Chapter 38

L iana outworked her duties as queen for several days, addressing her people and meeting with the elders with her usual calm and grace.

She oversaw the Council’s efforts to rebuild KySyene and Kaswa. But beneath the composed facade, her anger simmered.

Every glance at Kaxim reignited the flames of her hurt, making it impossible to maintain a semblance of calm.

Finally, the tension became too much.

Feeling the weight of her emotions, she realized she needed a moment of solitude to regain her composure.

One evening, after a lengthy consultation with her advisors, she conferred with Ja’Kan. After, she donned her cloak and slipped out of the palace.

She unfurled her crimson kríffin plumage with a leap and took to the heavens alone.

She flew for hours, letting the wind carry her far from Ilkana until she reached the quiet camp she had once kept during her younger, more solitary days.

The beachhead of a lake under untamed skies of the southern K’rakian archipelago by the River Korcha was where she landed.

She folded back her wings, eyes gazing at the rugged, isolated terrain.

Her eyes took in the vast expanse of glaciers and tundra—where the elements waged an eternal battle, shaping the land into a harsh, unforgiving beauty.

She aimed to purge her hurt here, in the planet’s most unforgiving, deserted, remote, bleak, and far-beyond corners where one teetered at the edge of the universe with little sign of civilization, where only the wild roamed free.

Here, the existence was more spartan. No wars, no betrayals, just the steady rhythm of nature.

Liana spent the night alone, sitting by the water, catching fish, and cooking her simple meal over a small fire.

The stillness around her was a balm to her wounded heart. Her anger began to ebb for the first time in days, replaced by a deep, quiet contemplation.

In time, she would have to confront Kaxim to understand what had driven him not to tell her of his liege’s directive and decide if their bond would survive this betrayal.

But for now, in the solitude of the wilderness, she exhaled, free of the weight of her crown, liberated of her duties as queen and warrior.

Kaxim sat alone in the vast royal quarters of the Ilkanisa, staring out at the moonlit courtyard.

The palatial spaces lay empty, once overflowing with the hum of life and the warmth of Liana’s presence.

She’d left without a word to him, escaping when he’d been at the training íkhara with his first class of Ilkan trainees.

His heart ached with each passing moment without her, and guilt gnawed at him.

The firelight flickered, casting shadows across the stone walls, but none of it reached him.

He hated himself for causing her pain.

Every thought was filled with the memory of her eyes blazing with betrayal, the hurt that cut deeper than any blade.

He had wanted to protect and honor her, not be the source of her suffering—the silence of the Ilkanisa pressed in on him, suffocating.

Kaxim, a man not given to desperation, hissed as something broke inside him.

He could not sit here and wait, hoping things magically resolve.

Fokk! He had to find her!

Prowling with glowering menace from the quarters, he searched for and found Ja’Kan, coming upon the slight attendant in the halls of the grand palace.

‘Where is she?’ he snarled at the incredulous man.

Ja’Kan squirmed in the Commander’s grasp. ‘I don’t know, I swear. She said she needed a few days of peace after our deserved victory over the K?str?l army.’

Kaxim growled at the cowering man and released the robes with which he’d thrust the man against a wall.

Ja’Kan landed with a heavy thud on the floor as Kaxim whirled away, cursing that he’d assumed sentinel duties over Liana since their wedding.

He’d reassigned their Silkanth guards to watch over the Council.

He returned to their quarters, where he paced, thinking, mulling, brooding.

Until he gave in to the one ploy he loathed to use.

He closed his eyes, tapping into the ancient Kaldean magus power coursing through him.

He focused on their khamana , the one thing he knew would lead him to her, no matter how far she had gone.

Their bond flared, thrumming with arcane energy as he reached into it, sensing her heartache through the threads of their connection.

The wilds of Ilkan’s furthest reaches unfolded before him as he raced through time and space in his mind.

Until he found her.

Kaxim soared through the skies, his immense sable rachís cutting through the winds like a knife through silk.

The wilderness of the K’rakian Archipelago stretched below him, a rugged landscape of jagged cliffs, deep forests, and hidden rivers. But Kaxim paid no attention to the world beneath.

His focus was singular.

Finding Liana.

His soul pounded in his chest, not from the exertion of flying but because the pulsing connection of their tether energized him, an invisible thread that guided him like a compass.

Every pulse of her heart echoed in his, and each whisper of her thoughts brushed against his own.

Even from this distance, he perceived her, sensed her presence, like a flicker of light in the darkest night.

The bond was unbreakable and undeniable, and as he flew, each wing beat pulled him closer to her.

The wind howled around him, whipping at his face and tugging at his rachís , but Kaxim was relentless.

His majestic pinions caught the air currents and propelled him forward faster.

His mind was filled with her dark eyes, her strong but delicate features, the way her spirit radiated strength and beauty in equal measure.

He growled at the consuming, overwhelming emotion that left him vulnerable yet heat-seeking, driven by the knowledge he would cease to breathe without her.

Desert, sea, and islands blurred beneath him as he pushed onward, his aerofoils beating in rhythm with the surge of his spirit.

