A Baron of Bonds (Conduit of Light #2)

34. Karus

Chapter 34

Karus

“I’m not sure I understand reality anymore,” I spoke softly in the late afternoon light.

When did we arrive in this room and what was life even like outside of it? What kind of torture was his lips leaving mine, his body separated from my skin?

No wonder newly bound companions often made a child within the first few months of their ceremony. We couldn’t keep up with the amount of styris tea we needed and were constantly making more. Both of us were living in a stubborn spree of begging the other to drink it whenever one of us got even a slight inkling of desire, which was constant.

It was ridiculous, really, how many times we’d pleasured each other in less than two days. And I didn’t know where our stamina even came from. Just when I thought we were done, just when I could barely walk through the room, he’d say or do something and I’d be pulled instantly. That chain, that leash, that lifeline was always tethered, always pulled taught with just a look or grin from either of us, and we’d be back at it again.

“Mmm, I’d be happy to help you with understanding reality, Karus.” He continued his journey down my right thigh, kissing me softly every inch of the way with that incredibly talented and wicked mouth of his.

I was slumped in one of the cushioned chairs next to the fire, still catching my breath from what he’d just hosted me through. His hands were still pinning my thighs to the arm rests as he kissed his way up my other leg, starting with the very base where I was most ticklish. I squirmed in delight and wanted more of his touch, his skin, his mouth—I wanted it all and I wanted it forever, not caring a bit about whatever was going on outside of this room.

“You see,” he began, pulling my body to the edge of the chair and tucking his hands under my knees, pushing my legs back even further on the armrests.

I delighted in being so exposed before him. I relished in having no control of how I was positioned or what he was going to do next.

He bent forward, the hard length of him easily slipping inside of me, so slowly and fully that I whimpered. My body begged to move forward, begged for all of him completely, but I was still locked under his hands.

“The reality of our situation, Karus,” he explained as I struggled to comprehend any of what he said, “is that for some reason, our bond has only heightened our desire for each other.”

“Are you just explaining what I’m already fully aware of?” I gave a high-pitch whine as he pulled himself away and then slammed back in.

“I guess I am.”

He tightened his grip on my legs, and, desperate to find my own movement, I pushed my body higher off the chair, my arms lifting me from the cushion. “Alright, keep talking.”

“As I was saying,”—he exhaled swiftly, his mouth shaped like a whistle as he tried to control his thrusts—“I believe the reality is that…possibly for the first time in history, two of the most…powerful magic wielders have bonded.”

I nodded enthusiastically, my lungs working hard to keep me going. “Uh-huh.”

“And my theory is...fuck.”

“What?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Okay,” I laughed, my head falling back as he groaned, his pace quick, my body melting underneath him.

I reached for him, grabbing at his shoulders to lift me up into his arms. His hands left my legs, grabbing my backside and pulling me to him with his mouth on mine, hot and breathless.

I lifted myself off him, turning to push his body into the chair. He fell in a loud whoosh , grabbing the backs of my thighs to pull me back on.

I settled in and pressed my chest to his face where he gladly stayed, cupping my breasts with one hand and squeezing my hip with the other.

“I think you may be right, Baron Revich.”

He flicked the peak of my breast, his teeth lightly grazing each one. “Uh-huh.”

I pulled myself back, finding the angle I needed and gripped his legs, my nails digging into him. He held my sides so tightly as we both found our ends, our tether pulled so taut, I wouldn’t be surprised if we heard an actual snap.

I crashed into him, my face pressed into his hair, both of us heaving at all the fine work we’d just done.

I kissed the top of his head, his eyes, his nose, leading myself down to his mouth as my body shook with the release of a woman somehow still upright.

Pushing his hair behind his ears, I smiled down at him. His eyes had never been so blue for so long, and I knew I did that.

I pulled myself off the chair and instantly collapsed to the floor, laughing.

“Okay, no more, Karus.” He bent down, pulling me into his lap. My legs shook, and I wondered how I’d ever stand again.

“We need to get you something real to eat and keep our hands off each other for a little while.”

I nodded, grinning stupidly up at the man I’d happily go back on that agreement with.

He managed to pick me up across his arms and brought me to the washing room, where he himself stumbled through the doorway. We both laughed as lovers who didn’t know when to quit.

He filled the tub, sitting me down inside, and left the room to gather our clothes and bring us both water to drink.

I washed and we talked about what we were craving most, settling on a little tavern in the town square where they served savory meat pies topped with flaky crust.

“But no more ale.” I shook my head and rinsed my neck. “I cannot take another experience like that right now.”

