Chapter 65

65

Cassius

I slowed Tenebris as we approached the castle an hour later. A full complement of soldiers patrolled the battlements, and the night breeze carried shouts and clamor from the courtyard. My gaze drifted upward. A tall tower rose from the northern end of the castle, dwarfing my own.

The hidden wing had been revealed. Was it because their magic had been broken?

My arm tightened around Ella. She'd been in and out of consciousness since leaving the church, and I'd had to hold her upright for most of the ride. She'd spent everything back there. More than everything. I was certain she'd almost died.

I suspected that in breaking the curse, she'd had to withstand more power than the members of the Triad had ever wielded individually. She was strong—probably stronger than any of them—yet I couldn't help but worry. Her cuts had been healed by the forest, but she was still bruised and beaten. I needed to tend to her soon.

"We're nearly there," I whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure about this?" Ella asked, her voice tired but determined. "What about the Triad? They may have lost the source of their power, but I'm certain they'll have their own magic. I don't think I'm strong enough for another round?—"

"I am." I pulled her closer. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'll kill any immortal who dares to challenge me, and I doubt the Triad will risk an open confrontation—not with their power so suddenly diminished. With the spell broken, my rule is supreme."

Her body relaxed as we approached the walls. "I'll take that as a promise."

"Riders!" A shout rose from the battlements. "His Highness returns!"

A minute later, the castle gate ground open, and we rode through. The gawking crowd in the courtyard parted, servants and soldiers backing away in trepidation.

Aamon forced his way forward as I lifted Ella down from the saddle. "What the fuck is going on?" he demanded. He was covered in blood and sweat, evidence of the grim work he'd done to maintain order.

I cast him a warning glance. "Ella is not to be harmed. She's a hero of the realm and under royal protection."

"She's the least of our worries." Aamon tossed me a twisted object. "Care to explain this?"

I caught it and looked down. It was melted gold, contorted and blackened by flame. "What is it?"

Giving Ella a wary look, he stepped close and murmured, "I watched Malthus disintegrate in a ball of flame. One minute he was shouting orders to our search party, and the next, rays of light burst from his eyes and mouth, and he fucking melted ."

Ella's eyes widened in shock, and my thoughts raced. Malthus was dead. "What of Thalindra?"

"I'm certain that whoever was with her will have a similar story." Aamon shook his head. "I won't ever be able to unsee what I witnessed."

"Then that's all of them," I whispered. "We're free."

"I assume you did this?"

I bent to his ear, pitching my voice as low as I possibly could. "Ella killed Horace and destroyed the source of their power. Malthus must have been consumed by his connection to the source—and if he's dead, then Thalindra will be dead also."

" Ella did this?"

"Yes."

"My gods." Aamon's expression remained frozen as the thunderous implications sank in. "Then we're no longer under their spell."

I nodded. "And those who knew their secret will now be able to speak the truth. Things are about to get complicated."

Aamon's hand settled around the handle of his blade. "I can handle complicated as long as I don't have to grovel to those bastards any longer."

"We need to hunt down the soldiers Thalindra was with," Ella said. "We need to be certain she's gone." Despite her exhaustion and wounds, there was a fight in her yet.

Shaking my head in wonder, I turned to Aamon. "Do as Ella advises and make sure that old witch is dead. Send word of what you find."

Aamon saluted. "It will be a fucking pleasure."

Ella looked up at me. "Should we go w?—"

"No." I brushed a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "Not tonight. You need to recover—and that's my first and only priority."

Aamon bowed slightly to her. "I don't pretend to understand your role in all this, but if what Cassius says is true…well, then, I owe you my gratitude. The kingdom owes you gratitude. An assassination thwarted and a reign of terror ended all in one night. I'm not sure the treasury has enough gold to thank you for what you've done."

"My people," Ella said, suddenly tense. "Protecting them is how you can thank me. Promise not to hurt them. The castle staff weren't involved or even aware of tonight's plot."

Fucking fates, she was better than any of us deserved.

I looked at my right-hand man. "See that the message is clear among the guards and immortals. No servants are to be touched. The same goes for the villagers. Anyone who defies the order will answer to me."

For centuries, the humans in Silverthorn had been faceless things that came and went as the years passed, one no different than the others. Expendable. But then there was her . She'd taught me to see their worth and reminded me of my duty to protect all that lived here in the vale.

