15
COLGRAVE
The timing couldn’t possibly be worse as a dozen more seeps slowed, two completely ceasing altogether. But it wasn’t the increase in exports that gave me the most anxiety; it was being stuck with duties when all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed with Audryn. Our time together was more than I could’ve expected, and I wasn’t the type who easily let myself become physical with someone, let alone someone who picked up and left as soon as they could.
For most of the night, Micah and I responded to each seep and confirmed the reports. Despite increasing patrols, we hadn’t been able to identify the cause, leaving us unable to come up with a solution for the problem. With so many seeps hidden within Kuroden’s vast mountain range, it was impossible to monitor each location at all hours of the day and night.
The seep Audryn fixed had maintained a steady flow, but the output alone wouldn’t make up for the deficit the others created. And though negotiations would pick up soon, we would have to supplement Rivale from our own reserves until we reworked the terms of the treaty.
By the time I returned home, I found my bed empty, cold,and made. Though her scent lingered, the impact of her absence left an ache in my chest. I would spend the rest of our time together convincing her to stay in Kuroden. But considering I couldn’t keep her in my bed, I wasn’t sure how I’d persuade her to stay in my kingdom.
Feeling desperate, I cracked open the door of her bedroom. But when I saw her peacefully sleeping with her hair fanned across the pillow, I couldn’t bring myself to wake her. Crawling into her bed would grossly violate a boundary she was so adamant to keep, so I slunk up to my room yearning for her touch.
“If she could fixone in an hour, just think what she could do with a full day.” Micah sipped from his mug. He’d come over early to discuss solutions for an issue I wasn’t ready to tackle.
“Just that one seep exhausted her and—” I started.
“Was it the seep or you?” Micah countered and waggled an eyebrow. “Did you give her the good ‘ol weinering last night? Was that what wore her out?”
Amalee shook her head.
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes. Somehow he hadn’t matured since our teen years, and I’d routinely endured dick jokes spewing from his mouth.
He grinned. “Well, that’s not a no.”
I shook my head and rubbed a hand over my heavy eyes. Even if she wanted to help, I wouldn’t want her in the mountains all day, and I definitely wouldn’t want to push her to fix more than one. And with the month evaporating, I’d need her to focus either on the seeps or the gardens.
“What about two?” Micah continued. “Give her a break, work your bedroom magic, then bring her back refreshed in the afternoon?”
Amalee’s eyes darted beyond my shoulder and then to me in warning. I didn’t need to turn around to know who was standing in the doorway. I’d become keenly aware of the floral scent that marked her skin and lingered in her wake.
“Well, if it isn’t the woman of the hour.” Micah beamed. “You look … satisfied. Reborn perhaps. Living in the afterglow of?—”
“Shut up!” Amalee and I shouted in unison.
Audryn walked into the dining room, letting her fingers brush against my shoulder as she passed. The gesture sent every drop of blood rushing to the tip of my dick. Holding myself together around her was near impossible, but keeping myself together while she touched me was torture.
“Good morning.” She sat next to me and offered a smile before stealing a drink from my mug of coffee.
Unaware of the evening’s bedroom activities, Amalee’s brows nearly met her hairline. Being a big fan of discretion, I rarely spoke to my sister about the women in my life, and I hadn’t thought the situation through enough to know just how much I wanted to share. We’d spent one night together—less than a night.
“If you gather the land wielders, I’ll teach them how to do it.” Audryn pushed the cup back to me, letting her hand linger on mine. “They don’t even need to conjure land, just need to work with the gravel and rock already there.”
“We don’t have land wielders,” Amalee answered for me. “Good idea if we did, though.”
“Wait, why?” Audryn’s forehead scrunched.
“Most people here have only ever lived here. We have some from the Oras and a couple of dozen from other kingdoms, but there isn’t anyone here with Divine Magic.” I shrugged.
“So, no elemental magic at all?” Audryn flinched.
“None.” Micah looked in her direction. “Except for you.”
“Do you have a travel ban like Rivale? Maybe if you lift it—” Audryn started.
“Nope,” I interrupted. “The other kingdoms have done a superb job of making our land seem so wretched that people have no desire to live here. They don’t even visit.”
“Well, look at the bright side, Brother,” Micah said, slapping a hand against my back. “At least you don’t have to feed more people.”
