When Raelyn and I finally made it back to camp, Sera and Alex were already retired to their tent. I smirk when I recall Sera giving Alex the most glaring of expressions when he told her they were sharing. Rae nearly jumped in to say she could share with Sera, but there was no way in hells I would be sleeping apart from her ever again if I could help it. Besides, the tents aren’t that small. It’s not like Sera and Alex have to cuddle.
Alex might not admit it, but I have the feeling he’s in deep shit. I saw the terror on his face when we heard the girls scream. I’ve never seen him run so fast in his entire life. Gods only know if they’ll ever admit it to themselves, but there is something there, hidden beneath the jibes and loathing. My friend is falling, and he’s falling fast.
I look down at my incredible wife, cuddled up into my side, right where she belongs.
“Why did we wait so long to do that?” She smiles sleepily.
I shake my head and laugh. “It wasn’t part of the arrangement.”
She pouts, and I press another kiss to her lips.
When she stiffens, I pull back. “Is everything all right?”
“I . . . uh . . . I just realized we could have maybe made an heir?” Her voice is a little panicked.
“I’m sorry, I should have said something earlier,” I apologize. “I’ve been taking contraceptive herbs since we were bound. There was no risk.”
She shifts in the dark, and I wish I could see her face. “That’s good to know, but why only since we were bound? I thought you had a reputation . . .”
I sigh, pulling her just a bit closer. “While I can’t claim to have been celibate all these years, I allowed my reputation to become what it is so I’d be able to do what I needed to do in the dark. Margot kept me well-supplied, though I had little need of them.”
A tiny ball of light flickers to life, and Rae places a hand on my cheek, understanding in her eyes. “Even if they were true, I wouldn’t fault you for finding pleasure amidst the darkness.”
The acceptance warms my insides, and I relish the kiss she pulls me in for. It’s soft, sweet, and a promise for so much more.
“Do you need to stop taking the contraceptive herbs?” she asks softly. “I know your father is expecting an heir . . .”
“Love, I just want to enjoy you and figure out this god stuff. Children can come later, if ever.”
“Sounds good to me,” she says.
The thought of bringing a child into all this chaos seems like a terrible idea. Not that I dislike children, but there is far too much else to worry about. I heave a sigh of relief.
“Arewe going to stay in Narvae tonight?” Rae asks. “Or are we going straight to the isle?”
“That depends on how hard it is to find a boat,” I admit. We should be arriving at the small fishing town soon.
“What if we get there and don’t find anything? What if no one lets us borrow a boat?” Sera asks morosely. She’s been rather subdued since almost dying last night, and I don’t blame her. Every time I look at Rae, I thank the gods she’s okay.
“We can’t think like that,” Rae says. “We need to have faith.”
My arm gently squeezes Rae’s waist, and I press a kiss to the top of her hair. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Only about a dozen times this morning,” she replies cheekily.
Now that the words have been spoken between us, a floodgate has opened. I don’t want to waste another moment of her not knowing how much I love her . . . how she is my everything.
“Ugh, you two are sickening.” Alex groans and picks up their horse’s pace, moving out of earshot.
Raelyn giggles, and I’ll never tire of that sound. “They just need to kiss already and maybe they’ll stop being so grumpy.”
The briny scentof the sea is our first indication that we’ve finally made it to Narvae. Raelyn stretches her arms overhead and letsa few ribbons of light dance around her fingers as the sun shines down on us. The childlike joy she has at discovering her powers has been wondrous to watch.
“Perhaps you should take a break before we draw too much attention,” I drawl in her ear.
Her shoulders droop. “But it’s so fun. I wonder if I can do anything else with it? Or is it just a pretty light show?”
I hop off Phantom and help Rae dismount, purposely dragging her down the front of my body and giving her ass a little squeeze.
