2. Aura

CHAPTER 2

Aura

T raining went on for a while after Nox left. Aura loved training classes. She had fought to teach them, wanting to be involved in this aspect of the castle life. She herself loved training, and as a child it helped her through the death of her own parents. Gave her an outlet to pour her energy into; whether good or bad feelings fueled it. When her light powers developed, she found ways to weave it into her battle stances, her hits and blocks. Her light was strong, but not having the guidance from an elder as others did in their own trades was a difficulty she faced.

Ever since Kyeria arrived on the rocky mountain side of the border into The Hollow, her magic had fascinated Aura. She knew of fae magic, had heard the stories, and read the texts on their people and how magic was gifted down generations, each one having a strong elemental magic. Kyeria in turn was fascinated with Aura's ability to manipulate light. She had been such a wonderful addition to The Hollow. Aura had never seen her brother, Kellian, outwardly adore someone in such a way. He was rather reserved with his feelings, would stay holed up in his tower, or on long flights over the far isles or trips to Dragon council meetings that moved frequently. But when Kyeria arrived, even when they met on the mountain, something in her brother had changed. As if in a moment.

They called it a soulbond . A person ones soul was tied to, across all time and all versions of life. Finding each other in each and every life, cycle after cycle. It was rare. So rare that it was more myth and folklore. Kyeria had once explained the snap in her chest she felt when she saw Kellian. That it was as if the whole world shifted, and everything barreled towards her at once, like being woken up from a dream. The description had stuck with Aura, constantly on the edge of her mind.

After training, Aura found herself irresistibly drawn to Nox's workshop. The wooden building, draped in vines with long purple flowers and deep green leaves cascading from its beams, had a certain rustic charm. She peered inside to see Nox's back, stripped of armor, his linen shirt clinging to him with sweat. His disheveled hair and the same brown trousers and dirtied boots only added to the picture of rugged intensity. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up above his elbows, revealing arms that stretched the fabric with every movement, captivating her gaze. He was engrossed in sharpening a new sword, its delicate handle still unpolished, as he worked the wheel with a rhythmic push and pull. Nox paused, lifting his foot off the pedal and turning toward her. His shirt hung open in a careless manner, exposing his chest, and Aura couldn't help but admire the sight.

"Princess." His voice was pure gravel and stone. She swallowed suddenly, as if forgetting the words on her tongue. She hated being called princess by him. Something about it made her skin buzz, her blood boil.

"Don't call me that." She glared.

"What shall I call you then." He smirked. They did this time and time again. He called her names she despised, and on and on it went. He rarely called her by her name. Something about it made Aura maddened by it.

She shook her head, refusing to play his game today. Too distracted by the gorgeous steel in his hands, the small mysterious short sword.

"What is that?" Aura asked.

"That is not the question you wanted to ask." Nox smirked. Aura groaned and crossed her arms.

"If you want to know who it is for," Nox began, "it is for Esmeralda. Kyeria commissioned one special for her, a smaller short sword than I've never made, but perfect for her nonetheless." He smiled at his creation. Aura stepped towards him, she couldn't help her hand reaching out, her fingers dragging across the metal. Nox always used the best metals, the strongest steel in his royal swords. His father had been a blacksmith, his grandfather and so on. Nox however, after learning the craft, had decided to join the royal guard. His brother took up the shop in town, holding on to the family legacy. But Nox had slowly built out his own small workshop in the barracks after gaining his ranking as captain and high guard of the royal army. It was small, the kingdom was not under attack or war, it was hidden to the rest of the realm and continent. But the last few years, flighting off the damned shadow beast, trying to keep it away from villages in The Hollow and protecting the borders from Raiders as the magical border shrunk from the beast eating away at the magic, had been not a small fleet.

"So what do you need?" Nox asked, blue eyes searching.

"Next shift?" She asked casually, as if she didn't really care. But she did. Because she wanted him to be done for the day. She wanted him all to herself.

"Not untill high night," He replied.

"Any plans on sleeping before then?" She smirked. His heated gaze matched her own.

"None," He said after a long silence, his voice thick.

"Hmm," Aura said and walked out, her hips swinging as she left his workshop, heading confidently towards his side of the barracks. She heard his soft chuckle behind her when she left. Knew he would follow not long after, as to avoid suspicion from others out at this time. She walked in the direction of his house, towards the path just south of it that lead into the gardens and back to the castle, then she snuck down a hidden path, covered with a thick screen of trees, weaving between them and towards the back of Nox's house, the backdoor was unlocked, as it usually was. She closed it quietly and walked up the stairs.

