Page 115 of Prince of the Phantom Sky

“You,” he replied.

Kora’s eyes glinted against the flames of the cream sconces lining the walls. Raiden sucked in a breath, heat coiling in the base of his spine and winding around his thighs, making him dizzy. Her fucking eyes. She braved a step forward, and the scent of salted vanilla, wrapped in his shirt, made him rock on his feet as he fought to suppress the growl that wanted to tear from his throat.

Her head tilted up as she scanned his face, a new boldness emanating from her in his presence, like she could truly see him. Suspicion no longer lined her eyes, whatever wall she’d been hiding behind had shattered. “And how bad are these dreams of me?”

Raiden swallowed. “The worst.”

Kora hummed, and Raiden’s jaw grinded as she briefly swayed forward, inspecting him, close enough for him to count her eyelashes, before stepping back. “I have bad dreams, too. Of Barron. Blake. Agatha. All the death I’ve caused.”

Raiden motioned to the bed and Kora clambered in, pulling the duvet over. Raiden settled on a mattress beside her, dragging one of the pillows from the bed. He refrained from admitting he knew she suffered, that her chambers were on the other side of this wall, and he heard her weep at night.

“Each day that passes, the suffering gets a bit easier,” Raiden answered.

“Lucky me, I’ve got an eternity for that to happen,” Kora half-joked as they both stared up at the curved ceiling.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked into the space.

Silence. Kora’s breathing hitched, and for a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer.

“I found something.” Relief flickered through him that she responded. “A hidden book in my room. It . . . it wasn’t anything important, just random scribbles. But when I touched it I . . .”

She fell quiet, her feet audibly fidgeting beneath the sheets. Raiden reached up, pressing his fingers onto the side of the bed. Without hesitation, Kora’s fingers brushed his, up to his knuckles. His entire body focused on the sensation, the sensitivity of her nails against his skin, the way her fingers glided across his.

“Kordelia consumed me so easily. I had no control, no way of stopping her. It was the worst it’s ever been. I’m afraid, Raiden.”

“I won’t let it happen,” he assured. “Where’s this book?”

If Kordelia had hidden something from him, he dreaded to think what it could be. She never had any trinkets or keepsakes in her room, nothing of sentimental value. The only thing she ever prized was a compass that never pointed north, and that was lost.

“I left it there. I’ll get it tomorrow. I don’t want to be near it right now.”

Raiden pondered deeply about what secrets Kordelia may have harboured. What else could she have hidden in this castle? Was there something in this book to trigger such a strong emotional response in Kora?

“Is it always like this? Magic, I mean. I thought once I had a grip on it, everything would be fine.” Her sigh was heavy, laced with irritation.

Raiden chuckled, forgetting how Kora was the equivalent of a young teenage mage when it came to her magic. “It’s not like those fantasy stories you like to read.”

“How did you know!” She rounded the bed, her hair falling around her face as she blinked down at him. His breath caught in his throat, and he instinctively tucked a few silken strands behind her ear. Kora didn’t push him away and so he continued, tracing her jaw lightly until he cupped her scarred cheek.

“Remember I said sometimes I’d be sucked into the void, and would have to watch your life? Well, some of the time, all you were doing was reading out at sea. And I was forced to read along with you.” Raiden rolled his eyes with a small smile.

“I’m guessing you like reading?” She glanced to the pile of rune texts in the corner.

“Nope, absolutely not.”

Kora’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’, her freckled cheeks blushing slightly.

“I also know how filthy some of those books are that you’ve read.” Raiden laughed as Kora smacked his hand away with a groan, disappearing under the duvet. “What I wanted to say, is that in those stories, magic is endless, mighty. It comes without consequence. It’s beyond the rules of the world.”

Kora peeked out from under the duvet, resting on her side as she peered down at Raiden, her head propped on his plush pillow. His cock twitched knowing his bed was going to smell like her for days.

“What’s the best way to explain . . .” he frowned. “You like coffee, right? Once you have some, you feel a rush, endless energy, capable of doing anything.”

“I think you’re overselling coffee, but sure.”

“After a while, it drains. You get tired, you need another ‘drink’ to keep your levels going. Our magic is like that. It has reserves. Filled to the max after a hot, strong coffee. The more energy you use, your reserves dwindle, reaching a limit. That’s where the bleeding comes in, from your nose or ears. Your blood is literally screaming at you to stop. Because our power is in our veins from the gods.” Raiden waved his hands in the air, trying to over-explain the concept to her.

“So, basically, I could feel this shitty for eternity?”