A Kiss of Flame (Shadows Eternal #3)

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

B arith stood along the dried grasses and dark stone that edged the watering hole he’d swam in as a boy. A small stream that descended from the mountain bubbled as it fell and collected into the dark waters with rippling swirls. The wind whipped his hair, but the chilled air was already growing warmer as winter thawed and spring threatened.

“You’re hard to find when you want to be,” Levian said as she approached the rough path behind him. Barith’s heart thrummed instinctively the closer she came. He’d caught her faint night jasmine perfume in the wind.

Barith hadn’t been trying to hide from her. Knowing the mage had returned to the island, he’d been too anxious and irritated to do anything productive, so he’d gone for a walk.

Levian had taken Catrìona and Judith that morning to give statements before the Wizen Council of Mages about what had happened with Vane. Not him.

The dragon had thought he and Levian had turned a corner since she’d stormed in to rescue him like a commanding goddess. They’d not had a moment alone together in the two days after because Levian had left to report to Council the moment Barith’s tail had been mended. Everything had been an utter blur, but she’d promised to return to the island—he’d assumed she’d meant she would come back to see him. So far, she’d only made a point of seeing his sisters and mother.

“Is this the place you swam?” Levian asked, peering sideways at him. “The one you told me about at Kamár?”

He grunted. “Aye.”

Silence lingered, and the mage shifted nervously next to him. Barith was tempted to speak but kept his mouth firmly pressed shut. His feelings were hurt, even if it was childish to give her the silent treatment.

Levian took in a deep breath and let it out painfully slow. “Ismay told me I might find you here,” she added. Barith grunted. “Cat made quite the impression on Council,” she rambled on. “She was quite vivid with her statement—To nauseating specificity at times. Hearing her detail freeing you from the dragon net was particularly moving.”

Barith remembered it well. Cat had growled curses at him about his choice of women the whole time she’d struggled to unbind the dragon net. As the fighting had begun and he’d lost sight of Levian, an inferno of fury had run so deep through his bones that he’d managed to char the fae silver, weakening it just enough that his sister had been able to cut it loose.

Four of the Black Masks had managed to escape their battle. Two, including Vane, had been killed in the fray. That’s as much as Barith knew.

Levian cleared her throat delicately and pulled her jacket tighter around her when he didn’t reply. “I spoke to the queen,” she told him. “We’re far from friendly, but she didn’t immediately tell me to get off her island, so I’m taking that as progress.”

Queen Eithne had been beyond livid when three of her five children had come stumbling back to the island battered and broken with a vampire and Levian in tow. Between the mage and Ismay, they’d all been patched up within an hour, though Barith’s broken wing and reattached tail still had some mending to do. Even with her ragtag crew, Levian’s insane scheme had resulted in a successful rescue, but Eithne had been furious no one had bothered to inform her that her son had been kidnapped and maimed. It’d warmed Barith’s heart hearing how much Flòra and Ismay had protested staying behind to keep the queen from suspecting anything was wrong. Levian relied on them to alert the queen and Carvatticus if things went south.

Ismay had been attempting to mend his wing at his cottage while the others had all been shouting, snarling, and growling with the queen. Barith’s head still throbbed days later. Despite it all, Levian had managed to not only take on Eithne head-to-head but had also miraculously gotten his mother to begrudgingly agree with her rationale in the end.

Barith’s tension began to wane as his irritation slowly shifted to a dull ache deep in his chest. Levian had rescued him, but she’d not chased after him to confess her love. They’d shared a moment in the cavern that he’d thought meant they could figure out some path forward together, but the mage had pulled away from him afterward. Barith’s heart began to crack anew.

“I may have managed one rather grand success,” Levian told him with a stuttered breath.

“Aye?” he questioned, his tone hollow.

“I drafted a mating contract suitable enough that she agreed.”

Barith’s heart lurched into his throat as his breath caught in his lungs. He turned sharply to face her, and Levian looked nervously up at him. “What?” he whispered in disbelief, sure he hadn’t heard her right.

The mage began to fiddle with one of her necklaces nervously and looked away from him. “Before Vane sent me your—” she cleared her throat, looking at his bandaged tail. “I was determined to figure out a way to free you from your mating contract,” she rambled. “I didn’t have time to do any research, but your sisters helped me a little, and I guess you already managed to get out of your contract with Sera before any of this even happened, but?—”

Barith had never seen Levian so nervous in his life. She was shifting on her feet and looking anywhere but at him. His heart slammed against his ribs like it were about to burst out and fly away. “What’re you saying?” he asked, trying to understand.

“I told you,” she snipped, crossing her arms over her chest to cover her anxiety. “I drafted a contract, and the queen agreed. You are free to choose whomever you like as your mate.”