She picked up a book on his nightstand and began reading, waiting for him to arrive. On the hour, he appeared. She heard the front door creak open and lock, his boots on the wooden floors, then the stairs, then in the doorway. Aura felt his gaze on her, burning through her before she lowered the book. Her eyes peeked over, Nox held her gaze with obsidian eyes. The light blue was stormy and dark now, as it always was when he was thinking certain thoughts.

"Took you long enough." Aura's impatience leaked through her words, but she was smirking her usual way, all for him.

"I'll make up for it," He said, strolling towards her, his strong hands were black with grease and dirt, as if he finished his work and came straight over, forgoing cleaning up beforehand, he pulled at his shirt, stretched his hands above his head and yanked it off. It unceremoniously floated to the ground. His boots were kicked off in a hurry, then he was there, above her, plucking the book out of her hands and bending the corner of the page down to mark her spot and placing it back on his nightstand. Then his hand went to her face, slid down her neck slowly, leaving a trail of grease and dirt much to her annoyance.

"You did that on purpose," she seethed.

"What are you going to do about it?" He threw back, she reached up, her hands tangled in his dark locks and pulled hard. Crashing his lips to hers. His hand pressed down on her in response, and his large form straddled her.

"At a loss for words, Princess ?" Goddess his voice, it was like pure venom, honey and poison to her ears.

"Still making up my mind, Captain ." She spit back and was rewarded with a smirk. Goddess above, she loved that stupid smirk. It creased along his strong jawline, his beard was short, as if he forgot to shave it off as he usually did, it was rough along her skin. He dragged his lips, his shadow of a beard scraping along the way.

"Don't call me that," he growled.

"Then stop calling me princess."

"No."

They collided again, a mess of limbs, breathy kisses and grasping each other. As if their time was ticking away faster and faster, as if it was the last time they would feel each other in this way. Aura tried to convince herself it was. This was the last time. No more fucking the Captian of the Guard. Goddess, her brother would kill her. She owed it to her family, to her kingdom, to focus on them, not this.

But the rough hands around her softened, and began worshiping her. Nox pulled himself off of her, he stood, then reached for her again, each hand grasping a thigh, his muscles flexed and he pulled her towards the edge of his bed, then sank onto his knees.

"I am starved." He growled out before she was overtaken but pure lust. They indulged in every piece of themselves, Nox especially. His eyes met hers, both fire burning so deeply around them. She felt herself glowing. Like magic was tingling all around her. Then she felt him pull away, she opened her eyes again and looked at him. He stared in awe.

"You're—" he started. She was in fact, actually glowing. "Fuck, are you okay?" He asked, suddenly worried.

"Perfect." She smiled. Really and truly, she felt like the sun, beaming bright. Basking in pleasure.

"Fuck," he muttered before grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her to him. Their lips collided again, they fought in dominance, danced around each other before Nox won out, her lips parted in a groan and he took the moment, his tongue taking over her mouth. Her hands wandered to his hardened length. She teased him, earning deep groans from him as she did. But only for a moment before he ripped her hand away and pinned both above her head. Nox shook his head.

"Not yet." His voice was a command, a promise of more to come. Aura, utterly surrendered, felt like melted butter beneath his touch. What could she possibly do to deny this man who had so completely unraveled her? How could she resist when every fiber of her being craved him? It was a battle she knew she would lose each time; her body had already surrendered to his touch, his lips, his ability to please her in ways she could scarcely explain.

Nox's hands roamed with a practiced grace, exploring the contours of her body with an almost reverent touch. His fingers traced delicate patterns along her skin, igniting a cascade of sensations that made her gasp and writhe in response. He leaned in, his breath warm and tantalizing against her ear as he whispered, "You're so beautiful when you surrender like this."

Aura's heart pounded as she felt his lips brush against her collarbone, each touch sending electrifying shivers through her. His gaze was unwavering, dark eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her feel as if they were the only two people in the world. The air around them seemed to thrum with a palpable energy, their shared desire a living, breathing entity.

He shifted, positioning himself above her with a deliberate, slow movement that heightened the anticipation. His touch was firm yet tender, a paradox that drove her wild. The space between them seemed to pulse with an unspoken promise, each moment stretching out with delicious tension.

Aura's hands, freed from their earlier constraint, sought out his body, her fingers tracing the lines of his powerful form. Her touch was both a plea and a caress, an expression of the raw need she felt.

