All the Sacrifice of Shadows (Starstorm #2)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

D rake tore his gaze away from Creslyn and stared at his open palm. The slice across his hand had sealed, leaving behind a shimmery thread binding the flesh together. He looked back at her, at the way she seemed to radiate starlight. His gaze skimmed her flushed cheeks, her lips still swollen from his kiss. Snaring her wrist, he flipped her hand over to inspect her palm. Where the blade cut her skin, there was now a scar of inky shadows.

His grip tightened, and he stared down at her.

“What the fuck was that?” he demanded.

Creslyn’s brow crinkled, and she yanked her arm from his grasp. “What are you talking about?”

No, no, she wouldn’t get away from him so easily. He grabbed her throat, careful not to be too harsh, and hauled her against him. Her lashes fluttered back, and her piercing blue eyes widened, shock flaring through them.

She reached up, wrapping her small fingers around his forearm in an attempt to shove him away. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Do not play games with me, solysa .” He ran his thumb up the column of her throat, angling her face so she was forced to look him in the eyes. She set her jaw, and a line of mistrust marked her forehead. “You did something with your magic. I felt it.”

“No, you were the one whose magic was scouring me, devouring me.” Creslyn swallowed against his hold on her throat and her pulse fluttered. But she refused to cower. “Your shadows carved into me. They splayed me open. It felt like you were going to tear apart my soul.”

“I was searching—” Drake cut himself off. He didn’t need to explain himself to her, he didn’t need to explain himself to anyone. He was the fucking Shadowblade Assassin. He did not obey the rules, he made them. Not that he would expect her to understand.

“Searching?” Creslyn repeated the word, her nails digging through his shirt into his skin. “For what?”

Drake let go of her. It was too late to reverse what had already been done. “Nothing.”

“Do not ignore me, Drake.” Creslyn grabbed for him, clutching the lapel of his coat. “What were you searching for? And what makes you think you can find whatever it is inside of me?”

Damn this female and her questions.

He didn’t know how to explain it, didn’t know how to convey that he’d made a grave mistake. He’d been rash in his decision. Time and again he’d replayed Zaleria’s words in his mind, and he thought for certain the blood of stars implied that Creslyn, or any Starstorm female for that matter, would be the one to release him of his curse.

But he’d been wrong.

So wrong.

And now, there was no way to reverse it.

“Your sister, Novalise, controls the archaic starstorm.” Drake pulled the tie loose from the knot at the back of his head in an effort to alleviate the dull ache throbbing through his temples, through his veins. His hair fell in front of his face, whipping wildly in the frigid wind, and he shoved it back with one hand. “The starstorm is a rare magic once thought to be dormant in?—”

“I know what it is,” Creslyn snapped, her temper rising. Sparks of sunlight and crackling rainbows erupted around her. “It is my bloodline. I do not need a history lesson.”

Drake glared, his frustration with her incensed by her feisty attitude. “I was searching to see if you possessed some similar form of magic.”

He ground the words out, hating that he was finding it increasingly difficult to shrug off her demands.

“Why?” she insisted, moving closer. Her infuriated gaze studied every plane of his face, lingering on his mouth before drifting back to meet his eyes. “To expose me?”

“No.”

“To use me?”

“Yes.”

The truth spilled from him before he could stop it, and Creslyn reared back as though he’d struck her.

An uncomfortable sensation wormed its way into the charred remains of his heart. It was unfamiliar and strange, this wrenching feeling that seized his gut and dug its claws deep into the uncharted, murky waters of his emotions.

Regret.

The word sliced through his thoughts like a blade forged from fire, its blazing heat burning him, scorching his anger.

He’d hurt her, wounded her, and it was the crushing weight of remorse bearing down upon his chest that made it seem near impossible to refill his lungs with air.

Drake moved slowly, and with painstaking awareness, he reached out to take her by the waist, pulling her flush against him. He half expected her to slap him again, or to spin away and avoid him, but she did neither of those things. Creslyn allowed him to wrap his arms around her, to draw her body into him, until the diamonds of her gown prodded against the fabric of his shirt. He wanted the gems to slash him, wanted them to pierce his skin. He would’ve taken great pleasure in the pain those sparkling rocks inflicted if it meant he could erase the hurt in Creslyn’s eyes.

Her chest rose and fell against his own, their breaths coming in languid, measured intervals.