I stood and he was there with a warm white towel to wrap around me as he stepped into the tub to wash.

He brushed my cheek and said, “I’m sorry my actions led you to drink like that.”

“No…no it wasn’t you.” I sighed and dried off the rest of my body, reaching for the copper dress to wear again—the only one I currently had. “It was his hands.”

Rev stopped his scrubbing and turned to me.

“The server’s hands were black. He had the Black Fever, and he must have been very young at the time.” I pulled the towel tighter around me. “When I saw the black tips of his fingers and the black lines that ran down his wrists…” I stepped into the dress and began to tie the ribbons across my chest. “I just felt this guilt. Like I had a part in all of that pain.”

“You know you didn’t.”

I sighed. “I just wish I could have saved everyone. I wish I could tell every one of those victims and their families that I would have gone with Heimlen freely if I had just known what he would do—what he was capable of to get me there.”

He nodded and splashed water over his face, taking the towel I handed back to him.

“What does the world think happened to Heimlen, Rev?”

He dried his hair with the towel, then pulled it across his waist, tucking one end. “I told all of them the truth. All three of the rulers know what he did. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped to build trust between Felgren and the rest of the leaders of the isle. It’s going to take a lot of work to build that trust again.”

“You’ll do it. I know you will.” I kissed him and continued to braid my hair, pulling the length of it behind me.

He pulled his fingers through his own hair, the black strands curling slightly, wet and shining in the soft afternoon light.

He was a beautiful man, the Baron of Felgren, and I loved to watch him do the most mundane things, like tie his hair back in a gold ribbon. The fact that his torso was bare and I got to watch little trickles of water slide down his chest, toned and sharply defined, was just icing on the cake.

“What?”

“Oh, just admiring the view.”

“Dammit, Karus, you need to eat. So do I. Stop that.”

“Alright, I’ll stop.” I finished my hair and untied the ribbon at my chest. I pulled tightly on each end, forcing my breasts to push further together in two curvy heaps of soft skin.

I glanced up to see if it was working and concluded it was as his jaw twitched and he rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry. I really will stop.”

“More than half of me doesn’t want you to.”

“What’s the phrase, though? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Maybe you’ll enjoy me more when we return to our room.”

“I don’t see how that could possibly be true.”

“We need more tea. And cloaks. And we need to make the meeting in the castle tonight. We have some responsibilities to take care of, Baron Revich.”

He pulled me close, brushing my lips with his thumb. “Alright. Let’s see if what they say is true.”

His lips pulled to the side, just a few inches from mine, and it took every ounce of strength I had left to not push him back against the wall and tear the towel off his waist to taste him again.

“You said you’d stop.”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder.”

“Harder?”

“Fuck, Karus.”

“I know. I’m terrible at this.”

“Let’s focus. Where can we get more tea and cloaks?”

It worked. My mind started humming again, sorting through years of memories I had spent in Hyrithia.

“The dress shop where you bought the nightgown had cloaks, and the tea...” I walked the streets in my mind. I could see the city square behind the inns, which centered on a massive fountain that froze over in the winter. I knew a shop of drinks, warm and cold, and I was fairly sure they sold styris tea.

“I’ve got it. There’s a place near the tavern. If they’re still there, I’m sure they sell the tea.”

He pulled his shirt over his chest, his pants already on and buttoned. I handed him his black vest and he smiled, slipping it over his shoulders and adjusting the fit to button across his stomach. My eyes flickered across his strong arms as he rolled each sleeve slowly, exposing his wrists and the slightly raised veins that traveled down each one.

“How many steps are there to the bottom, Karus?”

“Hmm?” I looked up to his face, knowing he had asked me a question.

“How many steps did we climb to get here?”

Confused, I tried to remember the climb the day before when I had drunkenly stumbled up them with lots of help.

“A few hundred? A thousand?”

He chuckled and grabbed my hand, leading us out of the washing room and to his boots and my slippers, handing them to me to put on. “Let’s go and see, shall we?”

One hundred and five.

There were one hundred and five stairs down to the main room of The Spinning Wheel. There were five levels, each with a landing and hallway with eight rooms total, four on each side.

That was it.

The day before I could have sworn we had climbed an entire mountain to get to the top floor, and today, I laughed when we reached the bottom, leaning into Rev as he snickered into my hair, pulling me closer.

We stopped at the front desk when a new clerk waved us down. She handed us an envelope with the royal seal, and I looked to Rev in question.

“I wrote to the Queen yesterday about where we’d be and where she could find us when she knew the time of the meeting.”

