His forehead against mine, he thrust into me, the rhythm matching the beating of our hearts. With one hand, he cupped my cheek. The other held tight to my hip, his fingers digging into my skin. I could barely breathe as I got lost in the feel of his length pushing into me, my slick walls tightening around him, and his mist caressing every inch of my skin.
Suddenly, the cave dropped out from under us, but Kalen did not so much as blink. He just held tightly to me as the world around us changed. Snow-drenched mountains flew past us, followed by fields of flowing wheat, and then I could smell the briny air above the sea. With every mile that passed, Kalen’s gaze never left my face. He just held me close, and I held him, and the groans of his pleasure filled the ever-changing air. And then…then we werethere. A forest full of birds rose behind the soft grassy fields where we found ourselves. Stars twinkled in a clear night sky, and a soothing breeze swirled around us, dusting Kalen’s mist.
We were there, in that place where we’d first met. Where I had called for him and he had answered. Where I’d finally found hope after a lifetime of certainty that I’d never escape the torment of life under Oberon’s cruel reign.
“Kalen.” I moaned his name as he took me deeper, harder, the intensity of his love-making greater with every moment that passed. And as if the sound of his name on my lips broke the last shred of self-control holding him together, he dug his fingers harder into my hip and pounded into me with a roar.
I came undone.
My climax crashed over me in deep, all-encompassing shudders that shook me to my soul. For a brief moment in time, the world around me seemed to vanish entirely. All that existed was Kalen, his own release, and the dark night that swallowed us whole.
When I blinked the stars out of my eyes, the sight of the cave and its flickering fire roared back in around me. Kalen stretched out beside me on his back, the light illuminating his glorious, six-foot-five frame of pure muscle and power. He was absolutely mesmerizing.
“Come here,” he murmured, holding out his arm.
With a sigh of contentment, I curled up on his chest. It was surprisingly comfortable, despite his appearance—he looked like he was carved from stone. And then we lay like that for a good long while, watching the stars that twinkled outside the cave and listening to the soft crackle of the fire. My cheeks were damp with tears.
“As long as dreams remain, so do the stars,” I whispered.
He dropped a kiss to my forehead. “And so do we.”
Nineteen
Tessa
After mybath, I toweled off and put on clean undergarments and a fresh tunic from my pack before joining the others in the bedroom. When I walked back in, Fenella and Nellie were fast asleep, their arms and legs tangled in the thin linen sheets. Several lanterns still lit the room. I went around and pulled the silver gemstones out of the iron holders in the center of each lantern, dousing the light, and then climbed into bed myself. I stared up at the vines that wound across the ceiling, unable to stop the thoughts from spinning through my head like a million different threads on a loom.
Eventually, I found sleep, but when a heavy thump jolted me awake, my puffy eyes felt as if they’d shut only moments before. I rubbed at my face and groaned before climbing from the bed, annoyed at the steady hammer of a fist on the door.
Fenella barked out a swear and covered her head with a pillow.
I yanked open the door to find Queen Tatiana beaming before me. Her eyes were bright, and her hair was perfectly coiled on top of her head. She wore another set of fine fighting leathers that practically gleamed. “Good morning. Apologies for waking you. I didn’t think you’d still be asleep at this hour.”
A thinly veiled jab. Two could play at this game.
“We expended a lot of effort to reach you, which meant little rest these past two weeks. But I understand you wouldn’t know just how much hard work can take it out of you.”
Her eyes flashed. “Ah, yes, roughing it in the wild. When you’re someone of little importance, I understand that’s necessary. Someone like me travels in much more luxurious conditions.”
“You must have such soft, smooth hands,” I said with a smile.
Fenella groaned from the bed. “Can you two stop chattering?”
Tatiana narrowed her eyes. “I came to let you know my court and I are breaking fast in the Great Hall. If you’re hungry, you’re welcome to join. As esteemed guests.”
I wanted to reject her invitation and crawl back into bed for a few more hours of much-needed sleep, but my stomach growled its objection. Besides, it would be good to get a look at the others in her court and find out if they had those glassy eyes I’d seen from the storm fae in Itchen.
And so I forced myself to nod. “Thank you. We’ll be there shortly.”
“Good. I’ve already informed your men across the hall.”
* * *
Once we’d dressed, the six of us met in the corridor. Kalen had donned a silken pair of trousers and a dark tunic embroidered with silver moons along the collar. A leather belt cinched his waist, and his crown sat atop his glossy dark hair. A statement, I realized. A reminder of who he was.
It was difficult for me not to stare at his broad shoulders and the way the silk brushed against his corded muscles as we took off down the corridor toward the Great Hall. And his eyes…there was something about his crown that picked up their bright, piercing color. Even though last night had only been in our dreams, the memory of it felt real—the sensation of his mouth on my skin had felt very, very real. With a wicked smile, he caught my gaze and winked. Biting back a smile, I gave him a look that let him know exactly what I was thinking about.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Fenella muttered. “Can you two stop making sex eyes at each other when we’re about to walk into a roomful of enemies?”
