I can’t think about my Golden Dragon King right now. It is too painful.
I work my hand lower, until I slip underneath Daire’s long robe. His crotch is still covered by a scrap of silk that I can’t wait to explore.
No one can see what we are doing.
Daire’s face is hidden by the mask, and my movements are shielded by his clothes.
It turns me on, however, that Daire must remain still and quiet, as I work over him with the firm strokes that I’ve come to learn he loves.
“Is this okay?” My excitement is heightened by knowing that we are surrounded by our enemies.
“Cruel.” Daire’s voice is strained. “Also, don’t stop.”
“Never.” I rest my head against Daire’s silky hair, speeding up my tormenting touches. “I’ve already made you come once. This is a long journey though. You can manage twice more.”
“Pitiless, love.” But he pushes into my touch and not away. Then he turns his head, and I am startled by how steady his voice is. “This is also the perfect time to plot.”
“Now? While my hand is on your…?”
Daire smirks. “It’s how I think best.”
I capture his plush lips. “Tell me about this mask.”
Daire pulls back from me with a frown. “Bloody cursed thing. Maximinus put it on me. It’s the shackles that we need to…you know? It won’t come off until the night of the Blood Moon. I hate that I’m wearing this, when I had to take off my bronze and emerald ring, which is all I have left of my da, in case someone recognized it.”
“But that ring means the world to you. Where did you leave it?”
“Aurelius promised to wear it for me. He swore that he’d keep it safe. But should I trust anything that comes out of that dragon’s mouth?” When Daire’s voice drops to a whisper, and his urgency increases, my heart rate spikes. “How can I clip the wings of another king, breaking his Crown, as mine has been? I don’t want to do this…I really fucking don’t. Give me some time to work out how we all get out of this, aye? Until then, this is the plan. At the Blood Moon, Sin intends to make the marriage official. He will drink from both of us, before he bonds with you through this frenzied rutting ritual, which will bind his magic to you. It’s the time that he’ll be at his weakest and most vulnerable. And that’s when we’ll…”
Attack.
Capture him.
Drag him back as a prisoner to his greatest enemy, Aurelius.
It is when we will betray our newGolden fated mate— the words echo in the silence between Daire and me.
Yet this is meant to be my revenge. It’s the only way to save Aurelius and all the realms.
Isn’t it?
But surely, there is another way.
I open my mouth to say…something…when Daire hushes me, turning his head from side to side.
“We’re being watched.” He scans the rolling desert dunes. “And not by the guards. There are other Shadow Vampires out there, following us. I can smell them.”
Hurriedly, I pull my hand away from Daire’s hard cock. I twist to stare out into the dark night. Then I stiffen with fear as I catch sudden movement beside the shrines and glowing eyes.
I huddle closer to Daire, who sings softly to me in his ancient fae tongue.
I know that he is distracting me.
The song is calming but haunting like a frozen waterfall; I wish that I understood it. Yet even though I don’t, each softly tinkling word slithers down my spine and sinks into my soul.
Fae are the best singers in the world, apart from the Shadow Elves. What would it have been like to hear Daire singing with his featherglass? To have heard the songs of the Winter Court?
My skin goosebumps. My breathing speeds up.