Nox's lips found hers again, his kiss deep and hungry, a melding of passion and possession. His tongue danced with hers in a rhythm as old as time, their bodies moving in a synchronized harmony that spoke of both longing and fulfillment.

As the intensity of their connection reached its peak, the world outside ceased to matter. All that existed was the profound pleasure they shared, the way their bodies intertwined in a dance of pure ecstasy. In this moment, any thoughts of resistance or inner conflict were swallowed by the overwhelming tide of their passion, leaving only the sensation of being fully, exquisitely alive.

Aura cracked her eyes open to find herself surrounded by unfamiliar dark green curtains and the heavy weight of a bare arm draped across her shoulders. Realization hit her with a jolt: hours had slipped by and she had fallen asleep.

"Fuck," she muttered, her voice edged with panic as she shoved Nox's sleeping form away. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." She scrambled around the room, desperately searching for her clothes. Nox groaned, burying his face in a pillow, completely naked. His muscular frame was on full display, but Aura barely registered it; her focus was solely on escaping his room, his house, and returning to her own quarters before the servants noticed her sneaking in at nearly midnight.

In a fit of frustration, she grabbed one of Nox's boots and hurled it at him with all her might. It struck him squarely in the shoulder. He swore and rolled over, grumbling, "What the Hel was that for?"

"We fell asleep," she snapped, not waiting to see his reaction, nor how his bright blue eyes might catch the moonlight.

"Fuck," he groaned in response, and she nodded, as if to agree, Yeah, that's exactly what I just said.

Aura tugged back on her training clothes as quickly as she could. Then lightly ran down the stairs and out the back door, leaving a slightly dazed and half awake Nox behind her.

She weaved through the familiar trees and walked through the back garden when she heard a noise. She paused, it was coming from the path that led out to the meadows and the dragon caves outside the entrance.

"Aura?" a familiar female voice whispered through the night.

"Goddess above, what are you doing out here?" Aura asked, rushing towards her friend's voice. Kyeria moved from behind the trees blocking her, a wide smile sitting comfortably on her lips, she was also in training clothes which made Aura cock her head.

"What were you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What were you doing?" Kyeria bounced back at her. They both eyed each other before bursting out into a fit of giggles.

"Why are you wearing training clothes?" Aura asked, knowing Kyeria did not do any sword or hand to hand training today. Not that she needed it since she was the most advanced female fighter she had ever met, even compared to the female guards in the royal army. Kyeria was shockingly fast, and even more shockingly deadly.

"I—" Kyeria cleared her throat trying to school her facial features into a serious look. But she failed as she always did, Kyeria was just a little beam of sunshine. Aura admired that, Kyeria had an uncanny ability to see the best in everyone and everything.

"You'll never guess." Kyeria bit her lip as if begging Aura to guess.

"Dragon caves?" Aura asked, assuming from the direction Kyeria had been walking from. She nodded.

"Ameline?" Aura asked again, receiving another nod and a growing smile from the copper haired fae.

"Ky," Aura gasped, "holy shit." She noticed then, her hair was disarrayed, her clothes slightly ripped, and she was wearing a dragon scale corset, one that was made from Ameline's very scales, one made for a dragon rider. Aura knew Kyeria had been waiting for Ameline to get strong enough to fly. And they had this communication with each other, able to sense every mood and shift, so if Ameline was ready, Kyeria must have known and come out here. Even in the dead of night, not wanting to wait.

"It was amazing." Kyeria beamed. "Unlike anything I expected," she whispered into the night. Aura smiled back at her friend and linked their arms as they began to walk back to the castle.

"How did you know it was time?"

"I couldn't sleep, which oddly enough, usually Ameline is also restless when that happens, something was tugging me down here so I walked to the caves, and she was just waiting for me, so impatiently." She rolled her eyes. "So we tried again, after days of falling off, or her not being able to stay in the air for more than a few seconds. And it worked, her wings were strong enough. We took a short flight but goddess, it was amazing."

"Was it different than flying with Kel?" Aura asked.

"Very, while Kellian and I can communicate through the bond, Ameline and I are connected differently, she's in my head and I'm in hers but I can sense her emotions more. Probably why it wakes me up when she is also up. But flying with her, being able to read each other that way and communicate when to dip and raise and land—" Kyeria paused, a far off look in her eyes. "Unlike anything," she finished.

