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He drank from her with no shred of control. He bit and sucked, as if desperate to get her blood into him, and she reveled in it. She throbbed inside with the heat of her own pulse as he made her bleed for him.
Her climax made her knees buckle, and he held her up while she ground her hips against him. But he kept drinking. It seemed he would never get enough. Wonderful, for she wouldn’t either.
He was relentless. Her head spun, and she gulped at the air while he made one hard draw after another at her vein. He pulled her to the cusp again, and her whole body tensed, her krana clutched tight. She needed it again, she had to have release. She spread her thighs, pressing herself against him, rocking her hips harder.
Her second climax made her cry out in astonishment. Harder, better than the first. He groaned and pushed her more firmly against the tree, tightening his teeth on her throat. She heard the scrape of bark on either side of her.
It wasn’t until the last tremor ceased inside her that he lifted his head with a growl of relish. “Your pleasure tastes so good. I just want to make you climax all night so I can drink it.”
In between pants, she managed, “I’ll last you till moon hours.” She eyed where his hands had scored the trunk. “I’m not sure about the tree, though.”
They laughed together again, and he eased back to let her stand.
“Let us relocate to my window seat.” He cleared his throat. “After we’ve said hello to the family.”
“Right. We mustn’t miss the goats’ bedtime.” Cassia pushed her tousled hair back from her face, assessing the blood spatter on her. “I’ll fasten you up if you work a cleaning spell.”
At the sight of the mess he had made, he blushed as he had when they had ruined an heirloom rug at the ancient Hesperine fortress of Waystar. But this time, he did not apologize.
SEAFARERS
“Thorns.” Lio’s blush spread.“My mother is headed our way. We’d best get presentable so I can lift my veil.”
Cassia swallowed a cascade of laughter and helped Lio fasten his robes. Her fingers fumbled, but between the two of them, they set him to rights in record time. A puff of moonflower and sandalwood fragrance, and his cleaning spell made her gown pristine once more.
They were standing side-by-side in front of Prometheus with folded hands and straight faces when Komnena came into view along the path that ran the length of the cliff. She was walking very slowly, but when she saw them, she proceeded at a more natural pace.
She gave them an all-too-benign smile. “There you are. I’m so sorry to interrupt your meditations, but there are two goats and a suckling anxious for tucking in and a bedtime story, and they cannot begin without Glasstongue and the Brave Gardener.”
Lio put a hand on his heart. “We never fail to answer the call of those in need.”
“Saving bedtime is my favorite heroic activity,” Cassia said.
“Papa errant needs a moment of your time first, Lio. He’d like to go over some of our Ritual tributaries’ needs in preparation for your Gift Night.”
Cassia smiled at Lio. “Do you celebrate your Gift Night on the date you were born?”
“Yes, on Winter Solstice.”
“Not many Hesperines have reason to celebrate the night of their birth.” His mother looked at him fondly. “I can scarcely believe my baby boy is turning eighty-nine.”
Cassia stole an amused glance at Lio. With his beard, he looked a bit more mature than when she had first met him, but still no older than her. “Will you receive presents, like on a temple day?”
At her perusal, his eyes crinkled with good humor. “No, on your Gift Night, you give presents to others. Mother, Father, and I will agree on what best addresses the needs of each of our Ritual tributaries for the coming year, and I shall present our gifts to them on Solstice. It is a very important opportunity for us to provide for those under our care.”
“We also have a lot of fun,” his mother added.
Lio’s gaze lingered on Cassia. “I’m looking forward to my Gift Night more this year than ever before.”
“The more I hear about Winter Solstice,” Cassia replied, “the more I look forward to it as well.”
“It’s going to be very special this year.” His smile promised all sorts of surprises. “You’ll enjoy it.”
Komnena pointed overhead at their bloodline’s constellation. “The Boreian Winter Solstice falls during the month of Anastasios, so our bloodline is responsible for a great deal of the planning, not only for Lio’s Gift Night, but all the Solstice Vigils and Festivals.”
“Why don’t you go on ahead to speak with your father, Lio? I wouldn’t mind a word with your mother.” Cassia looked from Lio to Komnena. “That is, if you don’t need to go straight back to Zoe.”
“Kia and Nodora have not finished doting on her,” Komnena replied. “Why don’t you and I walk back together?”