When she looked up at him, there was a sheen of tears in her sapphire eyes, and Drake’s tarnished heart was skewered by another overwhelming emotion he couldn’t quite name.

“I have been alive a long time, kearsta . I have seen realms rise and fall, I have witnessed magic disappear from history as though it never even existed.” His voice was strained, the words more difficult to form each time he spoke. There was only so much he could say, only so much he could tell her, before he could no longer say anything at all. “I have seen the prophecies of fate, and I know what’s to come. A piece of that ancient, slumbering magic lives inside of you and your siblings. But it is different with each soul carrying it. It’s evolved over the course of its dormancy.”

Confusion clouded Creslyn’s face, it stole across her eyes like a wayward mist rolling in from Brackroth’s coast.

“What do ancient prophecies have to do with anything?” she asked, sniffling. “You just admitted you want to use me for my magic.”

A teardrop clung to her lashes.

Drake didn’t dare reach up to swipe it away.

Let them fall , he told himself. Let her realize the mistake she made for thinking she could find any good in me.

Of course she cared nothing for prophecies or archaic magic. She was living in the moment they shared together, the one he’d ruined.

Drake rolled his neck from side to side, heaving a sigh as the bones cracked. “I only sought your magic because I thought it might break the curse cast upon me. The one fueling me with rage and bloodlust.”

“Then why didn’t you ask?” Creslyn shouted, her power so explosive that Drake lost his footing and stumbled backward. “You could have asked me, Drake. I would have given my magic to you freely! Without hesitation! All you had to do was ask .”

Brilliant beams of sunlight whipped around her in a frenzy as streaks of shattered rainbows lifted her hair from her shoulders. The silver strands kissed by soft hues of pink, blue, and purple fanned out like ribbons of silk, amplifying her beauty. She held her ground as magic poured from her, ignited by her vexation. The mountain peaks trembled, the night sky shuddered, and the stars bowed before her sunlit storm. She was the heavenly wrath, the radiant darkness.

Drake’s shadows expanded, craving her. He yearned for her, longed to be her undoing.

He stared at the magnificent creature before him, this celestial faerie who was both an alluring dream and his darkest fantasy.

Rarely did he ever ask for anything. He simply took what he wanted, consequences be damned. He’d grown accustomed to watching others cringe in his presence, to ignoring their pleas for mercy, to sneering with malice when they tried to hide or barter anything of worth in exchange for their lives. Yet here was Creslyn, the purest form of splendor, telling him he was wrong.

He did not have to take from her.

She would give, because she— no.

An agonizing pang speared through his corrupted heart once more.

Drake shook his head. Whatever it was they felt for one another—misplaced trust, tortuous lust, mutual respect—none of it mattered anymore.

Because when Creslyn’s blood melded with his own, when her magic collided with his, the joining bonded them somehow. And not in the sense of merely husband and wife. No, this ran far deeper than such a surface connection.

This was a binding of souls.

Creslyn had claimed him as her mate, and in doing so, unknowingly shackled herself to the curse he’d been so desperate to break.

She would belong to him for all eternity. Her heart. Her soul. The scar marking her hand.

Sacrifice your heart, your soul, your scars.

Drake shook the unbidden thought from his mind and dropped to his knees before her, capturing her hands. Gradually, her sunstorm ebbed, before fading completely.

“Forgive me, sjlellhert .” He lowered his head, dusting the faintest of kisses across her fingertips. “Next time, I will ask.”

She scoffed. “If you are so lucky.”

It appeared as though her fire had not yet dimmed.

Creslyn peered down at him, her lips pressed into a firm line. She arched one brow. “I might make you beg.”

Arousal shot through him like a bolt of lightning, and his cock thickened at her brazen tone. He fucking loved that mouth of hers.

Drake stood, sliding his hands around her backside and squeezed, jerking her against him so she could feel the effect her words had on him. “And how shall I make it up to you?”

A wicked gleam sparked in the depths of Creslyn’s eyes, but she did not smile. “By taking me to bed.”

By the time they returned to House Celestine, Drake could not keep his hands off Creslyn. They crawled through the shadows together, her arms woven around his neck as his tongue meshed with hers. She tasted of every forbidden pleasure, of frozen winter nights and mist-fallen mornings. She enveloped him, and he lost himself to her scent of sweetened citrus and tantalizing fresh rain. Her body hummed against him, fizzling with tension and anticipation, a symphony only he could hear. Creslyn arched into him, grinding her hips against his throbbing erection, and he was half tempted to take her on the glittering staircase of the main hall for everyone to see.

