“You did this?” Her voice was soft, like she meant for only him to hear her. She pressed against his body in a tight hug. Savine knew she understood the significance of him removing his father’s antlers. It was a power play that would be his making or his undoing.
Savine felt Avery’s small hand reach out for him. She intertwined her fingers with his. Her arm pressed against his. Safe. She was here, and she was safe.
“What do you want with us?” Avery asked, looking at Rylo as she spat the words out.
“It’s more about what I want from him, but it will all come down to you in the end,” Rylo said. The smirk on Rylo’s face was enough to make Savine see red. Savine squeezed Avery’s hand harder.
“You expect me to believe you want the ruling King of Latiah out of power?” Savine asked.
Rylo crossed his arms and squinted at the fading evening light. “Standing here in the sun is becoming fatiguing. I will let you freshen up, and then we will reconvene in the morning.”
“You realize you’re the Sun King? Becoming fatigued by the sun seems ironic,” Avery couldn’t help but say. Savine’s mouth ticked up in the smallest hint of a smile.
“Yes, but Savine will be more willing to talk about matters between our nations after some private time with you, little witch. And after how you locked onto him, I believe it would be wise for you to have that time too. Maybe it will help you better understand what is at stake for you in two days.”
Avery blushed. Savine loved that innocently wicked expression that she wore. Honestly? He loved all her human expressions that hid nothing about her emotions.
She looked up at him, and it felt like the rest of the world didn’t matter one damn bit. But then she turned and looked at her captor. “Why do any of this? Why take me in the first place? You could have come to him and talked,” Avery asked.
“What’s the fun in that?” Rylo asked. Before either of them could reply, he tucked his wings tightly beside him and walked past them to the edge of the tower, diving from the building.
“Does he always make such dramatic exits?” Avery asked.
Savine shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t care less where Rylo flapped off to. Avery was here. It was her hand intertwined in his. Avery was safe and unharmed, thank Althea. He squeezed her hand to remind himself that this was real.Shewas real.
“Let’s go to our room,” Savine said. Avery cocked her head up at Savine. Her smile reached all the way up to her eyes.
“Our room? Don’t you think that’s a little presumptuous? Aren’t we supposed to just be friends?” Avery teased through her smile.
“Fuck no. There is no way in Abyss that I’m letting you go now, my flower.”
Chapter fifty-one
Avery
Avery’s hand intertwined with Savine’s, and she leaned her head against his arm as they walked toward her room. She didn’t lean against him because of aching blisters caused by these ridiculous heels, or from walking thousands of stairs. No, she simply leaned her head against him because he was here, and she couldn’t get enough of the solid strength of his body against hers. His forest and rain scent wafted over her as she leaned into his body.
Ever since Rylo took her, she’d been dreading the torment that she expected to come. She anticipated never touching Savine’s hard body again. But against all odds, he was here. He was safe. And he was all hers.
Avery realized they had reached the floor to her room. She pulled him along the hallway, giddy to get him alone. When they reached the door to her room, she let go of his hand to unlock the door.
“Can you believe we are back together? It was so much easier than I expected things to go!” Avery said as she smiled up at Savine.
“You can’t know how much I’ve worried about you in the last few days. I don’t know what game Rylo is playing, but we need to be ready for a trick.”
Avery tugged on the door to her room as she looked back at Savine. “He’s planning on displaying my powers in two nights. I don’t knowwho his guest is, but I suspect it’s Jasper. He never comes out and says what he means, and that drives me crazy.”
“Ah well, maybe we will have a better idea later. I battled Jasper in the forest. By what Rylo said, I suspect he has the same reasoning I once had. But right now, I don’t want to talk about them. I just want you.”
Savine pulled Avery against his hard body before he swept her into his arms. His mouth was on hers as they crossed the threshold of the door and into the room. The taste of him, the feel of his muscles pressed against her, was intoxicating. She pulled back from his kiss and looked into his soft blue eyes.
Avery pushed herself away from Savine, and panted out, “Hold on a minute. You are doing a one-eighty from the night at the lake. Is this actually what you want?
“Fuck yes, I do. I came so close to losing you forever, my flower. All I could think was I never had the chance to worship your body like you deserve,” Savine said into Avery’s ear as he pressed her body against his.
“But what about all your… um… insecurities? I don’t want you to be in a position—”
“Shut up and let me kiss you,” Savine growled.
