Mouth open, head thrown back to the sky, her breath stalled. This wasn’t how it had been the previous times she’d connected to the magic. It was much more potent. The day before she had still been in so much pain…she had recognized the pleasure and rush of melding with Emmeric, but this was so much more. In the corner of her vision, Emmeric’s body was stiff, his mouth also parted, gazing at her. Dimly, she heard Altair yelling something about control, but she was altogether unprepared for the flood of emotions and sensations currently coursing through her body, her mind, her soul. Iyana wanted to stay in this state forever, tightening her hold on Emmeric’s hand.
The rush suddenly ceased and Iyana stumbled forward, crashing back to reality and losing hold of her magic. Altair had physically separated their hands to stop the flow from Emmeric into her. Altair continued to hold her wrist, making sureshe was steady. Emmeric stared at her wide-eyed, chest heaving. Iyana felt the way he looked. Either merging magic with Emmeric was better than sex or she hadn’t gotten laid in too long.
Everyone stood in silence for a few moments before Emmeric abruptly turned, stalking off into the trees. Iyana took a step to go after him, but Altair held her wrist tighter. “Let him go, love,” Altair said. She looked to Talon, who was also watching the spot Emmeric had disappeared into.
“I’ll go,” Tal said.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Iyana remembered her first real brush with magic; it was life-changing, and she couldn’t begrudge Emmeric taking time to sort out his thoughts.
Altair tilted her chin until she was staring into his soft, golden eyes. Iyana’s own fluttered as he ran a thumb along her bottom lip. “You need to control the magic, astalle.”
“I wasn’t ready,” her voice was breathless. Altair stared at her with a fierce hunger. Iyana waited for the reprimand. The lecture about how she needed to work harder.
“Neverlook at Emmeric like that again.”
“Like what?” she asked, confused. She’d been so caught up in the moment, she didn’t know she needed to school her expression.
“Like you want to fuck him,” Altair growled. He gripped her jaw, crashing his lips onto hers. Altair kissed as if he wanted to devour her, and Iyana would gladly allow him to do just that. Her hands found their way into his hair, pulling him closer, as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Altair moaned, his tongue dancing with hers, one hand on her waist holding her flush against him, the other in her hair, tugging her head back. He was fully in control; she loved it. It was the most passionate kiss they’d shared since they were in the forest outside of Huton. Iyana didn’t want it to end, the way her lips tingled with his against them. She would happily spend the rest of her life right here in Altair’s arms, with him kissing her breathless.
But his lips slowed, his hand loosening her hair from his tight grip. They moved their lips together languidly for a few moments more until Altair pulled away. They both breathed heavily. Iyana wanted more,neededmore. She tried to draw Altairtowards her again, but he resisted, grabbing her hands and holding them away from his body. She moaned in frustration. Altair’s eyes closed at the noise.
“As much as I want to continue this, my star,” he said, voiced strained. “They’re going to return soon, and we, unfortunately, need to keep moving.”
“Okay,” Iyana said, trying to hide her disappointment.
“I promise, astalle,” he murmured, gently gripping her chin. “We will continue this later.”
“I’m holding you to that, star-boy.”
“Star-boy?” Altair raised a brow.
Iyana stuck her tongue out at him and swung herself back onto the horse.
Altair’s pupils expanded. “I’m going to punish that smart mouth of yours.”
“Promises, promises…” she purred. Iyana’s body was much more settled after expelling some magic and their intense kiss. Although certain parts of her were more awake than normal, and all that occupied her thoughts was getting Altair alone.
Later that night, at camp, they were sitting around a fire after eating a small dinner. Riding the rest of the afternoon was pure torture, Altair at her back, an arm around her waist, his scent caressing her. Plus, the friction within her breeches and against the saddle didn’t help her situation. She sat next to Altair on a bedroll, their thighs pressed together. Talon and Emmeric were across from them, having a quiet conversation.
Talon had returned to the horses with Emmeric not long after Iyana had mounted Pryn and teased Altair. Emmeric was mostly silent the rest of the afternoon, only speaking to Talon, and only a couple of words at a time. Iyana couldn’t get a solid read on him or his emotions. Upset? Confused? Embarrassed? …Aroused? She wanted to talk to him, to get an idea of where his head was at, but she knew he needed some time away from her and she could respect that.
So, she sat next to Altair, touching him withouttouchinghim, wondering how to separate him from the other two. Iyana stood, stretching her arms above her head, raising the hem of her tunic and showing a sliver of skin.
“I’m going to stretch my legs a bit,” she announced.
“Don’t go too far,” Talon said.
Nodding, she tried to catch Altair’s eye to give the subtle hint ofcome follow me into the woods so we can do things,but his attention was not on her. Shecouldn’t very well sit back down after her announcement, so she walked into the trees hoping he’d understood anyway and would be along shortly. White-barked birch trees surrounded her, moonlight shining through the leaves, painting the forest silver. Night-blooming flowers released a pleasant scent, perfuming the air as she walked further away from the light of the campfire. Crickets chirped merrily. This was the most peaceful area of Athusa Iyana had encountered so far.
A twig snapped behind her, and her lips curled upwards smugly.
Turning, she said, “I knew you’d—”
Instead of her glowing, gorgeous star standing in the woods as she expected, there was an enormous black leopard. The cat prowled towards Iyana on claw-tipped paws as big as her face, brown eyes glinting in the darkness. The leopard was just as big as the wolves in the Aula Pass. Bigger. Iyana was face to face with the predator.
“Hi, kitty,” she said, in what she hoped was a soothing manner, hands raised to show she wasn’t a threat. Iyana backed up slowly, tracking the big cat’s movements. The leopard continued to follow her, snarling. Iyana noticed canine teeth as long as her hand dripping saliva onto the soil. Fear sent her heart racing. Hopefully she could squeeze through a narrow space, or find a thorn bush somewhere. Either somewhere to hide, or at least slow down the larger animal in order for her to make a run back to the others. It didn’t even cross her mind to protect herself with magic.
Iyana stumbled on a rock, falling onto her back. With a growl as her only warning, the leopard pounced.
