“I loved the idea when you suggested it. I just thought things might be moving a little too fast. But now, after thisfiasco? I don’t care. I love you, Sire, and I would be happy living in your bed.”
“Sire? Shall I exert my royal powers on you?”
She started to answer and then stopped with a puzzled look on her face. “Could she be staying in that place? That one you told me.”
She switched topics so fast that it took Sven a moment to catch up. “That place?”
“You know. On the train. You told me to never go there. It’s not that far from here. Could that be where Alitta is holed up? Could Erik be there?”
“The Frostfen Deep,” he supplied. He forgot about the teasing and rubbed his face. “It’s possible. A good suggestion even. Once Lars figures out who we can trust and who we can’t, we’ll send a scout out there to do a little recon mission.”
“Can’t we–”
“No,” he interrupted. “My little private detective. We cannot go out into the deep. It’s the most dangerous place in Stagholt. I know how the area affects my dragon, but we don’t even know about yours yet.”
“Why did I react so strangely when Alitta touched me?”
He had wondered the same thing. “Until we have more answers, I don’t know. Whatever it was, you two have a natural aversion to each other. And,” he rubbed a stray strand of hair from her face, “if you do happen to be pregnant, your powers, whatever they may be, will be amplified.”
“Then we need to figure out what I can do before I accidentally burn the castle to the ground.”
He chuckled. “Good idea. Tomorrow, we’ll start with your hands and those sparks.”
“Once I’m pissed off, it’s easier.”
“Yeah well, like you said, we don’t want you getting angry that the coffee is late and you send a fireball at the kitchen staff.”
She laughed and he hoped that he could hear the sound all the time. “Do you want to go get your stuff?”
She threw herself on the bed. “Not right now. I have a better idea.”
His body leapt to attention. “Oh, and what’s that?”
She patted the area next to her. “Come on over here and find out.”
He bounced down next to her and kissed her until he had to come up for air. He sat up and pulled his shirt off.
“Before we get too far into this, do you have any idea how I find out more about my heritage?” She sat up and followed him in clothes removal.
“We have scholars who can help with that. If I know my grandmother, she has already given them your name so they could start.” He bent down and teased one of her nipples with his tongue.
She moaned and pulled his mouth to hers. This kiss was slow and sensual, full of promise of what was to come.
“I love you, Bryn Matsen.” He meant it with every cell in his body, even if it was the first time he had said the words out loud.
“I love you, too, my king.”
She trailed a finger along his chest and sent fire to his core. He moved to her neck and kissed the soft curve of her throat. Her hands slid along his shoulders and sent chills down his spine.
A pounding on the door interrupted much as a bucket of ice water would. Sven groaned but didn’t move.
“What?”
“We need you in the war room, now.”
The urgency in Lars' voice had Sven up and off the bed. “Get dressed.”
“What’s wrong?”