They reached the familiar castle stone walls, arms linked and strolled past the stone faced guards on watch outside the doors. Once inside they walked down the great hall and down towards the bed chambers. Aura paused at her hall and hugged Kyeria goodnight. Happy to have shared that moment with her. She rounded the corner and froze, her breath catching in her throat. There, standing resolute outside her door, was a figure all too familiar: Nox.

"Leave," Aura snapped, her voice sharp as a blade as she tried to push past him.

"I'm stationed here," Nox replied with a simple, almost indifferent tone. His armor gleamed with an unyielding shine, the crimson cape cascading down his back like a warrior's banner.

"No," she retorted, her eyes blazing with indignation. "You are never stationed here."

"I am tonight." His voice was clipped, barely concealing a thread of command beneath the surface.

"No." The word was a fierce command, her gaze locking onto his with fiery intensity. "I command you to stand down." Her voice was a seething hiss, a declaration of her authority.

Nox's eyes widened imperceptibly, a fleeting crack in his stoic facade before it reasserted itself, concealing any flicker of emotion. "Go to bed, princess," he said, turning his gaze forward with the cold detachment of a sentry.

Aura's anger flared, a tempest within her. She shoved her door open with a force that reverberated through the hall, slamming it shut with a decisive bang. She didn't care if the entire castle awoke to her fury; the door's crash was a small release for the volcanic rage boiling within her.

She stormed to her bed, ripping at her clothes as if shedding the remnants of her frustration. The familiar scent of Nox lingered on her, a reminder of the evening's unsettling end. With a frustrated flick, she tossed her garments across the room, then poured the tepid water from the buckets into her tub with a splash.

The soap was an unforgiving bar in her hands as she scrubbed furiously at her skin, her motions harsh and relentless. The friction turned her skin raw, but the sting was a bittersweet balm to her frustration. She rinsed off in the frigid water, its chill cutting through her heated rage.

When she finally returned to her room, she donned a blue silk nightgown that whispered softly against her skin. She collapsed into the sea of pillows, pulling a soft fur blanket over herself with a sigh of weary resignation. Her mind was made up: this was the end.

She vowed, in the quiet of her room, that she would be done with him. Tonight was the last time.

The next morning, her promise to herself was shattered apart with a soft knock at the door. The sun had not even crossed over the mountains yet, only a soft faint glow of morning was dusting the sky. Aura rubbed her sleep ridden eyes. Her muscles stretched with a raise of her arms above her head and she couldn't stop the groan from slipping past her lips at the stretch. The knock came again. She shuffled to her feet, throwing the soft blankets off her. Her bare feet hit the ground and padded along her wooden floors as she walked to the door. She heaved the heavy door open only a sliver.

"What?" she snapped out, not knowing who was there. She was met with the familiar pine smell of Nox. She inhaled deeply, letting it waft over her and settling into the calm familiar feeling. Then she freezed, no. She would not let herself fall deeper into this.

"What do you want?" She whispered out impatiently, meeting his eyes. His brown eyes were darkened and clouded, his gaze not meeting her, instead it was lower, wholly focused on her body instead. That was rather rude. Then she remembered what she was wearing. A thin blue satin sleeping gown. The lace of the neckline came down rather low and did nothing to cover her pebbled nipples from sight. Oh.

Heat ran through her at the thought of him being so acutely aware of her, of how much she wanted him. Not her, but her stupid godsdamned body that just reacted to him in this manner. He pushed the door open easily, just wide enough to walk past her stunned form, and closed it behind him.

"I've got a few minutes," he said pulling his armor off his body already,

"Excuse me?" She glared. "You just come in here, and start stripping. Just assuming that at this goddess forsaken hour you just get to barge into my chambers ."

His hands paused, and he looked at her.

"Then tell me to stop," he said, voice low. Then he stalked towards her, his hand hovering over her cheek, leaning down his lips only an inch away from her skin, he breathed, "tell me to stop."

Aura's heart stuttered, the breath in her lungs pausing. The anticipation of his lips on her neck, of his hand on her cheek that would inevitably slip down to her neck, made her skin feel alive, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. He was a drug, and she couldn't stop herself from leaning into his open palm. It was warm on her check, his thumb brushed her soft skin and he whispered again, his lips still still hovered over her neck.

"Last chance," he mumbled. She let her eyes close and her head fall back, opening her neck to him more.

"What do you want, princess?" he whispered again. Her eyes snapped open, focusing on him, and without a single pause or stutter she said the word before her own mind could stop her,

"You."