.
Nothing.
On the Shadow Gods, please work.
Suddenly, Daire tosses his head back and howls. His entire body stiffens and rises out of the water, as his shadows wind out of him in distress.
“Shit, shit, shit.” I stare at him in shock.
Did I draw the symbols wrong?
Have I killed him?
Then the color fades from Daire’s hair and wings, until they are snow-white.
He looks stunning.
Exhausted, he collapses back into the water. His eyes are closed.
I wrap my arms around him, stroking my shaky hand over his white feathers. “How are you feeling?”
“Like the Shadow Devils have eaten me and not in the fun way. How do I look?”
“Spellbinding.”
Daire’s eyes snap open.
He preens. “To be expected.” He glances down at his hair, arching his brow and then over his shoulder at his wings, flapping them experimentally. “I may even be able to trick the Shadow Gods and fly to the heavens looking like this.”
“Ambitious.”
“You know another way that I am ambitious?” Daire’s eyes twinkle. “I held the record in the featherglass for how long I could hold my breath.”
“Ehm, congratulations?” My brow furrows. “Do you want a cookie? Medal? Wing stroke?”
“Aye to all three, obviously. But not the point. My Omega Queen just did some brilliant rune magic and should be rewarded. Also, this may be the last time that we’re together as Daire and Spark, before I must become Dove for real. So, my record is eight minutes but that’s swimming in lakes with my friends. Shall we see if I can make you come before I need to surface for air? Because you, my Omega, are all that I need to fucking breathe.”
My eyes widen in alarm. “Wait, I’m sure you need oxygen too.”
Daire recklessly plunges with a flap of his wings underneath the petal strewn water’s surface.
His arms settle around my waist, holding me up.
My chest is rapidly rising and falling.
Anticipation and fear are bound together like they usually are with Daire, as his plush lips feather across my inner thighs, pushing them apart.
