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I slipped my palm beneath his and didn’t resist when he tentatively threaded his fingers with mine.
A lightning bolt of longing coursed through me.
He loosed a breath, as if he’d felt the same, and that my acknowledgment, my touch, soothed some deep part of his soul.
But he wasn’t the only one affected. Feeling him, touching him...it called to something within me too. Something that was unfurling and growing, some hidden part of me that had been dormant and was only now coming to light.
Mate.
“How do we stop the king?” I whispered. “And how do we permanently fix our land?”
His eyes darkened in the firelight, brimming with barely leashed desire. “We start by you winning the Rising Queen Trial.”
CHAPTER21
Those words hit me like a punch to my gut. Win the Trial. Marry the prince. Destroy the king.
“What if I can’t?” I pulled my hand away and wrapped my arms around my waist.
“Youcan, Ilara. You’re stronger than all of them. Just because your magic is new doesn’t deter from its strength. You’re powerful. You just need to believe in yourself and hone it.”
“But if I win, we’ll—” I licked my lips as my stomach coiled. Desire tingled within me, desire forhim. “We’ll marry.”
“We will.” That wild light entered his eyes again. “And then you’ll bemine.” Those instincts reared in his expression, the feral longing, the harsh desire.
Males always felt the mate bond more viscerally than females. It wasn’t unheard of for males to kill another male who in any way threatened their female. There were laws in the courts that allowed such acts, simply because the instincts were so strong that they were at times uncontrollable.
And that fact hit me like a thunderbolt. No wonder he’d tried to kill Vorl and Lord Waterline when they’d attacked me. And no wonder he’d nearly killed his guard when he believed Haxil was trying to claim me.
“Is your interest in me solely because of the bond?” I asked.
“No.”
I arched an eyebrow as I took in his broad shoulders and massive wings. He was as alluring as the underworld, dark and full of sin. I’d tried to fight my attraction to him, but I wanted him.
He inhaled, subtly, but I still caught it. “And is your interest inmeonly because of the bond?”
My chest rose faster, and I hastily took another drink. “No.”
He inched closer, his gaze like a predator. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but it’s not just the bond that attracts me to you, Ilara. You’re strong, brave, kind, and much more resilient than most give you credit for.”
My gaze whipped to his. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve seen enough to know that much, and I’ve heard things too. The servants speak of you, of your kindness and willingness to always help. They’ve never met a lady like you. You don’t see yourself as above them or them as merely there to serve you. You see them as fae, as individuals. It hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
“Because they are fae who deserve to be treated with kindness and are more than just servants. Since when do rulibs determine one’s worth?” I said vehemently.
His eyes flickered, an emotion shining in them before he veiled it. “You’re inherently good, Ilara, and I’ve committed more sins than Lucifer, but I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I’ll be a worthy mate to you. I’ll cherish you, and I’ll show you that I’m not as evil as everyone believes—”
“I already know you’re not.”
He stilled.
“I’ve seen enough to know the same of you, my prince. You’ve sacrificed more than anyone in this kingdom knows, and you’ve done it all selflessly. You haven’t looked for recognition or gratitude when you’ve helped fae who’ve demanded your affinities be used for their needs. You created an entire village to shield innocents from your father even though it could lead to your demise. You’re not a monster, Norivun. I see that. Iseeyou.”
His chest heaved, his mouth tightening, and then he squeezed my hand again, his fingers once more encircling mine. “I’ve waited so long to find you.”
I squeezed him back just as tightly. Tears began to fill my eyes, because it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he was hated when he gave so much.
