Heir of Stardust and Secrets (Mythic Spark #1)

30. An Ephemeral Perspective

Chapter 30

An Ephemeral Perspective

M y lungs emptied as I slammed into Caius, the impact throwing him back. I braced myself to hit the ground, but it didn’t catch us.

Cold wind whipped across my face as I tumbled through never-ending darkness. I grappled for something, anything, to stop me from falling. Finding nothing, I frantically looked for any sign of Caius but came up empty. The light that’d emanated from us had been snuffed out.

“Caius!” I called out.

“Nyleeria!” His voice was panicked but close.

“Caius.” The word came out as a relieved sob.

“Nyleeria, I can’t valen you unless we’re touching,” he yelled into the abyss.

“I can’t see. I don’t know where you are.”

“I’m here. I’m here.”

I lunged toward the sound as best as I could while I continued to tumble through nothingness, feeling utter panic as my hands continued to come up empty.

“Caius!” I screamed. “Caius! ”

“Nyleeria. I’m here. I’m here.”

“Cai—” I slammed into him, and he wrapped an arm around me.

Caius hit the ground first with a sickening thud, and a heartbeat later, I landed on top of him, the impact knocking the wind from both of us. We lay there, unmoving, trying to catch our breath. My vision spun, and I cringed away from the brightness burning my eyes.

Someone pulled me off Caius, and I toppled sideways. Their steady grip caught me and held me firmly in place, intensifying the dizzying sensation as if my body wasn’t quite ready to be tethered to the planet just yet. Searching hands ran over me, checking for injuries.

Caius groaned as someone helped him up.

Still dizzy, I risked a glance up and found Tarrin’s eyes locked onto mine, wide with shock. I stumbled past him, my momentum carrying me straight into Caius’ steady, oil-splattered arms. We stared at each other in shock.

“Uh, Nyleeria?” Tarrin asked, looking between the high lord and me.

Caius continued to hold my gaze as he said, “Amos’ wisp is no longer an issue.”

The two males who’d valenned us to the Summer Court appeared behind Caius—although, for the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names.

I suddenly realized that we’d returned to the same grove we’d left from, and the sky had begun to darken as dusk approached. Stars, had we truly been gone that long ?

“Caius,” one of the males said. There was enough concern in his voice that we all turned toward him.

“What is it?” Caius said, the words delivered like a command.

“Sir, you’ve been gone for nearly two days,” the other male answered.

My knees nearly buckled, and I looked to Tarrin and Nevander, who nodded in confirmation.

Caius faced me. “You’ll excuse me, Nyleeria,” he said, and the three of them disappeared.

I stared at the empty space, the grass beginning to unfurl where their feet had been a blink before.

Tarrin pulled me into his side, giving me a half-hug. “Gods above, Nyleeria. You understand we’re five centuries old, don’t you? You gotta stop doing this to us.”

I smiled and leaned into the hug. “I should really stop hanging around old geezers. Or maybe you should find a new vocation,” I said, winking at him.

They laughed.

Smiling down at me, Nevander said, “I’m glad you’re okay, Nyleeria.”

“Me too.” I looked around. “Where’s Thaddeus?”

“He’s back in the human realm, trying to use spellcraft to find you,” Nevander answered.

“He’s not here?” Dread tore through me, feeling vulnerable without him in this strange land.

“We’ll send word as soon as we’re back, if Caius hasn’t done so already,” Nevander said.

I gave him a nod of thanks.

“You look like hell, Ny,” Tarrin said as he looked me over. “Where the fuck have you been?”

I scowled at him but softened my expression when his words echoed in my mind— Ny . The familiarity and casualness of the nickname warmed me.

“I honestly have no idea,” I said. There was no way I could begin to untangle where we’d gone or if it was an actual place.

They raised their brows. “Truly,” I said, putting my hands up in surrender.

“You were gone for nearly two days, and you don’t know where you were?” Nevander asked calmly.

“That’s the thing, it wasn’t two days for us. It was an hour—at most. ”

“And Amos’ power is gone?” Tarrin asked, skepticism furrowing his brows.

“I guess we’ll find out. The only way to know for sure is if I get another vision.” I shuddered at the thought.

“Caius seemed certain the wisp was gone,” Nevander challenged.