Aamon lifted his brows at me. "Are you sure that's safe? There could be more assassins, and we need to hunt down whomever?—"

"It's an order." I glanced toward the battered front doors of the grand entrance. "What remains of the ball? Is the court still dancing and drinking, or have they have sunk into further debauchery?"

Aamon gave me a knowing look. "The castle is in disarray. While there are a few revelers enjoying themselves in the chaos, most of your guests have fled, including much of the staff. Your wing has been secured with a double guard, however."

"Good. Have Cassandra get anyone else who does not belong here out and keep the sentries on alert."

We left Aamon and ascended the stairs to the grand entrance hall. Shattered glass and flowers littered the floor, and a tapestry hung torn on the wall.

"Fates," Ella said as she scanned the carnage.

"I didn't much care for the decoration, anyway. Let me take you upstairs." I aimed to carry her up to my chamber, but she insisted on walking herself.

We'd made it halfway up when she clutched my arm, her breathing short and her face paler than it was before. "I just need a moment. I'm a bit dizzy."

I scooped her into my arms, ignoring her protests, and glanced down at her. "You're dizzy because you lost a lot of blood."

Her face hovered near mine, her gaze drifting in and out. "You are really beautiful, you know that?"

I lifted one brow at her as I ascended the stairs. The blue flecks in her eyes were darker than normal, like sapphires under a flame. "Rugged and devastating, I've been told, but never beautiful."

Her lips pulled into a soft smile, and my heart tugged. "You're all of those and more."

Entering my bedchamber, I set her down. I shucked off my boots and coat, then undid the satin bow that kept her bodice tight over her breasts.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

I took her wrist and gently turned it over, pressing a kiss to a deepening bruise. "I'm taking care of you. Your cuts may have healed, but you're still weak and bruised. You need healing, a bath, and a good rest."

She was far more resilient than any human had a right to be. Maybe that was part of her magic as well. Or maybe that was just her—gentle as a willow but strong as an oak.

That playful smile I cherished graced her lips. "The prince of the Bloodvale is waiting on me? What has happened to the world?"

I cupped her face with my palm and looked down into her eyes. "You turned it on its head, my darling."

She'd changed everything—me, most of all—like a mason's wedge driving a crack through stone. I couldn't catalog or hope to express the storm of emotions raging through me. Instead, I let my instinct take over, and leaned down and kissed her gently.

Now was not the time for talking.

She melted into me, her hands moving up my chest and threading around my neck. I'd almost lost her tonight, and I wasn't going to make that mistake ever again.

She sighed in protest when I pulled away and brushed my thumb across her rouge-stained lips. "Tomorrow, we can talk more. You're hurting. Let me take care of you like a queen."

She gave me a quizzical look at that.

With her consent, I began loosening her bodice. "You wore this dress the day you applied to work here."

"You remember?" She was watching me in the mirror, her brows arching ever so slightly.

"How could I forget? You've made some drastic alterations, but it's still the same dress. I'd never forget it."

I remembered every moment I'd spent with her.

Loosened from its laces, the embroidered bodice gaped as it hung around her waist. I undid her skirt and let it fall to the floor. She wore the black silk chemise I'd given her after her escape from the Triad, and her nipples strained against the fabric.

A torrent of anger doused my desire as I inspected the bruises blooming beneath her skin. It would have been so much worse if the forest hadn't healed her.

My fists tightened. "I wish I could make them fucking pay for this."

Ella brushed her hand over my jaw. "They're dead, and we're alive and together. That's all the revenge I need."

Like water quenching fire, her touch doused my rage, leaving only guilt behind. My throat constricted. "I let this happen to you. You almost died."

She shook her head, her eyes radiating a kindness I didn't deserve. "You saved me, just as I saved you."

I cupped her cheek, wanting to worship every inch of her in gratitude. "I hate seeing you in pain."

Looking up at me through full lashes, she grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly pulled it over my head. "Then take it away. Show me pleasure the way you did before. I've survived death, and all I want in the world is to be alive with you now."

"I'd do anything for you." My fingers tangled in her hair, and I lowered my mouth to hers, ready to fulfill her every wicked desire.

Ella pressed herself against me, kissing me back. The warmth of her body stiffened me with need, and her arms wrapped around my back as her tongue found mine. I dragged my fingers through her hair, but then they caught. I pulled out a fragment of bark.

