Chapter Twenty-Five

I knew where we were going, but it was still a surprise to arrive in the main living space of yet another home in the sky. But where the Dellamar house was a natural wonder, this place stood on legs of steel, stacked over other steel cubes to form a giant pillar that soared into the sky hundreds of feet. Even prepared for it, I felt a thrill as I walked over to a glass wall and peered out across the Dhon city of Ruva.

The Dhon was the most technologically advanced race on Varr. They shared a lot of their inventions with the other races, but not everything. I think it was more a case of the other races not appreciating the modern Dhon devices rather than the Dhon hoarding them. The Varraen, in particular, snubbed the Dhon way of living. To them, it was the greatest insult against nature to live in glass and steel columns. Even though those columns had been built by magic and were powered by it. It just wasn't their style. But I'll tell you what—I would have loved a Dhon lift in the Dellamar house. The contraption carried people upward in a metal box, using magic to deposit them on any floor of a building in seconds. No climbing stairs. In Dellamar, it would probably take us ten minutes to get down to the ground. Of course, Rath and I had simply floated down. But still. The stairs were bound to get used at some point. Why have them if not?

Ruva was twelve hours ahead of the Wraith Lord Citadel. So, although it had been late afternoon there, it was early morning here. The city should have been sleeping, its lights turned off and its streets empty. Instead, it sparkled in the dark, lights on everywhere, and the street below was full of Dhon vehicles, powered by magic, not a horse in sight. The Varraen may naturally possess the most magic on Varr, but the Dhon used it the most expertly. Ruva was the pinnacle of magical cities, in my opinion.

The view wasn't of tree branches, but it felt like a forest with all those steel pillars sprouting from the earth. They weren't uniform either. Each one had unique aspects like cone-shaped balconies, stone statuary, or even water features. The building across from us was actually two buildings conjoined, with a waterfall between them. Yes, the Dhon loved their metal, but they were still people of nature, and the city was peppered with green spaces. Many of the buildings had gardens atop them or plants growing in boxes built into their walls. There was so much to see, and that was only from the apartment's view.

The last time Kel had brought me to Ruva, we'd gone to dinner in a beautiful restaurant where they had treated us like the Emperor himself. Yet another reason for me to like Ruva more than a Varraen city. Kel and I had gone for a walk after dinner, but I'd only seen the tall steel homes from the outside. This was the first time I'd been inside one. I wanted to see what it was like—what kind of brilliant devices the Dhon used in their homes. But it was difficult to turn away from that sparkling view.

“It's something, isn't it?” Kel asked as he put his arm around me. “Something special.”

“It is.” I looked at him. “Which makes it perfect for you.”

“Did Rath tell you, or did you figure out that all of us had bought homes to live in after the war?”

“A little of both.” I finally turned away from the view to look at the apartment.

As I did, Kel said, “Lights.”

Light filled the room, shining down from a beautiful chandelier of blown glass shaped like flowers. The ceiling was a good sixteen feet above us, so that even though we were enclosed, it didn't feel like it. Black leather covered the sleek furniture and polished metal accents gave it some shine. Tables were made of wood and glass. One of them held crystal decanters lined up behind matching glasses.

“Come on. I'll show you around.” Kel took my hand and led me past the buffet of alcohol.

The main room flowed back into the kitchen with only a counter to separate them, and that's where the Dhon devices made the biggest appearance. Kel stopped at each one to show me how they worked. There was a box that cooked food with Fire Magic, a bigger box that preserved food with Air and Water Magic, and yet another box that washed dishes with more Air and Water Magic. The Dhon were big on boxes.

After gawking at the sleek cabinets full of artisan dishes and glassware, Kel took me into a hallway and then into a bathroom. The glossy blue tiled room was similar to the bathrooms at the citadel but smaller, nicer, and with a few additions, including a device that warmed your towels for you. Warm towels!

“The floors are warmed too,” Kel said when he saw my reaction. “Throughout the entire apartment.”

“The floors?” I frowned. “Why?”

“Because heat moves upward. It makes sense to warm a room from the bottom up. And then you can walk around barefoot and not get chilled.”

“Wow,” I whispered. “Kel, this is incredible.”

“Thanks.” He beamed at me, the green flecks in his blue eyes twinkling. “I picked out everything myself.”

