“But that’s only to protect you!” she exclaimed as if it should be self-evident.
I tightened my embrace around her waist and locked eyes with her so that she could see the truth of my words.
“Parting with you, whatever the reason, will always hurt me more than any physical pain I could endure. You are my soulmate, Eleni. Whatever lies ahead, we embark on that journey together. As humans say, we are together for better or for worse, until death do us part,” I said in a passionate tone.
The powerful emotion that flitted over her features indicated that I had finally gotten through to her. She hadn’t dropped down all her defenses yet, but I could see that she was coming around. And that was all I could ask.
“But what if… what if I don’t survive this?” she asked with the type of vulnerability she had never displayed before.
For the first time, my strong and undaunted Eleni needed me to lift her up, be her rock in the tempest, and reassure her that all would be well. I failed her once, but I would never allow that to happen again.
I gently reached for the Amulet resting against her chest. I held it in my palm and carefully ran my thumb over it.
“Pharos said that there exists a path where you and I will lead a long and happy life together. Whatever it takes, we will follow that path, and we will prevail.”
She looked at me with a depth of emotions that turned me upside down. A grateful smile filled with what I knew to be her blossoming love for me stretched her lips. Eleni cupped my face with both hands and drew it towards hers. She kissed me with a tenderness that had my heart on the verge of bursting.
Our tongues mingled, and her hands began gently roaming over me. It held nothing of the unbridled passion that usually consumed us. And yet, it moved me in a way that couldn’t be put into words. We hadn’t been intimate since our return from the Sanctuary. I hadn’t attempted to initiate, nor had she displayed any signs that would hint at a possible refusal. But my woman was hurting and distraught.
My sexual appetites had taken a backseat to focus on her physical and mental well-being. As much as I enjoyed the communion of our bodies and souls, I would gladly spend a thousand years of abstinence if it meant keeping her safe and comfortable.
It was only once her touch became a bit more adventurous that I finally picked her up and carried her back to the guest room. The whole way there, we continued to exchange tender kisses. It was only once she realized I was opening the door to the guest room that Eleni stopped me.
“No,” she whispered against my lips. “Take me to your room. Toourroom…”
My throat constricted as the most wondrous heat spread in my chest. By the gods, how I loved that woman. I nodded and walked the short distance to the master suite. I carefully laid her down on the bed, eyes locked with hers. She kicked off her sandals and removed her dress as I joined her on the bed. With a mere thought I willed the illusion of my skirt to disappear.
For the next eternity, we embarked on a journey of rediscovery. With our hands and mouths, we explored and worshipped each other’s bodies. Until this moment, I had notunderstood what it truly felt like to be loved. The heat of her palms on my chest, on my arms, on my back sank deep into the very core of my being.
Our touches were gentle, tender, devoid of any lust. They lingered in all the sensitive spots, teasing and caressing. I adored how brushing my lips against her nape had her skin erupt in goosebumps. The sound of Eleni’s sighs as I kissed a path down her spine or teased her wrist with my tongue was the most divine music to my ears. But it was the way she looked at me, the reverence with which she traced the streaks on my skin with her fingertips or with her mouth that had me turning into mush.
With a will of their own, each streak began to glow. Even I could feel the soft heat that emanated from them. Eleni purred and rubbed her face over my chest and pressed her body all over mine to feel more of that warmth. The glow intensified, bathing the room in an almost oneiric light. Only then did I realize that my luminous wings had extruded. I didn’t understand that gift from my mother. In fact, I had no control over it. But they only came out when I truly felt at peace or extremely happy.
And nothing could bring me greater happiness than this moment of deep connection with my soulmate.
My mate lifted her head to look at me, her eyes widening with wonder as she peered at my wings before locking eyes with me again. A silent communication passed between us.
This entire time, we barely touched each other’s genitalia. It wasn’t about sexual gratification, but the coming together of two souls and two bodies as one. So when Eleni reached for my cock, a soft gasp escaped me. She kissed her way back up my chest and straddled me as she reclaimed my mouth. With one hand slipped between us, she inserted my length in her slit.
For a split second, I worried that she might not be ready to receive my girth as I hadn’t prepared her the way I normally did. In truth, I hadn’t even expected for us to get to this part. But mymate was indeed wet for me. She gently rocked her hips as our tongues mingled, carefully taking more of me until I was fully sheathed.
We didn’t move right away, content to savor the intimate connection as we continued to kiss and caress each other. I couldn’t say how much time passed before Eleni began to rock over me. They were slow movements, like the lazy ebb and flow by the shore of a peaceful body of water.
I let her maintain control of our coupling for a while longer before finally taking over. Without breaking our connection, I gently flipped us around and maintained the measured and tender pace she had set. Eleni whispered my name, her fingers sinking into my hair as she reclaimed my mouth.
Behind me, I felt my wings grow bigger, although not heavier. In fact, they didn’t really weigh anything that I could perceive. But they just gave me a jolt of energy and power which increased with the intensity of the glow. It expanded gradually, illuminating the room, like a sunrise on the horizon. And with it, so did our pleasure. It built slowly, steadily, with irrepressible fervor until it reached its zenith.
Our voices rose as one, not in a savage roar or in a loud shout, but in throaty gasps and shuddering sighs as our spirits soared together. For the briefest instant, a mesmerizing prism of shimmering lights swirled around my mate that even the shadows at the edges couldn’t snuff out. Although dim, it still took my breath away. Too soon, it vanished. But I didn’t doubt that I had stared at my mate’s naked soul.
Rolling to the side, still buried deep in my woman, I held her tightly against me as our hearts settled down. No words were needed. The possessiveness with which she embraced me and buried her face in my neck told me everything that mattered.
For better or for worse, we were one.
Two days later, Eleni began displaying visible signs of weakness. The distress she felt about it echoed mine. The full moon was still a week away. Although Kali said the ritual could be performed at any time, with the apparent low success rate, waiting for that specific date would significantly increase our chances. But delaying too much might cheat us out of a chance of even trying.
For the past half hour, my mate had been exchanging messages with Paulus and Prefect Ewan, hoping for any positive updates. But we still had no trails to follow.
She put down the piece of parchment and dropped her quill with a dejected expression.
