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My whole body tensed, writhing as I free-fell into ecstasy. Dace moved in a rhythm of spiraling, heightened bliss, and rugged, rough jolts to my body. I didn’t care as my loud moan carried through the room, my face still half caught against the fabric of the chair. Nothing bothered me in that moment where joy rose, carried, and eventually faded. His fingers curled into my shoulders bringing me back harder and faster against him as he pounded into me.
His breathing was ragged, heavy, and loud. Sweat had begun to pool between us, cooling in the breeze he created. He cried out, leaning into me while his hips still slowly rocked.
The claiming marks had connected us in ways I never thought imaginable. They heightened everything when it came to him, and so now I could feel his release through the bond. I could feel him smiling, even when I couldn’t see him. The sex…it brought us closer.
Dace handled me more gently now, pulling away slowly. He slipped his pants back up, biting his bottom lip as I turned back around, panting in the seat.
My head spun from my frantic breathing, my body still trembling from the high. I’d opened my mouth to speak but Dace lifted a finger. “One second.”
The glisten of sweat over his skin shone through the panels of his shirt as he disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged holding a small cloth. His steps were lighter now as he approached, kneeling in front of the chair. I’d slumped back, just breathing and watching.
“During the meeting,” he gently pushed my legs apart again, “King Windre explained the plan to help Maggie get out of her cell. Included in that plan is for me to be an accomplice to King Ottack’s murder.” Softly, he brushed the rag over all of my sensitive spots, dabbing up the evidence of our sex. He slowed, smiling boldly, when he heard me hum at his touch, then continued on. “It would be a hit to my already bad reputation and ammo for our divided court to use against me.”
“You’re still going to do it, right? It’s a risk.” I tried to keep my voice steady as he finished with the rag and folded it up in his hands. “I mean, what's the other option?”
Dace sighed, his shoulders stiffening and slumping all at once. “War. More than this tension and disagreement between the courts. Bloody, deadly war.”
“So, it’s not really a choice, is it?”
Silence stretched on after my question. It was a choice. To Dace, it felt like a hard choice because he was the one who had to sacrifice in this scenario.
“Hey,” I whispered, sitting forward, “it won't be easy, but I think it’s what you need to do. I’ll be at your side for all of it.”
I stood, pulling up my shorts. Quietly, I stepped around Dace, leaving him kneeling there on the floor, and he stayed there without a word, frozen in thought.
Chapter20
Dace
“This outfit is scratchy,” Jesseline said under her breath.
The wagon we’d bought off a wealthy merchant in the Obtune Court bounced as we entered the gate surrounding Ottack’s castle. I glanced out the window, watching the fluffy white clouds gather and pass above us. Blue sky and bright green, evenly-trimmed grass made the castle look cheerful and welcoming. My stomach still twisted in a knot at the sight.
“I don’t see why I couldn’t wear my cloak for this rendezvous,” she continued, trying to scratch through the thick Twinity Court guard uniform.
“You’re meant to look like my personal guard, not the tagalong assassin.” I scanned the high towers, wondering how many guards he had perched up in those windows or if they’d all been sent off to march with the army that was now trying to make something of the Heathern Court castle. Pressure was building behind my eyes, a throbbing entity that reminded me of the distance between Ryker and me.
“Fucking ouch,” she said, taking full offense. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead in that bar, I’ll happily remind you.”
“Dying would likely hurt less if I was drunk,” I pondered aloud, our bodies swaying forward as the wagons came to a jerky halt.
The merchant who’d owned this before we offered him a healthy sum, far over the asking price, had taken good care of the carriage. Its hinges didn’t make a noise as a Nymph in a plain outfit pulled the door open. He bowed low, his excessively oversized shirt sliding up his spine as he lowered. I no longer had to pretend like his malnourished state didn’t bother me, so I frowned.
Jesseline stepped soundlessly behind me. I’d only realized she’d emerged from the wagon as well when I glanced back to find her waiting patiently for me to move.
“King Dace, let me escort you to King Ottack.” The Nymph’s voice wavered, but he kept his gaze steady.
“Very well,” I sighed. My stomach turned with unease. Nausea rolled inside me in a way I’d not known before.Is this some sort of guilt? Nerves? Am I dreading the possible repercussions? Oh gods, yuck! Who am I becoming?I pondered my own existence and the very real possibility that I was turning into some sort of prissy boy rather than a king as I followed the Nymph. We’d only taken a couple turns before he paused at a door with two guards posted.
Ottack’s castle quite often reminded me of a very upscale and oversized cottage, with its large oval shaped doors. Even the metal knobs were quaint with their swirling details. I found it so odd that the Fae that seemed to be the ugliest on the inside lived in such a beautiful place.
“I’ll be right outside,” Jesseline said in a hushed tone, walking to stand directly across the hall where she promptly crossed her arms and stared at Ottack’s guards. They were in for a treat.
The old knob squeaked as I turned it. Unusual considering most of the Fae nobility kept up with their castles. Perhaps it was a safety precaution, one that ensured Ottack and whomever else was around could hear when this door opened and closed, despite the care of whoever entered.
Inside, two couches sat facing each other, covered by the light of the open windows. The heat outside remained mild, if not slightly chilly from the drafts of wind that carried from my court. Scanning the room, I expected to find King Ottack and perhaps even his alleged mistress. Instead, King Ottack smiled from his curled up position on the farthest couch and a stray guard stood at attention a few feet behind him.
“Oh, Dace!” Ottack smiled, setting down his pearlescent teacup. “It’s so good to see you, my lad.”
