Crown of Flames and Ash (Courts of Aetheria #2)

Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

A elia

Oh, Raysa, this must be what the glorious afterlife feels like . With my hands knotted in Reign’s silky locks, his head bobbing between my thighs, I was certain I’d died and gone to rest in Noxus’s sweet embrace. Why had I denied myself this pleasure for so long?

And was that thing he was doing with his tongue normal?

My head fell back as molten fire surged my core. No, this was certainly not normal. Was it some strange effect of the poison? Likely not. If I was being perfectly honest with myself, the dizzying, euphoric feelings from earlier had long since receded. The moment Reign’s lips had found mine, my senses had sharpened and the overpowering haze melted away. Had I taken advantage of the freeing sensations to explore a longtime coming reunion with Reign? Possibly.

This wasn’t real, right? It was simply pretend. We could pretend for one incredible night that what was happening between us was only a result of the poison instead of facing the truth.

The truth was far too frightening: that I’d fallen in love with a ruthless Shadow Fae sworn to kill me.

Reign’s tongue circled the taut bundle of nerves at my center and all other thoughts vanished. All that mattered was this moment and the surge of sensations raging across my body. I could feel every point of contact between us so acutely, as if I’d suddenly developed a sixth sense. Reign.

With each wicked lash of his tongue, invisible strands of power laced around my heart, binding me to this male. I’d tried and failed to fight this unnamable thing between us, but try as I might, we seemed inescapable. Every touch, every heated glance only tightened the grip he had on me, pulling me deeper into a web of dangerous desire and unavoidable fate. No matter how fiercely I resisted, it was clear—this connection between us was unbreakable, as undeniable as the stars in the night sky.

A wave of pleasure crashed over me, building, intensifying until only it existed. There was no Aelia, no Reign, no two separate entities, but only the thrilling rush of sensations between us. As if he could sense the pinnacle approaching, his tongue quickened, circling in a maddening tempo.

My head fell back when sparks of pleasure ignited in my spine and spilled through my veins as the fiery heat reached a devastating crescendo. My toes curled and raw ecstasy consumed me as my release flowed with Reign’s name on my lips. My body trembled with the force of it, and in that moment, everything else vanished—the world, the dangers lurking just beyond, the weight of all that had come before.

Once I managed to open my eyes—I had no recollection of them having closed—I met a pair of starlit ones hovering over me. A relaxed grin softened the hard line of Reign’s jaw as he regarded me, thoughtfully, silently. We remained like that, neither speaking, locked in each other’s gazes for an impossibly long moment. And it was everything.

An endless minute later—or it could have been an hour later, for all I knew—Reign licked his lips and dropped a chaste kiss to my forehead. “Rest, princess. We still have much more to discover on our visit.”

A thousand unanswered questions loomed between us, but I tucked them behind my teeth, keeping them hostage for now. A discussion would only lead to an inevitable fight, and I preferred to bask in the afterglow.

Exhaustion rose to the surface once more, threatening to pull me under. Reign swept a dark tendril of hair behind my ear, gently running his finger over the rounded tip before his massive form curled around me. “Sleep well, starlight.”

His words were so quiet I wasn’t certain I’d heard them correctly, and with the secure warmth of his body and the overpowering haze of sleep dragging me under, I couldn’t find the words to ask where my new nickname had come from. So I gave into the overwhelming exhaustion, and my heavy lids slid closed.

Muffled voices dragged me from a fitful sleep, forcing my heavy lids open. Rolling over, I struggled to process the familiar timbres. It took a moment, but then I recognized them as Reign and the Spellbinder, Melisara. I forced myself up and slid to the edge of the mattress. A faint soreness emanated from between my legs and all at once, fiery memories of the night before surged to the surface.

Oh, gods, the things I’d allowed Reign to do to me. I had never been that intimate with any other male in my twenty years on this earth. And it had been incredible… A spark of heat kindled below as echoes of pleasure raced through my veins. Now that the toxin had fully retreated from my system, warmth flushed my cheeks at the vivid images springing to mind.

Stars, I’d practically thrown myself at him. How embarrassing.

Pushing myself to stand, I staggered to the door, the voices becoming more discernible with each step.

“She has no blood relatives that we know of.” Reign .

“Then I’m afraid this will be a very difficult task.” My recollections of Melisara were minimal, but that melodic tone definitely belonged to her.

“Gideon claims you are the best.”

“I will do what I can. I only wish to temper your expectations, Reign.”

My hand hovered over the delicate knob for a long moment, indecision paralyzing my movements. I truly wished to discover more about my past, but the fear that came along with it was at times insurmountable. If Aidan sought so desperately to keep my past hidden, perhaps breaking this spell was unwise after all.

The door whipped open, nearly crashing into my face. Reign leapt back, jerking the thick timber with him an instant before it cracked against my nose. “You’re awake.”

“I am.” That cursed heat flushed my cheeks as those penetrating onyx spheres latched onto mine. I blinked quickly, attempting to banish the vivid image of those eyes searing into me from between my legs.

“How do you feel?” He crept closer and pushed the door closed behind him.

“Fine.”

“No lingering effects of the poison?” His mouth curved into a feral smile.

“Not a single one.” I staggered back a step. “In fact, whatever Melisara gave me last night seems to have wiped out all memories of the evening.”

“Oh, really?” Reign took a measured step closer, and I mirrored one back. “You don’t remember anything?”

I slowly shook my head.

“That’s a shame.” One of his shadows, the dark coil more faint than normal, peeled off his form and crawled across my shoulder. “Because you missed out on the best night of your life. Your words, not mine,” his dark minion whispered.

“I never said that,” I blurted.

A sinful grin stretched across those perfect lips as his dark gaze raked over me. “That’s what I thought, princess.”

“You’re insufferable. I thought you were a gentleFae.” I crept back one final step before hitting the wooden footboard of the bed.

“I never claimed such a thing.” He loomed over me, the slight whir of his dwindling shadows whipping around us. “In fact, I believe I’ve always said the opposite was true. That said, I never should have taken advantage of you as I did. I would apologize, but you know my feelings on the matter.” His lips twitched, setting his eyes aflame.

“I’d hardly say you took advantage.” If anything, I was the one to reap the rewards of my altered state.

“That’s all I wanted to hear.” A smug grin melted across his face as he offered me his hand. “Come now, princess, we have a binding spell to break.”

“About that…”

His hand hung in the minute space between us.

“What if breaking this spell only makes matters worse?”

“How could it?”

“What if there were a very good reason to keep my powers bound?”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know, Reign. I’m simply worried. And stop answering each of my questions with another question.” I drew my bottom lip between my teeth, nibbling on the soft pillow. Perhaps I should have told him about Aidan and what I’d learned upon my trip home.

“Is there something else I should know, Aelia?” My real name on his lips only magnified the seriousness of his tone.

I didn’t speak for a long moment, weighing the consequences of telling him the truth about Aidan. “There is something I haven’t told you,” I finally forced out. “But before I do, you must make another vow.”

“Oh, must I?” His dark brow lifted into an incredulous arc.

Knotting my arms across my chest, I glared up at the infuriating Fae. “Or don’t, and you’ll simply have to remain in the dark.”

“I’m trying to help you, don’t you see that?” He clutched my shoulders, pinning me in that lethal gaze.

“Yes, but if I tell you what I’ve learned, I fear you will take matters into your own hands and hurt someone I care for in a single-minded attempt to help me.”

He heaved out a frustrated breath.

“It certainly wouldn’t be the first time,” I added.

“Fine, princess. I’ll make the vow. Just tell me what you’ve been keeping from me.”