What would he think if he knew his betrothed had wed the Emperor of Fomor? Would he ever find out? News rarely passed between the two continents. What would he think had happened to her instead?
Would he even care?
Her heart ached for the High King of the Air Court, but not in the way a wife missed her husband. He’d been the first male to ever pay her attention, and she’d gotten swept up in the excitement of it all. When he’d offered to help her fight the Ruin, he’d seemed so honorable and brave. Eislyn liked Thane Selkirk very, very much.
As a friend.
Vreis had become something more to her, but he was gone now. His jewel still hung around her neck, reminding her of his words and his belief in her. She could be her own shield.
“You look troubled.” Lir settled onto the ground beside her where she’d spread her pallet far back from the fire. Normally, she enjoyed the heat of the flames, but tonight was different. She wanted to be alone.
“There was a warrior who helped me escape the Air Court,” Eislyn said softly, dropping her chin onto the knees she hugged to her chest. “He also helped me get to Snowport. I have family there, and they killed him. Brutally. Right in front of me.”
“Ah.” Lir’s jaw clenched. “This male, you cared for him?”
“He taught me how to be strong.”
“That’s not something that can be taught, Eislyn,” Lir said gently. “If you’re stronger now, it’s because of you and no one else.”
She closed her eyes. “Sometimes, you say things that sound just like him. He always told me I was strong, that I could protect myself. To be my own shield. Until I met Vreis, I relied on everyone else. For everything. I never would have come to the Empire of Fomor if it weren’t for him.”
Lir’s brows arched. “You sound as though you’re happy you came here. A pretty strange sentiment coming from the girl who tried to run away last night.”
“I was trying to save myself. You can’t blame me for that.”
“By being your own shield,” Lir murmured.
“Still, Reyna wouldn’t have run. She probably would have tried to kill you all in your sleep.”
“And who is Reyna?”
“No one,” she said quickly.
“Hmm. She doesn’t sound like no one.”
“I’d rather not talk of such sad things,” she said. “Please, let’s move on to something else.”
“Alright then, Eislyn,” he said softly as he shifted toward her. “How is this for lighter things? I would like to lie with my wife tonight.”
Blood rushed into her ears. Her lips parted as she turned to gaze up at his face, backlit by the highest of the twin moons. “Sleep by my side, you mean…?”
His gaze went dark. He lifted a finger to her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her jaw. That was all it took for her to come undone. She leaned into his touch, inhaling him deeply. She’d dreamt of this. Even though she hated him, she yearned for his touch. Sometimes, thoughts of his mouth on hers flooded her mind. It was all she could think of most nights.
“Do you want the same?” he asked.
Shivering, she nodded.
“I need you to say it out loud.”
“I want the same,” she said in a rush, and then bit her bottom lip. “But what about the others?”
“They’re busy with their meat. They’ll pay us no mind.”
Gently, Lir pushed her back onto the ground. He climbed to his feet and towered over her, his wide, muscular body blocking out the stars above his head. Her entire body trembled as she watched him undress. He removed his tunic first, revealing sculpted abs that resembled two tall mountain ridges. With a thudding heart, Eislyn pushed up onto her elbows, beckoning him closer. He smiled and wagged a finger at her.
His trousers joined his shirt on the ground, and his rock hard length sprang into view. She squirmed in anticipation as he knelt before her, tugging her own clothes off her body.
Eislyn did not quite know what to do. She’d never laid with a male before, and her mother never had the chance to explain things to her. But Lir was gentle and patient. Once she was naked, he spread out on the ground beside her and skimmed his fingers up and down the length of her stomach. She shivered every time those hands grew closer and closer to her sex.
