Page 63 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

She bowed, eyes wide, and her mouth dropped open in a scream—but I took her mouth, swallowing her cries, pumping into her as she keened and sobbed, her body twitching, skin pebbled with pleasure, and slick where we joined.

Then, as she was buried in the throes of her climax and gripped me like a fist, I tumbled over that cliff-edge and into free fall, growling her name, grasping, holding her to me, and begging God never to let her leave.

For a moment, the world went still as our bodies sang together, and the bond exploded in pleasure and unity.

And then… we plunged back into the waters of reality, shuddering, slumping…

I didn’t let her go.

When I could think again, I curled her into my chest, lifted her with me, and crawled us both up the bed to lay down on the pillows and catch our breaths.

We’d only been laying there seconds, still panting, when a tiny jerk in her body made me still.

Was she crying, had I hurt her?

“Bren?”

She lifted her head and for a moment I despaired. There were tears in her eyes.

But then she smiled. No, she beamed.

“Again,” she breathed.

I growled my relief and pulled her against my chest again, curling myself over her and kissing her neck.

Thank you, God.

21. Inside Out

~ DONAVYN ~

Two days later, I marched through the halls of the castle, so keenly aware of the parchment in my pocket that it seemed to blister my skin.

‘Where are you?’ I sent Bren, who’d gone to lunch just in case the weary, hungover nobles had anything of value to share with her.

‘At the rooms. Even Faye didn’t make it to the meal today. I think they’re all still sleeping off last night.’

I grimaced. I hadn’t thought it was possible for these people to get lazier, but I was wrong. ‘Don’t move. Our friend sent a message and Benji brought it to me. We have to copy this and get it moving immediately.’

The trill of nerves in her reached me through the bond, but she stifled it quickly. I was only two hallways away from our rooms, so I picked up my pace until I was almost jogging, ignoring the occasional bow or nod from a servant as the Fyrehold nobles usually did, and kept my eyes ahead. If anyone had watchers, they’d hear about a frowning, busy man with no time for frivolities.

But in truth, my guts churned.

I had no idea what we’d find in this message. But I prayed it was proof so we could stop this charade, take Ruin into custody, and fly him back to Alexi in shame.

Please, God. It’s time.

I locked the door behind me when I entered the chamber. There was no sign of Bren in the sitting room, so I hurried to the bedchamber.

“We’ll need to heat a knife to separate the seal and—”

I stopped dead just inside the door at the sight of Bren bent forward, her breasts pushed high in a tight corset, arms bent backwards as she tugged at the laces and sucked her body into those impossible, uncomfortable, beautiful shapes.

She stood up quickly, still wrestling with the ties. “Can you help me?”

I blinked, but hurried to her back, slipping the parchment to the bed as I reached for her laces. “Why are you changing? I thought you’d decided not to dress until the dinner hour?”

The Festival was now in full swing—and would be for the next twelve days. We had to pace ourselves. Even without drinking as the other nobles did, we were wearied by being up most of the night, several nights in a row.