“I felt terrible,” Altair said quietly.“I know how much she meant to you, and I wouldn’t have done it if I had known you were my astalle.But it seemed necessary at the time.She knew too much about the stars.She would have told you everything, and I never would have earned your trust.”
She almost wanted to laugh.Iyana couldn’t believe she’d been so naïve.The answer had been in front of her the entire time, but she had fallen into Altair’s easy embrace, absorbing his comforting lies, and willfully ignoring all the warning signs.
“Get out,” she said softly.She wanted to be alone for a minute before Emmeric came up to bed.Iyana could already sense his questions on the other side of their bond.No doubt he’d been feeling her emotions flowing from acceptance, to anger, to sadness and back.
“Iyana, please, let’s—”
“Get.Out.”
“Please, astalle—”
That word.That godsdamned word shattered something inside of Iyana.All the fire within her body was suddenly in her hands, and she thrust them towards this person she used to love, who had broken her so thoroughly.
“Get out!” The fire streamed from her hands in a blaze, heading straight for Altair’s heart.She would burn him.She would kill him for what he had done to her.To Imo.To Emmeric and Zane and Talon.
Altair’s eyes widened, and then he was gone—disappeared in the blink of an eye—and all that magic barreled into the opposite wall, catching the drapes on fire.Iyana collapsed to the ground, her magic doused by her rage, and she dropped her face into her hands and wept.The door burst open behind her.
She heard Emmeric’s voice.“Iyana—oh shit.”It sounded like he was beating at the fire, trying to put it out.Then his arms were around her.She leaned into him, soaking up his warmth, taking comfort from the one person she could always count on.
Don’t you?
Altair’s accusation floated through her mind, but she shoved it away and clutched onto Emmeric’s shirt.He hauled her into his lap and sat there with her on the floor, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words.
Don’t you?
Gods, Iyana needed her mind to shut up.All she was asking for was a few moments of silence so she wouldn’t have to think or feel.Her sobs slowed, and she emerged from Emmeric’s shirt, gazing up into his deep blue eyes.He wiped the tears and hair off her face, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.
Surging forward, Iyana found his lips with her own.She remembered what he had said—that he wouldn’t fuck her until she wanted all of him—and after she’d bypassed her anger, Iyana had understood his reasoning and even respected it.It was why she hadn’t propositioned him again or sent him any dirty thoughts, despite the hilarious look on his face that day.But right then, she needed something to take her mind off all her myriad of problems.
Please don’t pull away.Iyana didn’t think she had sent him the thought, but Emmeric gripped her hair in his fist and brought her closer, deepening their kiss.She moaned into his mouth.Their tongues danced together, and Iyana felt like she could drown in the sensation.
Emmeric broke apart to trail warm kisses across her jaw and down her neck before nipping at her ear.
“You need a distraction, Mouse?”
Whimpering, she nodded.
“I can do that.”His hand caressed her side, brushing against her breast in a featherlight touch.She needed so much more from him.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t fuck me until I wanted all of you,” she said, breathless, and Iyana hated that the words exited her mouth.But she needed to know that he wanted this too, and that she wasn’t manipulating him into doing something rash.
Emmeric tugged her back slightly so that he was looking directly at her.Those beautiful blue eyes conveyed an amount of intensity that took Iyana’s breath away.
“I did say that.But I find myself weak and unable to deny you anything.You could ask me for the moon right now and I would find a way to give it to you, even if I had to defy Yrza herself.”
More protests and questions sprang to Iyana’s lips, but then he was kissing her again.Emmeric turned her so that she was sitting sideways in his lap, and then he began trailing his fingers along her waistband.Tingles followed in their wake.She neededmore.Iyana thrust her hips forward and Emmeric chuckled against her mouth.
“Patience,” he murmured.
While one hand kept a firm grip on her hair, his other traveled underneath her tunic, grazing lightly over her skin.He was teasing her, but her mind was blissfully blank.Iyana gasped when he pinched her nipple, rolling it between his fingers.The pain shot a bolt of pleasure right to her core.Emmeric nipped at her lip.
“My timid mouse likes things rough.”His voice was a deep rasp.
Emmeric caught her lower lip in his teeth and tugged gently.Iyana moaned.Her fingers wound into Emmeric’s dark hair, eliciting a moan of his own.Smiling against his mouth, she pulled his hair slightly.That small motion seemed to break Emmeric.He crashed his lips into hers, thrusting his tongue into her mouth.Iyana gladly took all of him—wanting and needing it all.
His handfinallyventured below her waistline, and Emmeric groaned when his fingers found her wet center.Iyana gasped as he rolled light little circles around her clit.The harsh quality of his kissing mixed with the gentleness of his hand made her dizzy.He ran his fingers down, and excruciatingly slowly inserted one finger into her.Iyana’s hips bucked against his hand.She wasn’t too proud to beg, but Emmeric was occupying her mouth so thoroughly, she was unable to speak.A small whimper was all she could manage.
Emmeric took the note of encouragement and withdrew, only to slam two fingers into her aching pussy.His thumb continued their circles over that most sensitive area, but he gradually increased the pressure.Iyana clutched his body to hers as she teetered on the edge of bliss.Her pleasure built and built, and when Emmeric curled his fingers in just the right spot, Iyana exploded.