His brow furrowed. “Did you draft a contract for us?” he asked, his leaping heart dropping.

She rubbed her temple. “Barith, I don’t want a contract,” she told him. His heart did drop then.

He scoffed, and the mage winced. “So you came to free me so you can leave again?” he clarified with unveiled anger.

“No,” Levian told him, finally looking to meet his gaze. Soft tears threatened in her violet eyes, and the pained look on her face tore at Barith’s heart. “I don’t want a mating contract,” she said again, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you.”

His heart jolted, and Levian slid closer to take one of his hands between hers. She kissed it gently and pressed his palm against her soft, warm cheek. The tenderness of her touch made Barith ache to pull her closer, but he was cautious.

“I don’t want to claim you,” the mage explained, a single tear spilling down to brush his hand. “You’ve always wanted your true mate, and I want you to find her.”

Barith laughed, startling them both, but he couldn’t help himself. He pulled his hand from her touch and spun away, frustration overtaking him. Emotions smashed into him like the sea waves against the island’s cliffs. Barith ran his hands through his hair and growled, “Ye may be the smartest woman I’ve ever known, but you can also be bloody daft.”

When he turned back around, Levian’s face was scrunched with irritation. It was a face he’d seen her make a thousand times before—a face he wanted to see a thousand times over again. Barith stepped forward, took her beautiful, soft face in his hands, bent down, and kissed her. Levian grumbled against his mouth before she let out a soft sigh of tension and melted into him. It was all he needed.

Barith’s heart swelled, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. When he finally broke away, Levian’s eyes were heavy with emotion, and her breaths shallow.

“There’s no other woman—no other creature—I’ll ever want more than I want you,” he told her, brushing her cheek gently. “I love?—”

“No,” she snapped sharply. Barith’s breath held, and Levian shook her head in frustration at his startled reaction. “I love you,” she exclaimed on a trembling breath. “I was foolish and afraid, but I—” She sniffled. “I love you—You irritating, fire-breathing, sun lizard.”

Barith’s body blazed with fire, his heart thrumming like a rabbit’s foot, as he wrapped his arms around Levian’s waist and lifted her off the ground. She held his face in her hands and looked down at him with her beautiful violet eyes before she planted a soft, lush kiss against his lips. Barith growled in response pulling her closer, breathing in her night jasmine perfume as it blended with the crisp air.

Levian broke their kiss and let out a stuttered breath. “I might still be a touch afraid,” she confessed, though it clearly pained her to do it.

Barith had spent all his life hoping to find his true mate. Hoping to find a love that shook him to his core. Levian had driven him mad with frustration, love, torment, friendship— everything. It had turned out that as he’d been chasing nymphs and lovers, the creature he’d wanted so desperately had been right in front of him the whole time.

He knew Levian’s history and her troubles. He knew what she loved and loathed. He knew what made her sigh with pleasure and grumble with frustration. He knew the woman and the mage. Barith also knew to truly love Levian meant to love her as she was, fears and all.

“I love you, Vi,” he told her again, despite her previous snarl. “I’ve loved you and will love you until the last of my days. All I want is the chance to prove it to you every day ye’ll let me.”

Levian was powerless to stop the tears as they began to run down her cheeks. Barith brushed them away with his finger, his tender touch filling her heart with warmth.

“What will this mean?” she grumbled. The realities of their complicated lives were already pelting her with worries.

“It’ll mean I’ll have to be here to help with the horde, an’ ye’ll have to keep working with Council, an’ ye’ll have to make a fresh batch of Stepping Stones,” he told her without a hint of concern.

Since Vane’s kidnapping of Barith, Levian’s whole professional life had been turned upside down. The Council was determined to uncover who the Order of Penumbra was and unearth any spies that might be lurking amongst them. Levian was now an Ambassador and the head of a secret task force whose sole purpose was to do just that. How she’d gone from problem child to head girl in the eyes of the Council in a matter of a week still boggled her mind.

Levian was exhausted already. Tsuki had vanished, and so far, Levian could not find a hint of who she was other than Vane’s cohort. She’d hidden the mysterious orb, unsure what to do with it, but she’d have to sort it out eventually. She’d also briefly visited Merlin to confirm she was still alive but had been nervous about lingering. Levian felt no trace of the shadow magick any longer, but her use of it still weighed heavily on her heart. In her nervousness, she’d promised to visit Merlin again soon. All that she had to do began to run through her mind like a swarm of bees that managed to reproduce every second until her head buzzed.

Levian grunted with irritation. “It’s going to be chaotic,” she warned him.

“Aye,” Barith chuckled, kissing her forehead. “That it will be.”