I nodded, looking over his shoulder at the letter inside.

“Ten-o-clock? They must be arriving late, then.”

He slipped the letter back into the envelope and pocketed it, clasping my hand again and squeezing. “I’d think the conduits and Moira would arrive by then, so it works in our favor.”

I exhaled heavily as we walked into the street, heading first for the clothing shop. The air was slightly warmer with the sun doing its best to heat the market through the crisp of autumn. We stepped into the dress shop and picked out our cloaks. Rev chose a deep blue while I picked out a dark red in the color of the mums he’d chosen for our bonding. We paid the woman at the counter—the same one who had given Revich the package the day before. With a knowing smile, she winked at us, moving on to help another patron.

Now bundled in warmth, I led him through the alley near the inn, coming to the street on the other side.

“Don’t look yet!” I shouted, coving his eyes so he couldn’t see the great fountain in the square.

“Why not?” he chuckled.

“I want to dance with you at the fountain. The water sprays are timed to the music and there’s a courtyard for it. So, let’s eat and buy our tea first. I want you to dance with me with enough energy to twirl me around.”

I turned him toward the tavern, letting my hand fall from his eyes, where he grabbed it and kissed the inside of my wrist. I squeezed his fingers and leaned in closer to his shoulder, clasping his arm to hold him as much as I could.

The music echoed through the square as we left it behind us. I pulled him into the tavern built into the street, one of the many shops that connected through shared stone and archways.

“The Salted Herring?” He read the wooden sign as we stood below it, the shape of a long, gray fish carved into its weathered surface.

“I hope they still make it,” I said, giddy with excitement at revisiting one of my favorite haunts in Hyrithia.

I pulled him through the door and a wave of savory dishes and puffed pastry hit my nose. My body urged me to sit and consume everything I possibly could.

It was packed for a late afternoon, but we found a corner table and a middle-aged woman came to greet us.

“Hello, dears, what can I get for you?”

I swallowed, recognizing her immediately as Ninah, the woman who had apparently been serving patrons of The Salted Herring for decades now.

My cheeks burned, wondering if it was at all possible she’d recognize me, but her gaze landed firmly on Revich instead.

She put a hand on her hip and tilted her full head of gray hair that frizzed into a top bun. Her brown eyes and freckled face widened into recognition. “Aren’t you the Baron of Felgren?” She nodded toward his vest. “You’re wearing the Baron’s clothes, and your eyes are all black.”

I smirked at Rev, watching him politely smile and nod.

“I am the Baron of Felgren, yes.” He held his hand out to her and she took it. “Revich. Nice to meet you...?”

“Ninah. My name’s Ninah and you can have anything you’d like. On the house. The Queen may have her issues with Barons, but we Hyrithian’s are in debt to the late Baron Heimlen.”

My spine chilled and Rev’s eyes darted to me as he finished shaking her hand and put his on top of mine.

“Thank you, Ninah. Can I ask, what dish are you most known for? What has been on your menu the longest?”

“That’ll be the fisherman’s pie.”

He looked to me in silent question, and I nodded slightly, not really registering what she had said.

“We’ll have two, please. And water. Perhaps a pitcher?”

“Sure thing, love, but I’ll be bringing just one pie. It’s big enough to share.”

She curtsied slightly and left, moving quickly to the counter.

Rev brought both of his hands across the table to hold mine and I sighed. “I’m fine. Really. Are you alright?”

“I’ve had seven years to process Heimlen’s betrayal and manipulation. You have not. It’ll take you time to get used to hearing his name.”

I nodded again and vowed to control my anger at the praise he received from the same people he sentenced to die.

“I breathe, you breathe, ready?”

I bit my lips, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly through my mouth.

Ninah returned with a pitcher and two cups, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of us before shrugging and turning away.

“Wood,” he sighed, his black eyes glinting in the dim tavern lights as he tapped the table.

“Wood?”

He nodded. “There’s always some kind of wood between us, not letting me get close enough to you.”

I looked down at the worn surface, dented and marked from thousands of tankards and plates over many years. “Like your desk?”

“Like my desk.”

I rose and walked around the table’s edge, slipping onto the bench where he sat. I pulled his arm around my shoulder and nestled into him, getting that sultry scent of earth and pine needles freshly snapped. “What’s a piece of wood between two lovers?”

He lifted my chin and kissed me soft and sweet.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering. Remember how you said that you thought our bond was so strong because we are both powerful?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“I had another thought. What if what the Blightress said was true and we both carry what was once her power with us? What if the reason our bond connects our emotions, our very thoughts at times, is because we wield the same power that came from her?”