I shrugged, still not exactly sure what happened.

“Either way, we need to get you cleaned up and let Thaddeus know you’re back,” Tarrin said and started walking back toward the summer palace.

I followed them in silence to my guest suite, pausing at the threshold as they walked through.

“Nyleeria?” Nevander asked as he turned back to face me, voice laced with concern.

I willed my feet to move, but my body simply refused to go any farther.

“I…I can’t,” I whispered.

“It’s okay, Nyleeria,” Nevander coaxed, motioning for me to come into the suite.

I shook my head and took a small step back.

The two exchanged a questioning glance before Tarrin met my eyes. Seeming to recognize something in them, he said, “Okay, Ny. You don’t have to come in.”

Looking at Nevander, he said, “Let’s take her to our villa. She can stay in Thaddeus’ quarters for now.”

Nevander looked behind him, as if assessing the perfectly good suite, unable to see the horrors that kept me from reentering.

“Please,” I said.

Brows furrowed, he looked me up and down before giving Tarrin a half-nod, then walked past me, leading the way.

With them calling it a villa, I’d expected to leave the summer palace and walk the grounds; instead, we weaved our way through countless hallways before making it to a set of heavy wooden doors. The soft white wood was beautifully carved with a mural that poetically captured summer’s essence. I stepped through them, not prepared for the vastness I encountered on the other side. My accommodation at the king’s palace, and the guest suite here, paled in comparison. It was more like a small manor, and at least ten times the size of the cabin.

I took in the space with mute interest, but suddenly felt too exhausted to even admire the exquisite bouquets of flowers or catalog anything beyond the basic details. Adrenaline had sustained me until then, and a deep weariness was threatening to take over at any second.

I followed Tarrin into the open living space, focusing on his back to keep me moving. Within a few steps, he faced me, soft concern in his eyes.

I looked up at him, not sure what expression was on my face, and said, “Sleep.”

Kind understanding filled his eyes, and without question, he turned to my left and led me into a massive chamber off the main area. I threw him a grateful smile, and he closed the door behind me.

As I went to drop into bed, I caught sight of myself in a full-length mirror in the lavatory to my right. Tarrin had been kind to say I looked like hell—I looked like a child’s rag doll that’d been dragged everywhere for the past year, or longer.

I was filthy. Splattered in dried, black oil. More hair had escaped my braid than remained in it. The skin that did show was covered in what I hoped was dirt. And there was even grass in my hair and green stains on my clothing—which was stretched beyond recognition, now more tatters than anything.

I sighed, forcing myself to open the wardrobe. As I did so, Thaddeus’ familiar, rich scent wafted out, and I breathed a tiny bit of life back into me.

His clothing was hung and pressed neatly. I shucked off my dirty rags and slipped into one of his shirts. I closed my eyes, holding the necklace in my hand, and soaked in his scent, feeling the soft fabric against my skin .

Stepping from the pile of clothes at my feet, I padded to the bed, pulled the covers back, and collapsed into it.

I awoke to soft caresses on my tangled hair and saw Thaddeus kneeling at the side of the bed. A piece of me cracked at seeing him before me, his gaze harboring countless emotions.

“Hi,” I said in barely a whisper.

“Hi,” he whispered back to me, his smile almost imperceptible.

He placed his forehead against mine, then kissed me deeply, as if reassuring himself I was there.

I pulled the covers away and sat up, dangling my legs off the side of the bed. He moved forward, his torso filling the space between my thighs, then knelt before me. Leaning into me, he rested his head on my chest. I curled into him, lacing my fingers through his soft curls. His arms wrapped around me, hands splayed, and held me tight.

We stayed in that wordless embrace as relief, comfort, and reassurance flooded between us.

Unthreading my fingers from his hair, I placed a hand under his chin tilting it up, and my heart ached at the vulnerability staring back at me.

I leaned down and pressed my lips against his, letting him know that I was okay. We were okay. Whatever thoughts plagued him seemed to melt after a moment, and his lips met mine with the same tenderness I offered him.

Our tethering kisses deepened, and as his broad hands pulled me in closer, I parted my lips for him, and he swept in tasting all of me as if he’d never tasted me before.

Moaning, he slid a hand into my tangled hair, nipping at the side of my neck—then stopped, pulling away to look at me.