“A room,” she murmured against his mouth, dragging her leg up his waist while the chilling shadows engulfed them. “Find a room.”

“Which one?” he growled, stealing her down a darkened hall, the sconces of faerie fire snuffing out as they passed.

“Any one.” She was breathless now, and the pounding of her heart caused his blood to roar. “Just pick one.”

Drake moved between the patches of darkness, slinking into the nearest room where dwindling embers clung to the last of their life in the hearth. He scanned their surroundings, taking in the walls of shelves lined with books, the glass ceiling revealing the expanse of the night sky, and the plush sofa set before the dying fire. A library in House Celestine wasn’t exactly ideal when it came to finally being able to bury himself inside Creslyn, but he could no longer combat his excessive desire for her.

He had every intention of lowering her to the sofa, but then she sank those ever so slightly sharp teeth of hers into his throat, biting gently, and his control snapped.

“Fucking gods, Creslyn.” He gritted the words out through a clenched jaw and spun into the darkness, pinning her against a wall of books. Grabbing her dress, he ignored the sting of diamonds cutting into his hands and yanked it up. He shoved it out of the way, molding his rough palms to the back of her thighs, and lifted her so she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist. Lowering his head, he trailed his tongue along the underside of her jaw to the lobe of her ear where jewels sparkled. “Bite me again and I will return the favor.”

Creslyn leaned back against the shelves, angling her face up to him, and caressed the points of her teeth with her tongue. “Are you threatening me, husband?”

His fingers dug into her soft flesh. “That’s a promise, wife. And I never break my word.”

He bent down to kiss that vicious little smirk off her face, but right before his lips found hers, she turned her head to the side, denying him.

Drake chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. Despite Creslyn’s unyielding countenance, he didn’t miss the way she shivered in his arms. He let his teeth scrape just below her ear, applying the lightest sting of pressure. Her quick inhale was more of a gasp, and he smiled against her skin.

“Are you going to let me kiss you now?” he asked, easing back to drink in her flushed beauty.

“That depends,” she replied, her voice tart.

He adjusted her in his hold, ensuring she felt the rub of his hardened shaft against her core. Her lips parted but no sound came out.

“On what?” he purred.

“On if you beg.” Creslyn lowered her lashes and when she looked up at him again, her eyes were jaded with lust and twinkling with power. “Beg for me, Drake.”

“Gladly, solysa .”

He carefully set her down and peeled off his coat, then tossed it aside. One by one, he undid the buttons of his collared shirt, holding back a grin as she tracked his every movement, her heated gaze lingering on his body while he took his time letting it fall to the floor behind them. Reaching around to her back, he pulled on the laces of her gown, loosening them so the stones tinkled softly like bells. The dress slid from her, pooling around her feet like a pile of broken glass. Her body was a temple, all luscious curves and smooth satin, waiting to be worshiped. The diamonds hanging from her perked nipples sparkled, but he would pay them plenty of attention soon enough. He nudged her discarded dress to the side with his boot, then set his shadows upon her.

Creslyn’s startled gasp filled him with satisfaction as tendrils of darkness swirled around her wrists, anchoring her arms above her head.

“Let me kiss you until your knees soften and your legs tremble.” He leaned in, pressing his mouth to the base of her throat, then trailed his lips to the valley of her breasts. Running his hands from her hips to her ribs, he swirled his tongue around each of her nipples. Her head fell back and the noise she made left his cock aching to fill her. “Let me touch you, all of you, until you’re wet for me, glistening like the diamonds you love so much.”

“Drake…”

His name fell from her lips on a gasp, but it wouldn’t be enough. He wanted her to scream for him.

He dropped onto his knees before her, raising her legs so her thighs rested upon his shoulders.

“Please, sjellhert . I beg of you.” The tempting scent of her arousal slammed into him, and he moved his face closer, wanting just a taste. He flicked his tongue out, swiping along her slick folds. “Let me taste you.”

“Yes,” she whimpered.

Her consent was all he needed.

