45. At the Beginning

The lanterns cast a warm, colorful glow upon the reading nook I share with Cece. The closely-knit fabric of her jacket brushes my naked arm when she curls into me. "I can't believe that a few days ago, I was betrothed to a foreign prince, and now I'm living in Faerie with you… It's surreal."

I shift around to look at her eyes and tuck a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "I know the feeling."

The snug black fabric hugs her frame and makes her look smaller, somehow. This is going to take some getting used to.

Damian and the hunters have been gone for five days, but I stayed behind. Someone had to take care of Cece and teach her the basics of Faerie, and I couldn't abandon Lori to her fate, either. The venom from the bite she suffered during the aborted ceremony sank deep into the huntress' bones, and she needs Baka's constant care.

Thankfully, the magic that keeps us safe from outsiders is stronger than ever, and I spruced up the library in preparation for the big reopening.

The High Fae are all eager to return to the castle, and Damian needs to show off his renewed powers to snuff out the rumors of a formal challenge.

"When is he coming back?" Cece breathes.

"How did you know?—"

She rubs the frown lines between my brows back and forth. "You look worried, sis. Worried and in love."

"I'm terrified." Even though his magic is stronger than ever, nightmare hunts across foreign lands aren't exactly safe. "I know his link to Morrigan fizzled out at midnight on the night of their horrific wedding, but she still might try to hurt him. Or you."

She squeezes my upper arm. "Believe me. She's still licking her wounds." Her cheeks all red, she looks down to her stomach. The blood bond between my sister and Morrigan is strong, and Cece is confident that the phantom queen will not bother us in the near future.

She peels herself from our comfy fort and jiggles her arms and legs. "I feel restless. I'm going to check on Lori and run a few laps around the garden."

I stand up to follow.

Cece smiles down at me with a bit of an eye roll. "I'm okay, Nell. You don't have to follow me around all the time. And Lori's out of the woods, too. We're at a point where the Fae salves are more efficient than your powers."

She's right, of course. I might have been coddling them both over the last few days…

She waves goodbye with a mysterious smile, like she knows something I don't, and for a moment, I envy her peace of mind. I'm not sure I'll sleep soundly until her link to Morrigan is broken for good.

The bond she shares with the evil witch cannot be short-circuited by Damian, or anyone. Cece will have to kill Morrigan herself, but I haven't told her, yet.

She's only fifteen. She needs to ease into this life, and I will make sure she doesn't have to grow up too fast.

After she's gone, the light dims. The entire library is suddenly shrouded in shadows, but I know better than to be afraid of the dark. He usually comes to me at night, stealing short, unforgettable pieces of time, but the last two nights were cold and lonely…

"You were gone for three days," I growl, my voice heavy with reproach.

Damian shimmers into view a few paces behind me as I turn around to face him. He unhooks the strap of his long bow and wrangles it past his head, discarding the weapon on the nearest table. "The Storm Court insisted I stay for a couple of nights. Their king is a bit of a diva."

"You're the Shadow King, are you not? Next time, tell him to fuck off."

He unzips his thick jacket and shrugs it off, dumping it over the bow before he saunters toward me, the playful glint in his eyes spelling trouble. "I couldn't agree more."

Without preamble, he takes hold of my waist and presses my back to the stack. Such a simple touch, and yet so efficient. My body arches into him, and my chest heaves as he teases my belly button and dips a hand down, below the lace, all the way to the space between my thighs.

I push him off half-heartedly. "Not here."

"I can't wait."

Damian's got One's intensity, and Two's fierceness, along with Three's raw charisma… I can't say no to him, not when he's so obviously hungry for me.

"I wish I was a patient man…" He works my belt open and slides it out of the way, his other hand quick to slither up my ribs and trace the underside of my breast. "But I've missed you terribly, kitten. I can't think of anything else."

Who am I kidding? I can't wait either.

He kneels in front of me to peel my pants and underwear off, and the seriousness on his face fills me with anticipation. The scrape of his nails down my legs scorches my skin.

Damian fucks like the entire world is on fire, and we're the only two people left in it. He loves me like he's doing it for the last time, every time, and I'm officially addicted to the rush.

A soft kiss at the junction between my hip and thigh coaxes a heavy sigh from my lungs. His eyes burn with greed, and the pride in them tingles through my entire body. He tugs on my shirt and peels the fabric over my head, his other hand claiming my breast before the thing is even completely off.

"You're cheating," I say.

With a chuckle, he picks me up and guides my thighs around his waist. I curl around him like a vine and rake my fingers along his skull, just the way he likes.

"Now, if you keep on like this, I might forget to be discreet." He deposits me on the librarian's desk and snaps off the rubber band holding my hair up.

Mortal love wanes, but Fae love cuts to the bone.

Damian might have lost the bet he made with my father, but in the end, he owns my soul. Flesh, blood, and bones—as they say here in Faerie. I struggle to breathe when he's not around, the magic inside me yearning for its king, and if it's a bit too much, I take solace in the knowledge that our love saved the entire kingdom from Morrigan.