And then, through the mist and the wild winds, he found her.

Liana stood near a riverbank, her figure illuminated by the soft glow of the setting sun. Her long hair cascaded down her back, catching the light like strands of midnight, her cloak billowing in the breeze.

She was so serene, her presence calm amid the wildness of the archipelago.

His soul leaped within him at the sight of her, and his breath caught in his throat. His heart thundered with the force of his emotions.

She was more than just a queen, more than just his partner in battle.

She was everything.

A surge of intense feelings almost threw him off course.

His rachís slowed, and for a moment, he hovered above her, taking in every detail, curve of her form, line of her face.

He descended, his boots touching the earth with a quiet thud. Transmuting, his plumes folded behind him as he advanced, his chest tight with emotion.

She stood by the water’s edge, her silhouette outlined by the moonlight, serene but distant.

The knot in his throat tightened.

Liana turned, her amber-gold gaze locking onto his.

For a heartbeat, neither of them said a word. Their bond buzzed with life, with the unspoken flowing between their souls.

Kaxim struggled to find his voice.

‘Liana -’ he growled, full of feeling.

With a deep breath, he took a step toward her.

He was never one to beg for forgiveness, but for her, for this, he would. His utterance was gruff, just a whisper. ‘ Sahasí , I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.’

She turned away, eyes on the river flow, a breeze shifting the crimson strands of her hair.

Moments passed until she swiveled back to him.

He took another step toward her, his voice lowering, more intense. ‘If I use too much of my power, it controls me. It’s seductive. It’s not just magic. It’s chaos. If I let myself fall into it, I lose control. I become something else. Something dangerous.’

Her breath caught in her throat. ‘So you’re saying you’re more afraid of losing control than saving lives?’

His jaw clenched. ‘I’m saying that if I gave in to it, I might have stopped KaKos, naam . But I wouldn’t have paused there, and I wouldn’t have been able to pull back. It’d have taken over my psyche and impulses and pulled me into a darkness I could not escape. I could’ve destroyed everything. At its utmost, the power is too enticing to resist, and I’ve spent my life keeping it in check.’

He swallowed hard, his obsidian eyes filled with a rare vulnerability. ‘I’ve always kept my distance because I needed to practice control, even with you. It’s because if I lose control, I lose everything. Including you.’

The silence between them hung thick, tension rippling in the air.

Liana stared at him, her anger slowly ebbing, replaced by a deep, unsettling understanding. ‘So that’s why you were always so cold, so distant when we met?’

Kaxim jerked his chin, his voice softening. ‘ Naam .’

His broad frame cast a long shadow, but all the power he commanded appeared meaningless at this moment.

He was not a general here, nor a Kaldean powerhouse, but a man standing before the woman he loved, in need of absolution.

Liana’s heart ached. She stepped back, her hands trembling as she processed his words. It all made sense now—the coldness, the restraint, the distance he kept between them. He had been fighting himself as much as the enemies around them.

‘You were scared,’ she whispered, her voice softer now. ‘Scared of becoming something else.’

Kaxim’s eyes were filled with regret and relief that she finally understood. ‘I didn’t want to become a monster. I couldn’t risk it. Not with you. Not with us.’

Her eyes softened, and she took a shaky breath, stepping toward him. ‘I understand now. But, Kaxim, I need you to trust me. You can’t carry this burden alone. If we’re going to do this, if we’re going to be together, you need to let me help you. Help you control it.’

His eyes searched hers, the weight of his power, fears, and love for her heavy in the air. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Liana.’

‘And you won’t,’ she said. ‘Because I’ll be there to help you. We’ll figure this out together.’

Kaxim’s expression softened, and the tension in his body eased.

‘You need to know that regardless of it all, I trust you,’ he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. ‘I’ve always trusted you. Even when I was too afraid to show it.’

Liana leaned into him, her forehead resting against his chest. ‘Then let me in. Let me help you carry this burden.’

Kaxim wrapped his arms around her, his hold strong but careful, as though he was still afraid of the force within him. ‘I’m sorry, Liana. For all of it. For holding back. For everything.’

For a long moment, they stood in silence.

Their khamana bond flared, and they found each other in the familiar, mystical interconnection.

Kaxim gave her a long look brimming with emotion. ‘I will learn,’ he promised, his voice raw with sincerity. ‘I will be better. I’ll never hide the full extent of who I am from you again.’

Liana studied him, her heart still bruised but softening at his apology. She nodded, acknowledging his words. ‘That’s all I ask,’ she whispered.

His eyes gleamed as his lodestone pulsed, throwing light over her. ‘Here, sahasí .’

She moved closer to him.

He reached a hand and banded it around her waist, pulling her tight to him.

With a sigh, Kaxim pulled her into his arms, and for the first time in an age, they stood together, unified in their shared vulnerability.

‘Do you truly forgive me?’ he growled.

‘Kaxim,’ she murmured, her voice holding no anger, only warmth. ‘I’ve already forgiven you.’

He blinked, his breath catching. ‘You have?’

She tilted her face, her eyes filled with understanding. How could I not? For I will always love you, Kaxim.’

