“My friend was attacked, dragged away by Viori. They used whistler quills on Thorne and me … I woke up hours later, alone.” I lifted my chin, the words difficult to push out. “The crucified man they brought into your encampment … that was my friend. Dalric.”
When she was silent, I stepped closer to her. “I couldn’t tell you because I?—”
“I get it.” Her eyes were glassy. “But I don’t understand. Why are you Sealed to Pendara?”
“It was my father’s punishment. I burned down some buildings in Suomelin and he was tired of my lack of discipline, as he put it. So, he Sealed me to Pendara, Bound my other powers, and exiled me for two years.” That was about as succinct as I could put it.
She drew a sharp breath, then her eyes filled with tears. “What I don’t understand … you know we can’t be together, Ry—um.”
“Rykr.” I took her hands in my own. “I’m Rykr. To you, always. And maybe just in general. The man I was? He died, in many ways, after I was Sealed. And there are things about who I was before that I’m not proud of, Seren. Things I’m sure you’ll hear of in time. But that’s not who I am now.”
“Name aside, you’re the heir to the throne of Lirien. We can’t be together. We may be bonded by the oath, but your duties and loyalties lie elsewhere. My life is here. And that’s if I even live past tonight. Who knows how long I have. The Seidr said I was dying, Rykr.”
I had no answers.
Nothing to say that would make any of this better. The thought that she’d choose to stay here, rather than go with me, made a knot form in my stomach. I couldn’t think about it too much, but I was sure the reverse must be true, too. Would she doubt my love if I didn’t stay here—give up my kingdom for her?
After a few beats, I said, “Whatever is waiting for us after tonight … we can face it together—figure it out then. But I think we have enough to worry about for now, wouldn’t you say?”
I moved around behind her, unable to face her right now. The pain of losing her … I couldn’t consider that.
Gathering her braid, I moved it gently, then set my hands on her shoulders and dug my thumbs into the muscles below her shoulder blades. “I don’t forgive you,” she murmured. “You’re the man who wants to kill my father.”
“Good.” I kneaded my hands down the length of her spine, continuing past her lower back. She quivered, her body betraying her in an instant, but my hands moved back up to the safety of her back and I kissed her neck.
My voice was soft like silk, my fingers stroking her gently. “The angrier you are, the more likely you are to claw at me like that wild thing I first met in the forest. I wake up hard thinking about that.”
She turned her profile toward me, eyes flaring. “You think you’re so charming.”
“If it’s working, then I am that charming.” I set my hands on her hips then turned her to face me. Lifting her chin with my thumb and forefinger, I brushed my lips against hers.
“Prick. You can’t just expect me to forget everything.”
I ran the backs of my knuckles against her cheekbone with a featherlight touch.
“Yes, but also your prick. Willing, ready, and able to be used exactly how you like, my love.” I smiled before I kissed her once again. “And I know just how you like it.” My lips crushed against hers, devouring, consuming her with a fire that singed us both.
She sank against me as I tugged her against my hard cock. “You don’t fight fair,” she managed between kisses. She pushed her hand past my waistband and grabbed my length as I groaned.
“Feel free to punish me however …” I trailed off as she glided her hand up and down, then managed a strangled, “What was I saying?”
“However?” she prodded, then bit my lip, our tongues lashing against each other’s. Maybe this conversation could wait.
“No, I think you were describing how you were going to punish me.” I stepped back, a wicked grin tugging at my lips. “I highly encourage your roughest, angriest punishment.”
Her eyes stormed, dark with lust. “Fuck it,” she groaned, then tumbled back into my arms.
The quiet of the room was soon replaced by our moans.
“I’m going to miss you,” she managed in a choked voice as I leaned over on the bed.
Don’t say that, I wanted to tell her. Don’t talk like we’ve already lost.
But I couldn’t bring myself to lie.
My precious warrior. She just showed me in her tears how much she loved me. It was the only time I’d seen Seren cry. And I felt so helpless to take those tears away.
The foreboding worries of the coming night seemed to push in from all sides, her tears flowing down her cheeks with each kiss as she whispered, “I wish we could just stay here. In this room. Together.”