“It's a good thing the Emperor pays us well.”

“And that most of us have little to spend it on. We all have huge savings. It's nice to finally use some of that money. It meant I could buy us the very best that Dhon had to offer. We're on the top two floors of this building—the most sought-after suite.”

“The top two floors?”

“Yes. The apartment takes up both floors.”

“It must be enormous.”

“I wanted us to have space to stretch out.” He pulled me down the corridor. “We even have the roof. It was a community space, but I wanted it for us, so they agreed to sell it to me and seal off access from the other floors. I didn't want to share, but I also didn't want our neighbors up there making noise with us right below. Oh, and I installed a pool. We'll get to that later. First, you gotta see the rest of this floor.”

We went past rooms for reading, storing books, eating, and sleeping. The last few were for our guests. Then we went upstairs in our private lift and down another corridor. Off it were matching dressing rooms directly across from each other.

“I left yours basic so you could design it how you wished.” Kel waved me into the room that was just as large as the dressing room I shared with Xae and Rath.

It had the necessary racks and hanger bars with dressers to hold folded items and shelves for accessories. There was also a full-length mirror and a padded bench. Nice, but nothing noteworthy beyond the size. And then I saw the trunks.

“Are those my old clothes?” I went to them and threw open the lids.

“Yup.” Kel came over. “I have a few more of your things in your sitting room, but you can put them wherever you like around the suite. I want you to feel at home and I think you'll be more inclined to if you do some decorating.”

I sat down on the thick carpet and went through the clothes I hadn't thought were important. Just a bunch of simple garments I had worn in my old life. But I hadn't considered that many of them were memory holders just like my mom's blanket and teapot. In fact, she had knitted me a few sweaters and sewn many of my clothes. My father had crafted my belts and saved up to buy my boots. I ran my hands over the items and felt those memories rise. Rath was right. They were treasures. And I vowed to thank him again for saving them.

“I thought I'd let you hang them or put them away how you wished,” Kel said awkwardly into the silence.

“Thank you.” I stood up and hugged him. “This is perfect.”

He grinned. “You had me worried for a moment.”

“Just lost in my memories.”

Kel cocked his head at me. “Good memories?”

“The best.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “Now, show me the rest of our apartment.”

“All right.” He led me out and down the corridor. “We each have our own sitting rooms. That's what they call them, but they're really just rooms for us to do whatever the fuck we want in. I thought it was important that we both have personal spaces that are all ours. I think it will make sharing the other rooms better. This one is yours. The tables are just to hold your things for now. We can go shopping for new furniture so you can pick them out yourself.”

I glanced into the room, saw my dad's old woodworking tools set out like priceless objects on one of the tables, and went past. I didn't want to go into more memories yet. It would intrude on the memory I was currently making.

“Thanks, Kel. You left more space for me than the others. I love that. I love you.”

Keltyr's smile went tender. “I love you too. I would have included you in selecting this place, but when the others and I discussed it, we decided that we'd surprise you. And I thought, well, you could always buy your own place if you didn't like the ones we got.”

“Buy my own place?” I whispered. “I hadn't thought of that.”

“You should have something that's all yours. Not just a few rooms.” He waved at the room.

“Yeah. Maybe after the war is over, I'll think about it.”

“It's a lot of effort. That's why we thought it better to surprise you. This way, you don't have to go through the headache of looking and purchasing. You get to go straight to enjoying.”

“I hadn't thought of that either.”

“You wanna see the master bedroom?” He waggled his brows at me.

“Maybe we better leave that for last,” I said. “Or we might not get past it.”

“True.” He took my hand. “All right. It's down there along with the master bathroom. There's also a second kitchen up here and some other empty rooms that I didn't know what to do with. Not all that interesting. Why don't we go up to the roof?”

“Sure.” I smiled, thinking of my adventure with Rath on his roof. It was funny how similar the homes were while being so totally different.

We went back to the lift and took it up one more floor. It let us out onto the roof, back in one corner where the lift had a box to house it. When the doors opened, it felt as if we had been transported to another city. Overhanging branches bordered the opening. We ducked under one only to step beneath a canopy of leaves studded with lilac flowers that were shut for the night. Still, their scent came to me along with that of other blooms and green things.