I don't feel guilty for the depths of my obsession for him. I'm a mere mortal in love with the most beautiful and stubborn royal Fae in existence. I'm allowed to lose my head. He pulls his shirt over his head, the beauty of him laid bare for my pleasure.

Fresh scratches from his latest hunt decorate his ribs, and the sight fills me with fire.

"Are you ready for me, pet?" he asks, his thumb sliding over the roundness of my breast.

The click of his belt hitting the ground stokes the flames in my belly, and I let out a ragged whine, his impatience more than contagious. "Yes."

He enters me, and my heart beats in my throat, the tight fit made tighter by the tension in my belly, my legs hooked around him.

A groan escapes him as he starts to move, and I shift my ass on the desk, searching for the sweetest angle. The most delicious pressure. The naughtiest friction. Before long, I'm breathless and furious, the hollowness in my chest about to burst at the pressure of his slow, controlled thrusts.

"Harder," I cry out, ready to punish him for teasing me so.

His dark chuckle goes directly to that secret place inside me, pushing me closer to the brink. He tests my patience some more until I bite his shoulder.

The scorched and dark taste of him fills my senses, and he draws back, clearly surprised. "Playing rough, my kitten?"

I defy him with a long, baring stare. "Me—ow."

A laugh rumbles through us both, and I groan as he finally, finally gives me what I want. He grips the roots of my hair and tugs, the pressure of his cock threatening to erase what's left of my rational brain.

The more we have sex, the more I burn for him, becoming more demanding and possessive each time we do this.

An open-mouthed kiss on my temple sends me over the edge, and I come apart in his arms. The ecstasy erases the whole word and leaves me in pieces.

The sweet ache of desire gives way to a powerful, drugging sense of peace as he empties himself inside me, and we catch our breath together. My dark king shudders in my arms with nothing but words of love and worship on his breath, and it's ethereal to see him like this.

So undoubtedly mine.

He lays over me like a naughty, muscular blanket and runs a hand down my throat. "The Spring Court is expecting me in less than an hour… If I could, I'd spend all day inside you, kitten…"

"Ugh. I hate Morheim." I push his shoulder to move him off me and bend down to grab my discarded clothes, but Damian clasps my hand.

"Wait."

The soft tremble of his voice gives me pause.

"Next year, you'll come with me. As my queen." The Shadow King bends to one knee in front of me, his eyes full of devotion and hope…

A fierce blush colors my cheeks. "Eek. We're naked."

"You saved me, kitten. You made mirrors of your eyes, and inside them I saw someone I didn't loathe. You're strong and kind and fearless, and I love you. Forever." He clicks open a velvet case, the onyx and gold ring within it burning like a flame in the darkness. "Marry me."

I bring a hand to my mouth to cover a hiccup. "Next year?"

Damian shakes his head like I've lost my mind. "I just meant that we'd never spend Morheim apart again. But I can't wait that long. Can you?"

"No!"

He grins from ear to ear at my outburst. "We'll get married in secret. The other monarchs might still move against me. I need you safe if that happens."

"And Morrigan will never be able to force your hand into marriage again."

A cloud passes over his face. "That's not why I proposed."

"I know." Crops. I didn't want to bring her up, though I'm relieved to know for sure.

"It'd be family only. When this is all over, we can have a real ceremony and flaunt our happiness in everyone's face, but Baka agreed to marry us as soon as I return. If you say yes."

By the spindle!I still haven't given him an answer. "Yes. I'll marry you."

He slips the ring on my finger and kisses the back of my hand with a smile that would bring any woman to her knees. "I love you, kitten. Now and forever."

"I love you more."

A secret wedding. I love the sound of that, not quite ready to share our love with the entire world—and all its vicious Faeries—just yet.

I escort him to the balcony to say goodbye. Wilted silver leaves pepper the gardens, the fifth Morheim moon high in the sky.

He licks his lips and holds me close. "There's something that's been bugging me."

"Mm?"

He buries a hand in my long hair and angles my gaze to his. "How did you manage to find your way back without your mask?"

"I just—came home to you."

"And nothing's happened since? You haven't had any unusual visions or fever dreams? No symptoms at all?"

I keep my voice steady and light. "None."

He wraps me up in a tight embrace and claims my lips, his goodbye kiss full of promise. "Be safe, kitten. I'll see you soon, and we can finally be together."

Days. We"ll be married in mere days.

"Yes. Soon. Be careful out there."

Dark clouds billow across the mirror behind Damian's back. The storm of nightmares follows me from room to room, rolling in wherever I go. I should really mention it to him, but I can't bring myself to wipe the happiness from his handsome face. There'll be time to unpack more secrets later, when he's back for good.

Whatever comes next, we'll face it together. No nightmare, dream, or fantasy could ever keep us apart. He's the One.