He tilted his head back against the wall to our quiet corner. “I don’t know. She could have been lying about her power. Maybe we don’t yet understand her motives.”

“But you know this isn’t typical. You know bonded companions don’t feel this deeply. What if two pieces of her power are now combined again and that’s why we sense each other like we do?”

“If that were true, wouldn’t you have felt more of a bond with Heimlen?”

I thought for a moment. “There was certainly...something. Not love, but a mentorship. His magic was leaving him anyway. The only reason he was still alive was from siphoning life from Sylva.” I shuddered, remembering the moment he took the rest of her life with a kiss. “You were already growing in power by the time we met. What if our magic from the Blightress was calling out to the other, bringing us together like this.”

“You might be right about the bond. It’s possible her magic embedded into you and if a Baron’s power originally came from her as she claims, the two sources combined would make something already strong, stronger.”

He tightened his grip on my shoulder, bending his forehead to mine. “But I have no doubts that no matter who you were or what I became, I would have loved you regardless.”

I nodded, kissing him long and slow.

“Here you are—fresh, hot fisherman’s pie.”

Ninah set an enormous pie and two forks on the table, and before she turned to leave, she warned, “Careful, loves. It’s hot.” She winked before leaving us to our meal.

“Are we that obvious?” I laughed, picking up my fork and handing his over.

“How could we not be?”

I turned to the pie in front of us, ready to dig in. This pie was different from what I’d usually choose when Geyrand, Philius, and I would sneak off to eat here in secret, away from our lives in the castle.

I had always been a pastry lover. Flaky crusts, creamy sauces in the middle, enhancing the richness of the vegetables and meats inside. Even Lia’s cinnamon buns were my favorite sweets to devour, but this fisherman’s pie, I realized, was a bit different.

Its round surface was topped—not with pastry—but a thick layer of potatoes, boiled, seasoned, and mashed before it had been baked in the brick oven at the front of the tavern.

Each tiny peak of potato was golden brown, covering the surface and crusting on the edge of the pie tin. Each valley of the creamy mass of root vegetable was a soft yellow. Steam rose from the dish, seeping into my nose as I leaned over, inhaling more of the savory aroma.

“Mmm,” I lilted, biting my lip and poising my fork to dig in.

Rev shifted next to me, adjusting in his seat and craning his neck to look across the tavern.

I followed his gaze. “What is it?”

“Just looking for a clock.”

“Why?”

“Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to make it to ten.”

Heat flushed my cheeks, and I shifted as well, suddenly uncomfortable in all my clothing. My dress was too tight, my breasts too confined, and I sighed, crossing one leg over the other in a tight squeeze.

I wasn’t going to make it either.

I let out a long breath through my lips, my eyes wide, my mouth in a grimace. “Fork. Pie. We can do this.”

Before he could answer, I looked away, focusing on eating—something we both badly needed to do. I scooped up a heaping bite, gathering soft potato, creamy sauce and white fish onto my fork, blowing gently before shoving it into my mouth.

Salty, savory, enriched with herbs—I closed my eyes and chewed slowly.

The flavors of my childhood slid over my tongue, summoning unbidden memories and reminding me that some small part of me would always live here in the place I was raised.

“ Rev. You have to try?—”

He was leaning away from me, his elbow holding the weight of his head as he covered his mouth with one hand, his eyes slowly fading from black to a deep blue.

Well, fuck.

“This is pathetic.” I tossed my fork onto the table and crossed my arms, squeezing my legs again to relieve the ache between them. “We can’t even eat pie together now?”

Silently, he removed his hand from his mouth, gripped his fork, and without taking his eyes off me, scooped some of the dish, blowing lightly before carefully opening his mouth to take a bite. I watched, transfixed, as he slowly pulled the fork from his lips.

He took his time chewing as I gaped at him, our bond forcing me to watch with rapt attention. I was no more than a puppet. I could do no simple thing unless he pulled my strings in those moments where my body knew only his touch—wanted only his mouth on mine and other parts of me.

He swept his tongue across his upper lip and I thought I’d melt to the floor.

Is this who we were now? Would it ever subside? We’d never get anything done. We’d never be able to function as a Baron and conduit once I passed the trials, let alone as two humans who had responsibilities.

Get a grip, Karus. I found some hope in the stubborn trait buried deep inside my soul, and I blew air out of my lips harshly, turning back to the pie steaming on the table.

I took my cup and drained it, the cold water cooling my desire the slightest fraction. I decided not to look at him again until my belly was full.

