At his next thrust, I allowed him in further, going deep enough that I was grateful for the hand I’d placed at his hilt.
His undoing was all around me in his moans, his hips, the twitching under my palms, until he finally contracted, spilling himself in me with my name on his lips. I swallowed, his depth leaving me no other choice.
Once every drop of pleasure had been coaxed from him, I slid my mouth slowly from his base, still sucking until he was no longer in me.
He dropped to his knees, panting, then grabbed my face between his palms and kissed me hard, a pleasure-filled haze still clouding his eyes.
Chapter 38
We’ve All Heard It
The next day, the four of us met in the study. Other than what transpired with Amos, we hadn’t risked debriefing in the Summer Court.
I endured hours of Nevander’s clinical questions, turning over details repeatedly until he’d received the precision he was after. Exhaustion clung to me, and I felt relieved once we’d finally gone over everything.
Thinking we were done, I went to get up. Nevander quickly crushed that notion with another question and my heart sank. I wanted to help, but I was worn out.
“You described it as tumbling when you were with Caius, and that the moment you touched, he valenned you to the grove where you’d left from. Is that correct?” Nevander asked.
“Yes.”
“And what exactly were you tumbling through?”
“Blackness.” Nevander’s hard gaze let me know it wasn’t a good enough answer. I dug deep into the memory, trying to find the words. “I’m not really sure how else to describe it. I couldn’t see that we were falling, but I could feel it. It wasn’t like a fall from a tree, butcloser to being caught in the churning bottom of a waterfall while plummeting at the same time. If I were forced to call it anything, I’d call it a void.”
“Why do you think Caius risked waiting for you to come with him instead of valenning himself back? And are you sure he valenned you?”
I thought for a moment before answering, “I’m not sure. About either. I assumed he was the one who valenned us back. It felt the same, and we ended up exactly where we’d left from. But I never explicitly asked him.” I paused. “I’m sorry, I never thought to.”
“It’s okay, Nyleeria, that’s why I’m asking these questions. It’s important to know what is assumed, over what’s fact,” Nevander offered. “I know you don’t know why he didn’t leave without you, but if you had to guess, what would your theory be?”
“I mean, it could be anything. Falling through nothingness was terrifying, but the threat felt more like we’d be falling in perpetuity, or get separated, as opposed to the actual risk of dying. Maybe he didn’t fear for his life, so there would be no need to leave me? Also, the fallout of him taking me somewhere, only to return alone…he’d have to be desperate, or stupid, not to try everything possible to make sure I came back with him.”
“Those are our theories too,” Nevander confirmed. “Did you use your powers at all? Even if it was accidental, or insignificant, while you were there?”
“No,” I said firmly. “As I’ve explained, even with Amos, I held it back. I’d thought about it in the vision, tried to grab for it, but it wasn’t there. I never explicitly used it, but it reacted whenever I was close to a high lord.”
“What do you mean?” Nevander asked, and I realized this was a new detail I’d accidentally omitted the first time around.
“It’s difficult to explain, but it was like being in the presence of their power, its raw strength, pleased whatever lies within me. As if coaxing it awake, or singing a melody that made it want to dance.”
Nevander thought over my words and looked to Tarrin andThaddeus, a silent conversation passing between them. Possibly seeing if they had anything to add or if they wanted to tuck that information away for later.
“And Endymion,” I added, remembering.
“What about Endymion?” Nevander asked.
“It felt the same with him too.”
Nevander’s dark brows knit together. “Was it all fae, or just the high lords and Endymion?”
“I was only in close enough contact with three fae outside of them—Fiora, Kai, and Artton—and I never had that feeling with them. Maybe Endymion is more powerful and that’s why I felt him?”
“Perhaps,” Nevander hedged.
Nevander was about to continue and I sent Thaddeus a pleading look.
“Nevander,” Thaddeus broke in, “are there any other questions that you have for Nyleeria, or can we let her take a break?” The tone of his voice was clear: either Nevander had something of grave concern he had to ask, or he was done questioning me.