“Nyleeria?” he asked, the concerned word accentuated by the deep lines between his brows. He tentatively traced a black splotch on my shoulder before his eyes darted around, cataloging the marks as if just noticing them.

“They don’t hurt,” I said.

“Are you sure?” he asked, brows still furrowed .

In response, I wrapped my legs around him, then pressed my hands against the sides of his face, pulling him in.

He hesitated for a moment, and I nipped his bottom lip. At that, his hand traveled along my spine, then followed the contours of my exposed hips downward. His warm breath hovered over my collarbone as his fingers explored. I bit my lip in anticipation—only, nothing happened.

I opened my eyes to find Thaddeus staring down at me. Pulling away to get a better view, his look morphed into pure, ravenous intent, and a guttural sound of approval slipped from his lips. I swallowed, following his gaze down to the cascading fabric of his borrowed shirt snagging on my breasts—their hard pointed peaks clearly visible.

He stood, his mass towering over me as his eyes continued devouring what lay in wait. I leaned up for him, craving any connection, but with mischief in his eyes, he tilted back a fraction and threw me a grin. I narrowed my eyes at him but relented at his silent promise.

Leaning back on my elbows, I watched as his fingers rounded my hips before continuing their teasing caress along the sensitive sides of my torso, gathering fabric as he slid up my body, until I was free.

I made to move farther onto the bed but was stopped. A crooked smile teased at his lips as he slid a leg up between mine, then brought the other beside it, kneeling. He placed a hand on either side of my head and lowered his weight down, his bulging desire only separated by the soft fabric of his garments. In a slow movement, he ground that part of him upward, rubbing me where I ached for it. I let out a deep, longing moan when he did it again and went to grab him, but he caught me, wrapping my delicate wrists in his hands before pinning them above my head.

Lowering himself farther, he said, “I want to devour you, Nyleeria, like my own personal feast.”

Oh gods . My feet flexed, and my hips moved under him, desiring friction .

“Yes,” he breathed into my ear, and a whining plea rang out of me—stars I wanted him covered in my slickness.

Making sure I kept my hands above my head, he flashed that knowing smile of his, then dismounted. Once standing, his firm grip dragged me to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheets free. He paused for a heartbeat, then placed a hand on the inside of my knees, spreading them apart so my sex was fully on display. He sucked in an approving breath, and his eyes, rich with promise, focused on their quarry as he lowered himself to his knees. Bursting with anticipation, I gripped the bedding, mindful to keep my arms where he left them.

Warm breath caressed my wetness. Torture—this was a new kind of torture.

My hips tilted, unhappy with the wait, wanting more.

A deep chuckle rumbled from him before a different kind of vibration jolted through me as he sucked in that bundle of nerves. I bucked, and his hands gripped my inner thighs hard, keeping me in place as he continued to play.

Unable to help myself, I released the bedding and brought my hands to my breasts, needing to feel flesh as I grabbed them with the same intensity he’d used, pretending they were his firm, calloused palms scraping against my nipples.

He released my thighs, and in a rolling motion, his fingers replaced his mouth just before he plunged his tongue deep inside me. The tip made a sweeping motion as if beckoning someone forward, and my hands shot out to the sides, fisting the bedding as I frantically grasped to contain the sounds that wanted to fill the halls, giving us away.

Thaddeus knew exactly what he was doing as he worked his fingers and tongue in tandem, pulling me to the edge over and over, but not quite giving me the release I needed —the one I’d surely die without.

“Please. Oh gods, Thaddeus. Please!” I cried.

His mouth traded places with his fingers once more, plunging into me hard, but it was his tongue that had me screaming first, release shuddering through me as he pumped in and out of me like his life depended on it.

Finally, my breath hitched, catching in my lungs, and I was unable to make a sound when the muscles inside me clenched hard in pure ecstasy around his buried fingers. I shook as wave after wave crashed over me until there was nothing left to give.

Heart still pounding, Thaddeus removed himself, and a deep throb pulsed in his absence as if my body already missed him.

Standing, he made his way onto the bed and straddled me, watching as the remnants of pleasure continued coursing through my veins. Holding my gaze, he slowly sucked his fingers clean.

“You’re delicious,” he crooned, then leaned in and kissed me deeply, letting me taste for myself.