Although the ground was stone, there were enough pots and planters strewn about to make me forget that I wasn't walking on grass. A path wound around the tiered chaos, taking us through a tunnel of green, then out under the sky. The whole of the garden revealed itself then—a pattern of colors harmonized by scent and lit by little lights on stakes and lanterns that hung from branches. Sleepy flowers were already starting to open and seeing them made me realize that not all the light came from the lanterns. The sun was rising.

Again, I was reminded of Rath's rooftop. There had been a wealth of green there as well, but not like this. This was much larger, more elaborate, and in the center of it all was a pool. Not that I saw the pool. Kel had to point it out to me and even then, I only saw the grassy hill that housed it. It made me curious. So, I hurried past pots overflowing with lacy-leafed bushes and awakening roses, up a gentle incline, to the hilltop the pool inhabited.

Bordered by natural stones and grass, the pool looked as if it had been plucked out of a forest and plunked down atop the building. It was maybe twenty feet across, its edges undulating to look natural, and the sides sloped down to what I was guessing was a depth of ten feet.

The mound of earth not only hid the pool's outer walls but also provided a vantage point so that I could see over the plants without having to go to the garden's edge. But to do that, I had to peer between the trees that grew out of the hill. They, along with an assortment of plants, provided a natural privacy screen.

Which was great because I was about to get naked.

As the sky turned from lavender to pink, I kicked off my boots and undid my belt.

Keltyr chuckled as he came up beside me. “So, we're not making it to the bedroom at all, are we?”

“Not for a while,” I said and pulled off my tunic.

Kel started to undress too, and I got distracted by that. I loved that each of my lovers had a different body type, giving me a buffet to sample from every day. Not that I would ever get tired of touching Keltyr's hard stomach or bulging biceps. He had a great cock too, but I have to admit that I loved his tail the best. His horns came in a close second. They made a great handhold. But that tail was a masterpiece of the Goddess.

I managed to finish undressing, then dipped my toe in the pool, expecting it to be cold. It wasn't. “Oh, damn! The water's warm.”

“Heated,” Kel said as he climbed in. “Just like the floors.”

“This is fantastic!”

“You can jump in if you want,” he said. “Just aim for the center where it’s deepest. And curl up when you jump. Don't dive. Your butt may hit the bottom, but you'll be fine.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

I stepped back, then ran forward and jumped. I landed in the center of the pool, warm water closing over me in a welcome cocoon. I sank like a stone, but a feeling of elation buoyed me, driving me back to the surface in seconds. I broke free with a laugh and swiped at my eyes.

“And that is why I wanted the pool,” Kel said as he climbed into the water.

I swam over to him. “Thank you.” My body flowed to his as if it couldn't stay away, colliding gently. “Thank you for always making sure that I laugh.”

“It's the best part of life,” he said as he pulled me closer. “Even better than sex.”

“I may have to disagree with you on that.”

“Sex is great. With us, it's incredible. Life changing. The best I've ever had. But it can't be shared with everyone and it's only temporary.”

“Laughter is only temporary too.”

“Ah, but you can keep laughing if you want. All day. All you need is a few seconds to catch your breath. Laughter lifts your soul.”

“You make a good argument, but I still think sex is better.”

Kel snorted. Then, with a smirk, his tail wrapped around my ankle and yanked me under. He swam away as I went down. We were in the shallow end so I just stood up, but I still came up sputtering.

“Oh, you're gonna get it, you rascally Dhon!” I dove.

Underwater, I saw Keltyr backpedal, but he couldn't get away fast enough. I grabbed his hips and gave him what he deserved. A good tongue-lashing.

Kel jerked at the first touch of my lips, but then went still, his hands going to my shoulders to steady me. As I slid my tongue along the underside of his shaft, I summoned Air to surround my head. When the bubble settled in place, I sucked in a breath along with Kel's cock. The sound of his laughter filtered down to me hollowly.

The bottom of the pool was tiled in a mosaic made to look like the patchy bottom of a natural pool. Beautiful, but it gave little traction. So I let my body float up, anchoring myself to Kel with his hips. This put me in a semi-straight line. The perfect form to suck him. I was moaning my way along his sweet shaft when his tail wrapped around my dick. I gasped, then moaned deeper. Have I mentioned that his tail is my favorite part of him?

