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“They’re here. Elsie is being seen by our best healers and Tuuk has barely left her side,” he says.
I stop and look around the enormous room. It’s probably the most beautiful space I’ve ever been in. Ornate designs are carved into the ceiling and the window frames. The windows themselves are made from crystal, which cast a rainbow effect onto everything in the room. Aside from the oversized round bed with white gauze falling in swathes from the ceiling, a white wood armoire, writing desk, full-length mirror, a dining table, and dove gray cushioned couches, are all set atop polished wood floors. Out the window, pink flowers bloom bright, as if it’s not Autumn at all, but Spring. The water I heard when I first awoke continues just outside, creating a soothing melody. “Where are we?” I ask.
“Crystal Falls.”
Which means that my mother is somewhere in the city. My stomach ties itself in knots at the thought. “My mother?”
“I’m told she’s on her way back. She was away from Crystal Falls when I sent for the soldiers. Sahra, she still doesn’t know about you.”
I just nod a little. “Well, she will soon enough.” I continue to make my way to the mirror. “What happened after I touched the Faestone?”
“After you got your magic back and lost consciousness, I was able to heal you enough for travel,” Daimis says. “The fae soldiers I’d sent for finally arrived. They ran into the shadow demons the Regent sent to Crystal Falls on their way. They said that they were battling them when the shadow demons just suddenly stopped and flew away, probably the moment the Regent died. The fae soldiers escorted us back here where you’ve been recovering.”
I stand in front of the mirror and stare at my reflection. My eyes are back to their normal light blue, and I look like me again, my skin has its color back, my body has filled back out, but there is one noticeable change. My dark hair is unbound and hanging in waves to my waist, but with a new streak of white that flows from my temple all the way to the tips. I run my fingers through the white hairs. A symbol of what I endured—of what I overcame.
“It can be spelled back if you prefer,” Daimis says.
“No,” I let the hair fall through my fingers. “It’s a part of me now. I don’t want to hide it away.”
He comes up behind me and scoops my hair to one side. The slide of his fingers against the back of my neck sends a chill of excitement through me. I watch him gaze at me through the mirror. He’s so close that his breath slides like a caress over my shoulder and ear when he speaks. “I like it,” he says, his voice low and husky. “And you don’t have to hide here. Crystal Falls is your home.”
That’s a strange thought since I’ve never been here before. “Crystal Falls isn’t my home.” I turn to face him.
“I hope it can be, someday.”
I bring my hand up to cup his face, his stubble tickling my palm. Daimis places his hands on my hips, the contact sparking desire. I tilt my head up and stare into his jade-green eyes rimmed with black lashes. “You are my home, Daimis. You always have been.”
He pulls me close until our bodies are flush and his birch and cypress with warm spices surrounds me, taunting me. I can see small flecks of gold in his light-green eyes. My magic stirs in me with a tingling sensation, recognizing his.
“I thought of you every single day,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “Missed you every single second. Wished for just one more day, hour, minute with you. And then I had that, only to almost lose you all over again. And now…now you’re here, and we’re…this.” He tightens his grip on my hips. “It’s everything…you’re everything.”
He lowers his head and kisses me. It’s full of longing and claiming. Of shattering and rebuilding. Of bottled emotions, for all the years we lost and hope for the years we have yet to spend together. I open my mouth, sliding my tongue in to mingle with his, taking the kiss deeper, showing him that I need this. I need him. I crave every touch, every kiss, every seductive whisper of skin on skin.
“Sahra,” Daimis breathes out between kisses, half prayer, half plea. My whispered name on his lips speaks a language my soul knows intimately. Warm calloused hands slide over my body, leaving delicious heat and pleasure in their wake. Desire pulses between my thighs. We make our way to the bed. He sits on the edge with me between his legs and pulls back. Both of us breathing heavily. He smooths my hair from my face, his gaze running over every feature, drinking me in hungrily.
Eyes locked on his, I climb on top of him, straddling his lap. His hands move to my ankles, slowly—so very slowly—they glide up to my calves, the silk dress sliding up with the motion. Shivers of lust has bumps rising on my skin. I cup either side of his face, and bring my lips to his again, tender yet firm. His hands continue their ministrations, making their way to my knees, then bare thighs and squeezing. I release the top few buttons of his shirt, my hands seeking his skin, I slide them over his muscular shoulders and roll my hips, pressing my core into his considerable, hard length; our maddening clothing still separating us. He groans his pleasure into my mouth and his hands move to cup my ass, guiding my body over his again. His mouth roams down to my neck, my collar bone—soft lips, slick tongue, sharp scrape of teeth. He slides one strap off my shoulder and dips his head lower, and when his mouth finds my breast, I let my head fall back, tangle my hands in his curls, and arch into the feel of his mouth and tongue tantalizing my nipple. A delicious heat fills deep within, and a moan escapes me. All I want is all of him.
A knock echoes from the door, loud and jarring. We pull back, and our shadows are once again twisting around us, green and blue mingling together. I reach out my hand to touch them. My blue-tinged shadows disappear, but the green one twists around my wrist, then slides up my arm in a feather-like caress that leaves goosebumps in its wake. I look at Daimis who has a knowing smirk on his face.
“Nice trick,” I say.
The knock echoes again.
“Tell whoever it is to get lost,” I say, my voice husky. “I’m not done with you yet.”
Daimis’s smirk deepens. “Nor I with you.” He slides my strap back up with his shadow before it disappears. “But if it’s who I think it is, they won’t leave. And really, I think you’ll be glad she didn’t.” He moves a lock of hair from my left shoulder and runs a thumb over the bandage there. “Besides, I want you completely healed when I bed you, so I can thoroughly and properly worship every inch of your body.”
He kisses my shoulder and my stomach thrills at his words.
“Just a moment,” he calls out and helps me off of him.
He adjusts himself before retrieving a long-sleeved, ornately embellished white threaded robe from the armoire. He helps me into the garment and clasps the front buttons for me.
“Also, I glamour myself here.” He places his hands over his ears and says an incantation. When he pulls his hands away, his ears are elongated, coming to points. Fae ears. And oddly enough, it suits him. He’s already as uncommonly beautiful as a fae, in a rugged, muscular, and intoxicatingly sexy sort of way.
The knock rings out again, more forcefully this time.
“Not much for patience,” I say.
