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“I’ll fly you up,” Cerridwen offered, scowling at her brother. “Carnon can climb. You know the way.” He nodded, shooting me a wink and whistling to Akela, who trotted after him with a backward glance at me.Be careful, was the sentiment I felt from Akela, and it took a lot of self-control to not laugh at the overprotective mother-hen of a wolf.
“What’s that about?” Cerridwen asked, watching Akela as he unwillingly trotted away.
“I’m not sure,” I confessed. “I can sort of…sense things from him, I think?”
“Does Carnon know?” Cerridwen asked skeptically.
“No,” I said emphatically. “About that or theotherthing I now know. And I’m not planning to tell him.”
Cerridwen gave me a wry grin. “Well I can’t say I’m not relieved about that,” she said, indicating that I should hop onto her back. She crouched, pulling my arms around her neck in a tight grip. “I’d rather he not eviscerate me any time soon. Hold on tight!”
My stomach gave an odd lurch, both at the memory of Carnon saying those words underverydifferent circumstances, and with the swooping sensation of lifting off the ground.
I think I shrieked, making Cerridwen laugh at my terror as she flew high into the canopy of the forest, soaring between treetop buildings and platforms and bridges. There were hundreds of people living in the trees, mostly demons by the looks of the wings and horns, and they took no notice of us as Cerridwen flew between them.
“The Temple of Cernunnos is that way,” Cerridwen said, pointing vaguely north toward a thicker patch of forest. “That’s where Herne holds court, usually only on the high holidays. And the ocean is about a hundred miles that way,” she added, pointing straight ahead of us to the east.
“And where will we be staying?” I asked, shouting so she could hear me in the wind as she flew.
“The king has a permanent home in every court,” Cerridwen shouted back. “It’s just up ahead.”
Somehow, annoyingly, Carnon was already there when Cerridwen descended toward the platform. He was leaning against the railing waving lazily. I shot him a dirty gesture as I dropped from his sister’s back, and he laughed.
“How did you beat us here?” she asked, sounding annoyed.
“Demon King, remember?” Carnon said, smiling smugly. Cerridwen scowled and he laughed. “I hitched a ride with one of your younger flyers. He was too scared of me to refuse, I think.”
Cerridwen rolled her eyes at this, giving me a look that said she would be demanding answers from me later. “You missed dinner, but I’ll have someone bring you a tray,” she said. “Herne is out on the hunt already, but he should be back tomorrow evening.”
“Thanks,” Carnon said, giving his sister one of his softer smiles. She rolled her eyes at him and leaped off the platform, swooping gracefully out of sight.
“So, Red,” Carnon said, raising an expectant brow at me. “What now?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “This trip was your idea, although I notice I haven’t done any actual magic training yet.”
“Hmm, I was a little too distracted to instruct you in anything else last night,” he said, a seductive smile playing at his lips. “Training can wait until tomorrow. What I meant,” he continued, prowling toward me, “is do you want to eat first, or can I?”
“Pig,” I said, trying to look disdainful and hide the flush of heat he had ignited in me with his dirty suggestions and forked tongue.
He grinned wickedly down at me. “You like it,” he purred. “Truth.”
“Hmm,” I said, noncommittally, taking a measured step back. “I don’t know. I am rather hungry.”
“So am I,” Carnon growled, prowling closer like a cat cornering its prey. “Should I just assume I have your permission for the next several days? Or do you like begging for it, Elara?”
“Goddess,” I breathed, feeling heat pool between my thighs. “This doesn’t seem like a very kingly way to behave, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, I promise you it is,” he purred, hovering his lips just over mine, the whisper of a kiss. “Your permission?”
“Yes,” I said, closing my eyes and melting into him as he captured my lips. His tongue swept over mine, flicking in a teasing suggestion of what was to come. My hands went to his shirt, fumbling with the buttons as his tongue still tangled with mine. Carnon guided us blindly to the entrance to the treetop dwelling, his mouth still wholly occupied with mine as he also pulled frantically at my clothes.
I didn’t register the room or the decor or anything as Carnon managed to get the door unlatched and we tumbled inside, too consumed with each other to pay attention to anything around us. If there was a bed in the room, we simply didn’t make it that far, hands tugging at each other’s clothes as we bared ourselves in the middle of the room.
“You are a fucking goddess,” Carnon growled, biting my lip between his teeth as he gripped my bare backside, pulling me as close as he could without actually entering me. His lips moved to my neck and jaw as I clawed at his back, desperate to feel his skin against mine.
“Then worship me,” I commanded, earning a dark chuckle as Carnon sank to his knees before me.
“With pleasure,” he purred, pulling my leg over his shoulder and steadying me with a broad hand on my back. “Hold on tight, Red.”
