In the void, I tip my face up, seeking Amriel. He drops a hard kiss onto my mouth, one that makes my head swim and my knees go liquid.
I don’t notice the rest. Not the violent lurch of the world or the jolt of our arrival. I just kiss him, and kiss him, and when I finally step back, I breathe more deeply than I have in weeks.
This time, the sweet, magic-rich air of Velindra courses into my lungs.
Because we’re back in his castle. In my bedroom.
I’m finally home, where I belong.
Chapter 31
The moment we’re alone, Amriel’s gaze heats. His arms thread around me, his hands splaying against the small of my back, pulling me close.
A wave of fire rises in my blood, but I tamp it down. I have a very specific idea about how this should happen, and it doesn’t involve him stripping me naked before I’ve even settled in.
He leans down, his intent clear, but my hand lands against his chest and push. He pauses, but doesn’t retreat, so I push harder.
That infuriating smile kicks up. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind already?”
I lean away, trying to put distance between myself and that devilish smirk. Because goddess, I want him.
But. This has to be done the right way. “Stop,” I say, fighting the heat that rises in my cheeks, the wild call of the bond. “I need to take a bath, first. And then I want a tour of the castle. And then I want to go to dinner.”
He retreats an inch, one eyebrow winging upward. “A tour? Of the castle?Thiscastle?”
“Yes. I haven’t had one yet, and I haven’t actuallybeenanywhere.Except here, and the kitchens, and the solarium, and the dining hall. Well, and the concert hall. And the garbage chute.” My nose wrinkles.
“A tour of the castle.” Amriel’s eyes narrow to slits. “So this is my punishment, then?”
“Your punishment?” I look at him askance. “For what?”
“For taking so long to get to you.”
Now it’s my turn to give him a narrow look. “Actually, yes. Because that was cruel. Why didn’t you just come to me by gyre? Tell me you weren’t dead? That you were coming on foot?”
His gaze drops to my lips as his tongue runs across his teeth. I bury the urge to nip at it, to suck it into my mouth. “I thought about it,” he says, low and hot and suggestive, “but I figured that maybe, if I gave you a chance to miss me…” He trails off with a grin.
“Wait, what?” Outrage has me slapping at his chest. “You thought that if I believed you were dead, that then when I found out you weren’t, I’d be so relieved I’d agree to marry you?”
He shrugs, unrepentant. “Something like that.”
I shriek, venting the indignation rising hot in my throat. This time, when I shove, he stumbles back, but he’s half-laughing, his lashes pulled low over liquid eyes. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
“I hate you,” I hiss. “And love you. But mostly, I hate you right now, and…just get out. Go. I’ll find you when I’m ready.”
He takes a few steps backward, his smile stretching, those ridiculous dimples blunting the edges of my anger. Which only worsens when he spins toward the door, because…
Mygoddess. Those pants, hugging his backside like that. And that vest. A row of crisscross laces runs up the back, the fitted panels hugging his slim waist while simultaneously showcasing the breadth of his shoulders.
I resist the urge to stuff a fist into my mouth, but can’t hold back the choking sound that fills my throat. I swallow it back, too late.
Amriel pauses. Aims a glance over his shoulder without turning, and I justknowit’s because he’s granting me a view of that silhouette. “What is it, Princess? Something the matter?”
Oh, this smug bastard.
“Out,” I manage, waging a war with the lust curling through myveins. “My room, I… Out. Just go. Now.” The words are hoarse, so thick on my tongue I can barely get them loose.
He chuckles. And saunters—actuallysaunters—to the door. But he leaves. The door clicks shut behind him, and I slump to the floor, my knees sinking into the moss. For a second, I consider hurrying after him, begging him to come back, but…
