“Riyan.”
Hot air kissed the top of my head and ruffled my hair around me. The soft caress of coarse hair tickled my belly. My fingers drummed against the white expanse and the touch of relaxed muscle answered my call. I took in a breath and smelled nectarand wheat.
I closed my eyes and shut myself in the darkness. My heart sang out a wish. The sun neededher moon.
My eyes fluttered open. Instead of stars shining in the night sky, small crystals embedded in a rock wall glowed right in front of my nose. All I could see were those crystals with their cerulean glow like freckles on a stone face, but underneath the aroma of minerals and crisp water was nectarand wheat.
I looked down—I was lying on my belly on Riyan’s chest. A heavy weight pressed on my back and legs. I caught the edge of Riyan’s wrist in the corner of my vision—both of his hands held me securely against his chest. I stretched my legs out and the wool cape shifted on my bare skin. I was still naked but for my cape covering everything below my neck like alarge blanket.
I wiggled slightly out of Riyan’s hold and propped myself up on my elbows above his softly thumping heart. Riyan was asleep and his massive chest rose and fell underneath me with his peaceful breath. Hot air from his nose puffed down on me witheach exhale.
I looked past his head to find a small mouth of a cave with the healing spring just outside. Just short of the immediate edge of the hot spring, where smooth pebbles covered the ground, was a thin layer of sparklingwhite snow.
I had not seen the crystal cave when we were in the spring together. Riyan must have found it and squeezed himself inside while I was with the Man of the Mountain. I crawled out from under his hands and sat on top of his heart. The roof of the cave was so low I could almost reach up andtouch it.
The cold air chilled my bare breasts and belly as I admired the hundreds of glowing crystals, but I was too dazzled by the mystical beauty to care. Some of the crystals were as small as my thumb while others were as large as my forearm. The light from the crystal constellations bathed us in the same blue-green glow of the hot spring as wesheltered together.
My eyes dropped from the crystals to the cave floor. Next to Riyan was a tiny stream of water that flowed out into the hot spring. The stream went all the way up into the cave and disappeared in the darkness. On the other side of the trickling stream was a pile of what used to be my clothing along with theHyton dagger.
I flicked my eyes back up to Riyan’s handsome sleeping face. The top of his head was pressed against the rough cave wall and his crimson cape was bunched under his head to act like a pillow. His chin pointed toward his chest, but his face was turned toward the mouth of the cave like he was stillon watch.
I leaned forward and placed my hand at the bottom of his strong jaw. My heart swelled and my breath stilled. Every one of my muscles tingled with energy, each sinew strong and lithe, and all I wanted was to join my bodywith his.
Fraleigh said I could consummate my marriage on my own, even though I thought it was impossible. Maybe the gift the Man of the Mountain gave me was what I needed to makeit happen.
A low fire burned below my stomach and stoked the diamond flames in my heart. For the first time, I did not just want to make obligatory heirs—I wantedbabies.I wanted fat, smiling babies with golden curls plastered to their foreheads and bigblue eyes.
I raised up to kneel on Riyan’s chest and I brought my hand to the other side of his jaw. I stretched my spine forward and kissed him on the chin right below myright thumb.
“Riyan,” I whispered, “wake up.”
A muscle feathered in Riyan’s cheek, but his eyes stayed closed. I placed another gentle kiss on the other side of his chin and his chest rose with a long breath. I would kiss away his nightmares if Ihad to.
I reached up and softly kissed him on the soft skin of his lower lip. The fire in my hips spread through my whole body until my heart pulsed purewantthroughmy veins.
“Riy-an.” Each syllable rolled off my tongue as I sang outhis name.
Riyan’s eyes fluttered open and then grew wide when he saw me. “Sera!You’re awake!”
His hand cupped my back and his calloused palms tickled my smooth skin. His surprise brightened into elation as his chest pulsed undermy knees.
His voice was as soft as a moonbeam. “I thought you wouldn’twake up.”
“Well, I am awake now.” My voice was low and sultry. Riyan’s muscles tightened underneath me and hispupils dilated.
“Serafina, what are you doing?” His voice was also low, but like a warning instead ofan invitation.
I placed my hands on top of my knees and subtly squeezed my breasts closer together with the sides of my arms. “I feel…much better aftermy rest.”
Riyan’s eyes focused exactly where I wanted them to, but then they wandered lower to the right side of my ribs. He shook his head slightly. “You think what happened to you was a rest? Serafina, you were asleep fortwo days.”
My heart stopped and the fire below my belly cooled. I glanced out of the mouth of the cave. Night still surrounded us, but I could not see the moon. Time did not touch the dark chasm with the Man of the Mountain, but two whole days had passed while my mind was inhis hold.
My lip trembled as I struggled to find the right questionsto ask.
“Two days,” Riyan repeated. “I could not wake you up, no matter what I tried. After the sun set on the first day, I figured the magic of the spring wanted you to sleep so you could heal. I kept you with me thewhole time.”
Riyan’s fingertips gently stroked the right side of my ribs. My skin was smooth as butter with no trace of a wound. Riyan reached back with his left arm and propped up his head as he looked at me with agentle half-smile.