The mage took a deep breath, letting the warmth of his touch ease her somewhat. It was going to be chaotic but not impossible. “We’ll have no time together, but I suppose I could try to spend more time here on the island if the queen will let me.”

“She’s lettin’ you be here now,” he reminded her. “And agreed to yer contract. Besides, my sisters are startin’ to warm to ye, and they have a bit of pull.”

Levian scoffed softly. Now that it was becoming serious, it all felt oddly absurd. She and Barith—together as a couple —living on the island of his dragon horde.

“We’ll find a way,” he encouraged her. “We always do.”

A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips when he pulled her closer, and Levian’s worries couldn’t help but begin to melt, the bees in her head quieting. It was going to be insane and chaotic and taxing, but it’d been that way ever since she’d known him. They’d always thrown themselves willingly into the fray, knowing somehow they’d manage to scrape their way out; why would being a couple make things anything different? Would she want them to be any different?

“You’ll have to take me out on dates,” she told him flatly.

He rumpled a laugh. “I think I can manage it.”

“And buy me presents,” she added.

Barith grunted. “I’ve been doing that for centuries,” he reminded her.

She laughed sarcastically. “Losing bets isn’t the same,” she clipped tartly.

The dragon sighed heavily, and she smirked with satisfaction. “More presents,” he grumbled.

“You’re also infernally hot in your sleep,” she huffed as if second-guessing if she wanted to do this at all.“

Barith grunted at her taunt. “I think you’ll manage,” Barith grumbled, leaning back to look at her. “I’ve never complained about yer droolin’.”

Levian gasped at his slight, ready to snarl a retort, but the dragon chuckled and stole her words with a deep kiss. She leaned into the embrace, letting his warmth radiate through her chilled skin, and ran her hands along his broad chest. He growled in response. Her core ached, and her heart thrummed with pure and utter happiness. Levian ran her fingers along his neck and through his hair. When sent a cascade of magick washing down over him, Barith tensed, his primal growl reverberating through them both.

“Some would pay a fortune to be my pillow,” she quipped breathlessly against his lips.

“I know,” Barith grunted, laying soft kisses along her jaw. “I’ve no doubt it’ll cost me dearly.”

Levian smirked, leaning into his kisses. “Maybe I could craft an enchanted mattress that always stays cold?” she posed.

“Ye could move us to the middle of the bloody Arctic for all I care,” Barith growled before finding his way down to her neck, his focus now far from the conversation.

Levian sighed with joy and amusement before she pulled his head back up, keeping him from drifting too low. “I can’t promise I won’t threaten to turn you into a lizard sometimes,” she teased with a sly smirk.

Barith grunted a laugh. “I wouldnae expect anythin’ less, magick slinger,” he grumbled back.

Levian smiled, and the dragon smirked in response. There were more questions than they had answers; for once, the mage pushed them aside. She was afraid, but her mother had been right—If she wasn’t a little frightened, would she truly be in love?

“I do love you,” she told Barith again, letting it expand to every inch of her heart.

Barith pulled her in tightly. The dragon was her best friend, a lover unlike any other, and the creature that had somehow managed to capture her ironclad heart.

In a quick motion, Barith scooped Levian up into his arms. She squeaked, and he chuckled. “What are you doing?” she snarled as he turned to walk away from the pool, back down the rough little path.

“Ye’ve got to return to Council, aye?” he guessed.

“In the morning,” she confirmed with a smirk.

Barith grunted at the short amount of time they had. “I dinnae mind strippin’ ye down here in the grass, but I’d prefer to lay you out over a warm bed,” he growled with wicked intent.

Levian huffed a laugh, her inside twisting with anticipation. “How do you feel about a little redecorating in the cottage?” she asked.

The dragon rolled his eyes, though Levian could tell he wasn’t in the least bit surprised by her proposition. “Not fancy enough for you?”

She shrugged innocently as he trudged along the field at a clipped pace, carrying her in his arms. “It’s rustic,” she complimented, “but if we’re to spend much time there together, I could do with a bit more space.”

The dragon looked down at her knowingly. “My sisters are gonna enjoy havin’ you around to enchant everythin’,” he groaned.

Levian smiled warmly up at him. “Don’t grumble,” she purred, rubbing her hand through his trimmed auburn hair. “And don’t pretend you wouldn’t enjoy a much bigger bed.”

Barith pulled her close to press a kiss just above her ear. “An’ dinnae pretend like ye dinnae want a bigger bed for me to enjoy you in,” he growled darkly in return.

Her insides began to turn molten, her heart brimming with happiness. “I had no plans of pretending anything, darling,” Levian whispered back seductively. “I would’ve thought that part was obvious.”