Drake delved his tongue into her center, and her cries of pleasure only spurred his hunger for her. He consumed her, committing her taste to his memory. She was an aphrodisiac, an addiction, an avalanche on his senses. Creslyn’s moans filled his ears, and she writhed on his shoulders, clenching her thighs and arching her hips against his mouth. His shadows glided over her, thrumming in appreciation as they curled around her neck, holding her firmly in place while she whimpered and moaned.

He gripped his cock through his pants, stroking himself to alleviate the building pressure. If he wasn’t careful, he’d lose control completely, and spend himself before he was even able to fill her with his seed.

Creslyn quivered, convulsing as the orgasm tore through her. Drake sucked her clit, his balls tightening, and he groaned into her sweet cunt, unable to wait a moment longer.

He stood abruptly, gathering her limp body into his arms, and carried her over to the sofa. He thought perhaps she might need a minute to recover, to regain her bearing, but she climbed onto his lap and reached for his pants.

Drake snatched her wrist. “I must warn you, kearsta . I am not like most men. Nor am I like most males.”

She slid off his lap and smiled at him then, mocking. “Are you worried you won’t fit?”

“Oh, I’ll fit. And you’ll take every inch.” Drake eased back against the sofa and removed his pants, letting the full length of his cock spring free. The shadows ribbed around his hardened length seemed to pulse in expectation.

Creslyn’s mouth fell open, then snapped shut. Her wide-eyed gaze darted to him, then back to his stiff erection.

Drake smirked and stretched out on the sofa, patting his lap. He glanced up at the glass ceiling above them, where the constellations seemed to burn with a fury. Then he pulled her on top of him, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Let me fuck you beneath your precious stars, so they can watch as you’re ruined by darkness.”

Creslyn heaved a breath, situating herself so her knees fell on either side of his waist. Her hair tumbled around her like an iridescent waterfall, and he tucked some of the fallen strands behind her ear. She grabbed his shoulders with both hands and gingerly lowered herself onto his shaft.

She barely made it an inch before her head rolled back and his name fell from her lips like a prayer.

Drake bit back a grin. “You are incredibly good for my ego, Creslyn.”

Her nails bit into his skin in response, scouring his shoulders.

His hands moved to her hips, guiding her lower. “All the way down.”

Her breaths came in heavy pants, and she clawed at him. The pain settled in his chest and he reveled in it. He wanted her to mark him, to claim him, just as he would do to her.

Gods, she was so tight. He could feel her stretching to accommodate his size, her slick walls gripping him as he pushed deeper, desperate for more of her.

“Almost there, a little further.” He trailed his fingers up her spine, then back down. “Show me how well you’re made for me. How perfectly your wet cunt can take my cock.”

“The shadows…” Words failed her, and she shook her head violently.

“I’m going to fill you tonight, Creslyn. I’m going to brand you, so the world will know you’re mine. Shadows and all.”

“Yours.” The word rolled off her tongue, and then she sank down onto his full length.

A strangled cry escaped her, and Drake wanted to empty himself into her right then.

Fuck, she was the best mistake he ever made.

“Take me,” she whispered into the darkness surrounding them. “Take all of me.”

“With pleasure.”

Creslyn rode him with a fervor, breasts bouncing, diamonds twinkling, as he surged inside of her. Over and over, he rose to meet her blinding pace, grunting each time he slid out of her before driving himself home once more. Her skin was glowing, slicked with sweat, and with every thrust she grabbed at him, as though she couldn’t get enough.

Drake was inclined to agree.

It simply wasn’t enough.

He snared her by the waist and flipped them over easily, so she was splayed on her back and he was positioned between her legs.

The bond between them crackled and flared, and Creslyn’s voice crashed into his mind.

“More. More. More.”

He would give her everything.

Drake buried himself inside of her, driving so deep, she screamed his name. More shadows emerged, wraith-like hands that gripped her breasts and teased her clit, dragging her closer to the infinite spiral of climax. His cock expanded, swelling with the insurmountable need to find release. Her legs locked around his waist, her heels dug into his back. She thrashed beneath him, shuddering as waves of ecstasy crashed into them, drowning them both. He emptied himself inside of her, toppling off the dangerous cliff into a mist of eternal promises and lies. A churning sea of oblivion dragged them under and then Creslyn kissed him, breathing life and warmth into his tortured soul.

And Drake knew he would be lost to her forever.