Anger... If fear didn’t work, anger would. It had done the trick in the stone chamber with Khayrivven.
The Gargoyles attacking Evven and her, General Ycken catching her in front of Lu’Shen’s, Falcrest locking Aiden and her in the stone chamber, the ashlings dying every day at the tip of their peers’ blades for nothing more than failing to be on time, this entire monstrosity of an academy, the secrets… anything she could think of, she threw into the furnace of anger until a beast hot enough to burn down Ashthorn raged inside her, but when she opened her eyes, not a trace of fire had grown from her fingertips.
Not enough—whatever anger she’d summoned, it wasn’t enough to bring her power forward.
Lust.The word floated through her mind like a caress. There was no way she could throw herself into that sort of emotion under duress, let alone under the scrutiny of six men and one woman, at least five of them wanting to see her dead.
Close your eyes, Gutter Gem.His voice was a distant memory, the chuckle in his tone easing the tension in her limbs like a light stroke of his hand, and Guardians be damned, a streak of fire ran from Lory’s chest straight to her core, and her eyes shut as if on their own accord.
Behind her lids, a dark stone room welcomed her, and at the center of it, Khayrivven waited with a supple grin on his lips.
Lory’s knees wobbled from exhaustion, but as she tumbled over, the rough stone floor wasn’t where she landed. Instead, the soft mattress of a wide, black-sheeted bed caught her in a gentle embrace.
“Relax, Gutter Gem. It’s only you and me in this room. They can’t reach you in here, and I won’t let you escape until you burn for me.” The grin turned wicked as his gaze dropped to her chest, then to her hips and legs, and Lory realized that she was no longer wearing her Ashthorn uniform but a delicate, silken nightgown with thin straps and excessive lace along the plunging neckline that left little to the imagination.
“Where are we?” Lory’s voice echoed off the torch-lit walls, heart thundering in her chest as she ran through all possible scenarios of how she’d ended up here when she was just sitting at Lenya’s table.
“A dream.” He took a casual step closer, opening the top button of his shirt. “You need lust to stoke your fire, and I’m making sure you’ll burn bright once you open your eyes again.”
A dream. How had he dragged her into a dream while she was fighting for her life?
“It’s a talent of mine.” With a wink, he shucked his weapons belt, then slid his fingers up to his chest and opened another button on his shirt “One of my more annoying ones, I’ve been told.” There was no apology on his face as he took another step, and another, opening button after button until his shirt hung open to his stomach, exposing smooth, olive skin and hard, defined muscle.
Lory had a difficult time ripping her gaze away from what was certainly the most appealing torso she’d ever laid eyes on. Yes, she’d seen him shirtless that night she’d spied on him, but then, the night had swallowed most of the view. Now, the light of multiple torches painted fiery patterns on his skin, rippling over the ridges and grooves, defining what had to be the result of years and years of training.
“Look your fill, Lory.” His fingers slid lower, pulling his shirt from the waistband of his pants, and he reached behind his neck, tugging the fabric off in one smooth motion. “I might be the one directing this dream, but I want you to take whatever you need in order to produce those flames.”
Lory’s mouth went dry as he reached for the strings tying his pants, and a part of her was ready to watch whatever he was about to show her, but?—
“You kissed me, and then you disappeared for days, and when I went up in flames in front of the entire school, youthrew me in the dungeons and delivered me to the Triad for execution.” Her throat tightened more with every word while her eyes fought to hold his gaze when all they wanted was to return to where his hand lay frozen on the waistband of his pants. “Why?” Her voice was breathy from weakness or the rising excitement in her belly as Khayrivven shifted on his feet, sending a ripple through his abdomen. “Why try to help me now?”
All he gave her was a tired smile. “No regrets.” It was all the explanation she got before he bent over her, taking her hands in his and placing them on his stomach. “I can see how fast you’re breathing, Lory, and it’s not because you’re afraid anymore.” He traced the length of her arm with the tips of his fingers, eliciting a shudder of pleasure from her. “You want me, Lory. You want me so badly I can feel it in my very bones.”
His hand wandered along the side of her neck, delving into her hair and tilting her head back so she had to look up at him or close her eyes. “I don’t want you to die, Gutter Gem. I like you way too much for that, and I don’t want you to suffer because I failed to make your magic appear, so please”—this time it was a plea—“please let me give you something that will make you burn.”
Lory couldn’t think as he lowered his mouth to hers in a breathtaking kiss, his tongue requesting access in a subtle stroke along her lower lip, and—Guardians—did that heat flare in her chest. One kiss, and he set her on fire, one stroke of his tongue against hers, and an inferno exploded inside her chest. And those flames didn’t stop there—like a wildfire,they spread along her arms and hands until her fingers were aglow. Her arms wrapped around his neck of their own accord, and she pulled him off balance, making him straddle her legs as he caught his weight with his arms right next to her head.
This—thisshe could get used to. This side of Khayrivven, who didn’t hide the pure need building up in him as he rolled his hips against hers, a deep moan rumbling in his chest. Her hands were burning, but she couldn’t hurt him in a dream, could she? So, Lory let her fingers slide down his back, over his firm ass to the front of his pants where his hard cock was pushing against the fabric.
A quiver ran through him as she rubbed over it, and he gasped, breaking the kiss for a frantic heartbeat.
“Careful, Lory, you might not be ready for what happens when you make me lose control.”
The thought alone almost made her laugh. Her, unleashing him from whatever chains he’d put on himself in order to survive this place—but it intrigued her. More than the thought of untying his pants and grabbing the hard length of him, the thought of seeing that unchained side of him excited her.
Lifting her chest, she pressed her peaked breasts against his naked skin, moaning at the friction of the lace between them as he shifted over her.
“Lory—”
Again, she rubbed over his cock, only with her thumb this time, but he twitched under her touch, and Lory’s core tightened at the mere thought of having that steellength between her legs. Yet, at the back of her mind, something tugged at her, a reminder this wasn’t real and they weren’t alone.
Khayrivven’s hand coasted along the edge of her breast, his mouth a whisper along her lips. “You’re ready, Gutter Gem. Open your eyes.”
The mess hall seemed brighter than she remembered when she returned to reality, her forehead beaded with sweat and the flesh between her legs throbbing with all the fantasies of how that dream may have continued under different circumstances. With a slow exhale, she glanced down at her hands, at the gold and orange of the fire living there, and through the glow, Khayrivven was looking at her, pride shining in his eyes, while he adjusted his stance to hide the proof of what Lory’s touch had done to him, even in a dream.
She couldn’t help the smirk spreading on her face. “Is that enough, or would you like me to set the building on fire?” She didn’t ask anyone in particular, but she did grin at Aiden as he caught her gaze with a brilliant, bloody smile.
“That will do.” The Master of Whispers waved the guard with the bucket of ice forward, taking it from his hands. “Just in case you try anything,” he explained, setting it down on the edge of Lory’s table.