He chuckled beside me, shifting slightly away so that we did not touch.

Good.

No, bad .

My body screamed that a great insult had just been made against it and demanded I scoot closer to him.

Again, my iron will rose resolute in my chest, and I stabbed at the pie—this time with more force than I’d meant. I scooped more of the peas and potatoes, shoving another bite into my mouth. I’d forgotten to blow, and my tongue burned as I rolled the bite around, quickly opening my mouth and breathing in short puffs to cool it.

“Don’t burn your tongue, you’ll need it later.”

“Dammit, Revich, I was doing really well just now. Why would you say that?” I still didn’t look at him.

“I apologize. Please go back to diligently ignoring me.”

I stared at the pie and watched as he reached for more.

Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look.

I cleared my throat and took another bite, this one filled with pearl onion and more flaky fish.

It was delicious, better than any of the pies here that I could remember, but with this pull toward Rev, I could barely enjoy it.

“You seem tense.”

“Well, that’s because I am,” I snapped back. I took another bite, the tines of the fork hitting my teeth.

“Can I help you with that?” His voice was low and seductive, beguiling me into finally turning to look at him.

I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat and rasped, “I really don’t see how.”

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and I looked around the room. Over half of the tables were filled with people talking and laughing while Ninah darted all around refilling tankards.

“Can I at least try?”

“We’re in the middle of a crowded room,” I whispered, my eyes flicking around again, weighing the risk of what I knew he suggested. I caught Ninah’s eye and she headed for our table.

“Everything good, loves?”

Rev grinned, nodding and replying, “It’s delicious, Ninah, thank you.” He waved his fork in the air casually and continued, “In fact, I think we’ll be a while in finishing it. I’d like to savor every bit of warmth if I can. I’m not sure when we’ll be back here to experience this pleasure all over again.”

His wordplay was not lost on me, and I gritted my teeth.

“I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’ll be sure to let Orvan know. He’ll never stop talking about how much the Baron of Felgren enjoyed his fisherman’s pie.”

“Please do. Now, if you don’t mind, we’d like to finish before it grows cold.”

Recognizing it as a dismissal, she nodded, turning quickly, and rushing through the tables, no doubt to tell Orvan himself.

“You could have been a little nicer.”

“I’ve no patience to be nice right now, Karus.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. “I’m going to need you to sit over here.”

He grabbed my hips and slid me over his lap, pausing just a moment, before ungraciously plopping me down on his other side.

“What are you doing?”

“Pull up your skirts, Karus.”

I obeyed immediately.

He leaned into the table, his back facing the room as he casually forked another bite. His hand found my leg quickly, pushing aside my undergarment and sliding a finger softly between what ached for him.

This was one way to create new memories in this place, I admitted, opening my legs wide, gripping the table, and attempting to steady my breath.

He scooped at the pie again, this time bringing his fork to my mouth, at the same time he slipped two fingers into me.

I muffled the cry that tried to escape my lips and swirled the food over my tongue, almost choking in an absolute lack of aptitude for eating while being pleasured in a public tavern.

I don’t know how he managed his position, his fingers curling so quickly and right where he knew I wanted them. I gripped his arm, digging my nails into his skin, my head bent forward before quickly falling back to hit the wall behind us.

“If I could get away with it,” he whispered, his breath leaning in close to my ear, “I’d be under this table right now.”

I whimpered, biting my lip. Two of his fingers slid around my swollen center and I burned, pulling a leg up closer to my chest to give him more room to touch me.

He took another bite and then fed me another, ensuring his movements were slow, taking his time, building within me an edge I was thrilled to meet. I shattered, only three bites later, my lungs at their capacity as I opened my eyes, expecting everyone in the tavern to be watching us.

I blinked, finding my focus, relief washing over me as no one so much as glanced our way.

He withdrew his fingers, sucking each one casually.

My chest heaved up and down and I laughed, looking up to the wood beams above us, satisfied, but likely not for long.

I pulled on the back of his neck, kissing him hard, my tongue lazily sweeping over his. I ran my hand down his leg, ready to return the favor when he caught it, squeezing my fingers and placing them on the table.

“Oh, so you can touch me in a tavern, but I can’t return the favor?”

“What was it? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?” He shook his head and took another bite. “I’m trying it out, remember?”

I laughed, scooping more pie. “And what was that just now? You abstaining?”

“You can’t expect me to abstain completely, Karus. Besides, I’m enjoying this place. Happy to make some first memories here.” He winked at me and took another bite.

I laughed and shook my head, loving The Salted Herring now more than I ever had before.