The slender, strong appendage coiled around me until it felt like a fist. I started pulling myself forward onto Kel's cock and the motion also took me into his grip. It was sheer bliss. A sexual harmony.

But it wasn't enough for Keltyr. After a few blissful minutes, his tail unwound and slipped between my lower cheeks. It sought and found my entrance, gently prodding its way past my ring of muscles, then pushed in and out to work me open. It was a clear sign that he didn't want to finish in my mouth, so I eased off his shaft and sucked on his balls instead. Rolling one, then the other against my tongue, I wriggled onto his tail until he was pumping steadily.

As soon as the way had been eased for him, Kel pulled back from my mouth and slipped his tail out of me. I came up, dispersing the Air Magic, and went into his arms.

“How do you want me?” I asked him.

“Oh, I get to choose?”

“I'm your reward, remember?”

“Right.” Keltyr grinned. “In that case, come here.” He picked me up and moved us to the edge of the pool where the water was shallow enough for me to kneel. But instead of putting me on all-fours, he bent me over the rim. The little rocks there were smooth, so although they dug into my belly, they weren't uncomfortable. And then he set my knees on a hidden ledge. That brought my belly up, especially when I set my forearms on the grass.

“This water won't help things,” Keltyr said as he spread my cheeks. “I'd better lick it off.”

And then came the warm, wet sensation of his tongue on me. Flicking. Licking. Penetrating. I gasped and wriggled and jerked. He kept going until I was dripping wet, but not from water.

“Kel,” I urged.

He didn't tease me. We were both too much in need for that. Keltyr lifted his head and replaced his tongue with his cock, gently pushing back and forth until it popped into place. We sighed in unison as he moved deeper inside me, stretching my channel deliciously. Around my thighs, the water started to move, lapping at my skin. With my body soaked in ecstasy, I stared forward, past the trees and across the magical city as the sun brightened the world. My body was a little confused with all the time differences. Hadn't I just seen a sunrise like this? But the pleasure jolting up my stomach focused me on what was most important—Keltyr.

Fuck the city. I wanted to see him. My horned lover with an infectious laugh. The man who had never given up on me, no matter how many times I rejected him. He knew we were perfect for each other and had enough determination to prove it to me. I was so damn grateful that he had. My life would still be incredible without Kel, but it wouldn't be half as fun.

I turned to look at him over my shoulder.

He didn't look fun at the moment. With his face drawn in rapturous lines and his muscles tightening with every thrust, he looked fierce. And so handsome that it hurt. His dark hair was slicked back, making his curled horns more prominent, and his eyes were bright, glowing in the sun. Kel winked at me, softening his savageness for a second, and then I felt his tail wrap around my cock again.

“I love you, Keltyr,” I said.

“I've loved you from the second I first saw you, Ember.”

At first, his words sparked joy inside me. But then I remembered Rath saying something similar. My joy stuttered. It was soon overtaken by lust, but a thought wormed its way into my brain to be studied later. It curled up there, waiting as we moved together, faster and faster, ecstasy spinning us up into a screaming release. And then, when Kel eased me back into the water and tucked me in against his side, sprawling us over the pool's edge, it rose.

Had my lovers really fallen in love with me that quickly? And if they had, was it because of the Goddess or destiny? Had fate turned their hearts toward me? Did any of us stand a chance? Did we have a choice in this?

The questions churned in my mind, threatening to ruin the blissful moment. But then I realized that I didn't fucking care. We were happy. However we had gotten there, it didn't matter. Be it the Goddess, fate, or luck. Who fucking cares? I didn't want to live a different life, not one that didn't involve the men I loved. Maybe I should have been concerned about our love being real or worried over the possibility that my men had been forced to love me. But if they had been forced, it had been a gentle forcing, and I had been compelled right along with them. Frankly, if that were the case, I'd like to thank whoever had pushed us together.

I snuggled closer to Keltyr, the weightlessness of being in water merging perfectly with the lightness of my heart. I had seen what awaited me at the end of the war. Three homes to build a life in. Four men to love. Maybe more. There was still Aranren to save.

And what about Vexen?

I mentally shook the thought away. This wasn't the time to contemplate that man. My arms and heart were full, and my lover deserved my undivided attention. Vex could fucking wait.