Hart glances over his shoulder from his lead position. “Beyond So Far Away.”
“There’s a beyond?” I whisper. “Don’t we risk falling off the end of the realm? It’s got to end at some point, right?”
“There are a few theories,” Nash answers. “One, the realm is flat and if you continue you will reach the end of the world.”
That’s a terrifying thought. I cause enough issues without a realm boundary I can’t return from. “And the others?”
“That we’re on a giant ball.”
I frown as I try to imagine us floating around on a giant ball. “We’d fall off,” I point out the obvious. “Also, who says where the top is? The rest of us have to work extra hard to stay attached.”
“The logical conclusion would be that the Hallows are the center,” Malachi decides.
That makes sense, but the rest of it, not so much. “We’re far out from the center, and I don’t feel like I’m falling. Anyone else?”
They shake their heads in agreement. “But the guy who proposed this says there’s an invisible force that keeps us tethered to the ball,” Nash adds.
I snort at the ridiculousness. I live in a world of magic and wishes, but floating balls with supernatural forces? That’s going too far. “What do you believe?”
Nash takes a deep breath in as he contemplates his answer. “I made a plea to the stars, and they gave you back to us. I can believe in anything after that.”
The silence stretches once more while we all think about the colossal events that have led us here. “Bet you never imagined your annus would be filled with a chaotic maiden rampaging her way through your carefully laid-out futures.”
Hart chuckles. “Nope, but I thank this annus and every annus that follows that we found you.”
“I believe it is I who found you,” I counter.
Malachi’s hand rubs against my stomach in what I’m assuming is meant to be a comforting motion. But instead, he’s making me hot and bothered. Again.
I turn my head so our lips graze. “Unless you are about to demonstrate remarkable dexterity and balance upon a saddle, you need to stop stroking me.” He licks his lips, and a little of that wicked light twinkles in his eye. Oh Holy Idol babies, my sunshine twin is about to be very naughty. “What are you doing?” I whisper.
His hand skims the outside of my thigh, his fingers trailing up my bare flesh. I squirm against him, catching Nash’s dark frown. I smile sweetly, giving him my best“there’s nothing to see here”look. Malachi’s wandering hands are buried underneath the cloak, hiding his actions from his brother’s probing gaze.
Malachi sucks in a breath as he reaches my apex and presses against my clit in a determined manner that makes me lightheaded. He’s about to fondle my floof while mounted on a noble steed. The things these horses must witness. They probably have gossip fests and laugh at us and our crazy ways.
“Stay still, Daphne,” he mutters. I tip myself back a little, seeking friction. This definitely helps with the back pain.
Pain, shmain. Who’s hurting? Not me. No siree.
Malachi chuckles against my neck. “Try to stop talking if you can’t stop moving.”
“Then put your fingers where I need them, and I’ll stop,” I challenge.
“What are you two doing?” Hart calls out. “You know we’re only a turn from making camp for the night.”
Great, in a turn, we can repeat this whole thing with extra sausage and less horse. The fact that I can barely move drives me wild.
His fingers curve beneath my panties, and the unbelievable sensation of his bare fingers against my naked flesh makes my eyes cross.
“Breathe,” Malachi murmurs.
“Please,” I whisper. They are trying to kill me with their gentle touches and careful handling. I need my rough-and-ready knights, unafraid to tumble with the maiden who is more likely to set their world on fire than anything else.
“I like you begging,” he groans.
“I like you making me come. Let’s match those two things and both of us will be happy, yes?”
Nash snorts, proving they’re more than aware of everything happening beneath my cloak. Come to think of it, I am a little hot. But I’m not willing to stop this when in a few quick strokes, I’ll be flying higher than the stars I fell from.