His heart thudded hard in his chest, the last pillars of his walls crumbling.

He breathed her essence in, his rumble hoarse as he admitted, ‘I didn’t want to hide my abilities from you. I didn’t want to be that man. But I couldn’t dare use them without losing control. Perhaps even hurting you.’

‘You didn’t. Instead, you saved my Kingdom.’

‘Fokk woman, I’m bonded, intertwined, enmeshed with you,’ he growled against her mouth. ‘Hurting you is agony, so to lose you would be to perish, for life would not be worth living, and neither would my heart endure on without you.’

When he stroked her back, gliding his hands over her, it was as if the world around them vanished.

Only she existed—the woman he loved more than life itself.

Kaxim’s soul surged with adoration for his woman, so intense it was almost painful. He had never imagined it might feel like this, this deep, aching need never to be parted from her, always to protect her, to love her eternally.

His voice was rough with emotion as he spoke again. ‘I love you, Liana. More than anything. My soul belongs to you.’

Her eyes softened, and at that moment, the wilds of the K’rakian vista faded into nothing.

All that mattered was their bond, the passion that had brought him to her and would always bring him to her.

Heat-seeking, they kissed, a hard, passionate meeting of lips that expressed all the devotion and all the hurt that had passed between them.

The tension melted away as they wrapped their arms around each other, the world outside fading into nothingness. All that remained was the two of them.

She pulled away with a moan. ‘Make love to me, kadari .’

‘It’ll be my pleasure, kavisi .’

With a shy smile, she took his hand and led him inside her k?lajan to her humble bed, which was made of slatted wood covered in thick furs. A small fire crackled with merry joy at the center hearth, and its smoke trailed up and out through the pinnacle of the bivouac, creating an intimate, comforting ambiance.

In a matter of seconds, Kaxim had removed her undersuit and was kissing her, pushing down on the fur covers.

His lips traveled from her knees to the soft underskin of her thighs, causing her to close her eyes in surrender.

She pressed in as every touch sent sparks through her body. As he licked and laved higher, the heat between her legs throbbed and pulsed, making her breath hitch and her heart race.

When his mouth reached her wet, slick pussy, she reared into his searching tongue, welcoming the wild energy surging through her entire being.

A moan escaped her lips as she held onto his hair while he worked his mouth over her folds, thrusting the tip of his tongue into her slit.

Lost in the moment, she focused on the intense desire he ignited within her.

With one final flick, he brought her to climax, causing her to cry out in ecstasy as waves of pleasure coursed through her body. But he didn’t stop there; he continued to please her until she was utterly spent, thighs shaking.

With a groan, he pulled back and gazed at her with bare hunger, legs open and wide for him before removing his clothing with haste, tearing them off.

She sat up, eyes hungry and in awe, as his muscular and scar-covered physique, sinewed, sculpted, and his cock, thick and bobbing, was revealed.

She bit her lip, greedy for him as he approached her. The intensity of his passion radiated off of him, promising bliss to come.

His cock pulsed, tumescent and glistening with precum as he positioned between her legs.

‘Ready, sahasí ?’ he growled.

She canted her pelvis in response. ‘Fokk me, Kaxim. Hard.’

She was wet and primed for him as he aligned with her entrance.

With a mighty thrust, he entered her, and she gasped from the overwhelming sensation - searing heat and scalding thickness as he slid the length of her tightness.

His groan signaled his pleasure. She wrapped her limbs around him to pull him even deeper.

His thrusts began with slow deliberation but picked up speed as he gripped her hips.

With a snarl, his mouth searched for and found her tits. His tongue worked on her nipples, suckling, driving her wild with desire as she held onto him.

Her moans echoed in the humble tent as they remained tight and locked, both consumed by lust.

She rode him with all her might, reveling in the overwhelming ecstasy of his cock inside her.

With each thrust, their bodies collided in a symphony of pleasure.

She moaned and clutched his waist as he filled her.

He began to move faster, starting slow and controlled before picking up speed.

His hands braced on either side of her head, caging her in, never breaking eye contact, ramping up the bliss.

Pushing deeper with every movement, his hips drive in a cadence that swung from deliberate and wild. Her nails dug into his back as she screamed in ecstasy, the sensations building to an intense peak.

Their bodies moved together in perfect harmony, their souls entwined in a fiery dance of desire. The heady scent of their arousal mixed with the earthiness of the ground below them and its minerals.

Her climax crashed over her like a wave, trembling and begging for release. He reached down to flick her clit, driving her to the edge, and plunged back inside her, matching the rhythm of her heart.

Her moans reverberated through the tent as she convulsed in pleasure. Their hearts beat in unison as they attained the pinnacle of ecstasy.

They remained attached, his hips slicking his cock in and out of her as they came down off their impossible high.

Afterward, he rolled over and lay beside her, still intertwined.

The fire crackled and cast dancing shadows on her k?lajan’s walls, adorned with intricate carvings and hanging bowers of flowers and rare stones.

Their breathing slowed to a steady pace as their spirits pulsed in sync. The dampness of the earth mingled with the lingering scent of their lovemaking, a testament to their wild passion.