Page 133 of Hunger & Harmony

Tears bubble along my eyes, and I let them fall as our lips meet again. I bask in his affection as I press further against him.

It comes naturally when we shift position. He lays me back, my hair fanned on the pillow, and flushed skin meeting black silk. There’s nothing beyond candlelit drapes and his body pressed to mine.

“I want you to mark my neck,” I say as he shifts between my legs. “Nowhere else.”

Guiding his hand to my throat, I let his fingers settle under my jawline, my pulse unfaltering in the hollow groove.

With lips parted in quiet awe, he nods. Our bond will be proclaimed there, written in scars on my skin. Excitement rushes through me, my fingers and toes wiggling as his touch lingers. Niko chuckles.

“What?” I laugh softly. “Am I doing this wrong?”

“I’ve never seen anyone so happy to be turned.” He places a gentle kiss on my nose. “You’re adorable. Don’t overthink it.”

“It feels right,” I say before I shrug. “Maybe the lullaby was onto something.”

“My mother’s lullaby?” he asks.

Silver flickers in his veins when I nod.

“Do you remember it?”

“In fragments,” he says, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face. “It’s the one thing I can never remember entirely. The Court always twisted it, so it’s been scattered in my memory.”

Looking up at him, it dawns on me.

“I’m . . .no singer,” I say, giggling awkwardly.

“You know it?”

When I nod again, a flash of hope passes over his face. He buries it as quickly as it appears.

“I’d never force you.”

Would it be unjust to sing it with my voice? Maybe I won't try to imitate it. Just saying the words could be enough.

“Si . . .lence harbors the end . . .”

My face flushes, and I avert my gaze. I could never do this. The pure joy lighting up his eyes encourages me to try, though.

“The crown will crack before it bends.”

I take another breath.

“A song unsung will call her name, and love will set the halls aflame.”

My voice wavers. His hand slides up from my neck to my cheek. I nuzzle into his palm, laughing awkwardly. His smile is so endearing, I find the courage to keep going.

“No blood will bind, no voice will reign. She’ll laugh and dance where once was pain.”

Even though I’m stumbling over each word, chills sweep over my skin. Because this is our story. This is our bond, our fate woven into his mother’s song.

“Her pulse that calls the last-born heir. The hollow throne and subjects stare . . .”

“For change comes cloaked in red and light, the rhythm that disrupts the night,” Niko whispers, his silken voice much steadier than mine. “A queen comes soft with shattered key . . .”

I smile up at him, finishing softly.

“And crowns a king who longs to be free.”