She laughed. "I'm afraid I'm a mess."

"Easily fixed."

She shouted in surprise as I swept her off her feet and carried her to the bath chamber. I set her down and stepped into my marble-tiled shower to turn on the hot water.

"What is it?" she marveled.

I couldn't help but smile at the utter wonder on her face. "It's a shower—the only one on the continent. The water is like a warm rain."

She traced her fingers through the falling water and the rising steam. "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the magic in this place."

I stepped aside, offering the way. "Give it a try."

Her lips curved, one side higher than the other as she flashed me a vixen smile, as if to say, I know exactly what you want.

Eyes locked on mine, she grabbed the edges of her silken chemise and pulled it over her head, freeing her breasts. My breath hitched as she dropped it to the floor. She was beyond breathtaking. A silver-haired goddess whom I was unworthy to touch, let alone gaze upon—but I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Without a word, she turned and stepped past me into the shower, casting a sinful invitation over her shoulder. "Aren't you going to join me?"

Fucking hell. This woman had reduced me to a fool.

I undid my trousers and pulled them down, my cock springing free. Ella's heated gaze traveled down my naked body, her cheeks reddening at the sight of my manhood.

I grinned. "I do believe you're blushing, Ella Marquette."

"It's just that I've never been intimate with a man…"

She'd said as much before, but still, desire streaked through me. The thought of being the first man inside of her was almost enough to make me come right then. Every instinct called for me to grab her and press her up against the wall, but I restrained the urge and gently brushed my knuckles across her collarbone instead. "I'll never take what isn't given freely."

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes half lidded and full of desire. "I want it to be with you. My first time. And I want it now."

I shuddered with thundering need. It had been ages since I'd bedded a woman, and thinking back, I'd only been going through the motions. I'd never felt such desperation as I did for Ella. Gratitude. Admiration. Hunger. A thousand emotions I didn't fully understand. She was like no one else. I hadn't thought I was capable of emotions—especially not love—but I'd been wrong. I was in love with her, and I knew in that moment that I couldn't live without her.

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I trailed my fingers down the curve of her breast, relishing the way her nipple begged for my touch. "You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of slipping between those pretty thighs."

"I might have some idea," she said coyly, threading one bare thigh around my hip so that her heat was pressing against me.

I groaned, catching her mouth with mine, sinking my tongue inside as I gripped her round ass and pulled her closer.

A soft whimper of pain escaped her.

I released her, shame lancing me for being so careless. "What is it?"

"Just a bruised rib. I'm fine, really."

"Fuck." I pulled away. "I shouldn't be touching you."

She grasped my arm. "No. I want you to touch me, Cassius. To kiss me. To drink from me"—she pressed her palms against my chest, moving them upward until they circled my neck—"and this time, to make love to me."

The thought of her blood passing between my lips while my cock sank into the heat of her virgin body set my mind on fire. My thoughts quaked as I teased my fingers into her hair, tilting her head so that I could see the pulsing artery in her neck. "I will touch you and kiss you, but if I tasted you right now"—my body tensed, and I closed my eyes at the image that rose in my mind—"or slipped inside of you, I might lose control. I could hurt you. I refuse to risk that."

"Because I'm injured?"

"Because you've already given enough of yourself tonight. You need the doctor's ministrations and time to heal." I traced my thumb along her neck. "I'll pleasure you, but I won't feed. Not tonight. Not until you're stronger."

She looked up at me through hooded eyes, her lips curving in the most seductive grin. "I've heard an immortal's blood heals."

I shook my head. This woman was going to fucking destroy me.

"It's more than that," I said gruffly, the words rough and strained. "You don't know what you're asking."

Her lips left a trail of hot kisses on my chest. "Then tell me."

I shook as pure fucking delight shot through my body. It was all I could do to stop from opening my wrist right then and there.

Untangling her arms, I gently pushed her against the heated marble wall, my body caging her in place as water cascaded down my back. "My blood will heal your wounds, but you will be linked to me in ways you'd never dreamed possible. You'd be a part of me forever. I'd be able to track you more easily, to sense your emotions more deeply. Are you sure you want that?"

She placed one hand over my heart, her gorgeous lavender eyes pleading. "I don't want anything to separate us anymore."