29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

E steban helped me to one of the rooms on the top floor. Once inside, he headed straight for the attached bathing room and started drawing water for a bath. He left and returned minutes later with a tray of food and water, leaving it on the gold-accented desk parallel to the large plush bed.

Alone, I peeled away my clothing, letting it drop on the rug extending from under the bed, covering most of the floor with a sunrise design. I padded along the yellow-orange horizon until I stood before the floor-length mirror in the corner.

Three lacerations extended down at an angle from my left side to the front of my hip. The centers of the claw marks were cauterized by the fiery claws like Kenzo's wounds. Reina's petal Caelus used had staunched the bleeding. A few streaks of fresh pink skin peeked around the edges, but it would still scar. There was only so much an enchanted petal could do to heal a wound caused by an Abyssal, even if it was from one of Reina's roses.

Tears welled in my eyes. Not at the sight of what remained of the gashes—Malik had called on me to heal all sorts of injuries, so I wasn't uncomfortable in their presence—but because my ability to heal had a limit. If we faced the Abyssal impersonating Lord Whistlemane or anyone else, there would be wounds I couldn't mend—wounds that would linger from what was endured.

I'd healed people who shouldn't have lived. But with my help, they'd survived. None of them had been left with a physical scar. The wound left behind on Kenzo and the sounds of his screams, despite my efforts, twisted my stomach.

I turned away and headed for the bath, sinking into the hot water. I didn't move, soaking off the blood and grime. The bath water was tinted a reddish brown, flecks of dirt settling to the bottom. Silent tears fell, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. I wasn't sure how long I sat in that water, but it was losing its warmth. I washed away the tears and blood. By the time I got out of the water, it was cold.

I pulled on one of my flimsy nightdresses and glanced at the food Esteban brought. The roasted meat was cold, but I ate as much of it as I could stand with my knotted stomach, then sat in the plush chair staring out the window even though there was nothing beyond the dark silhouette of trees in the night, unsure of what to do. What to feel.

Rain spattered against the window, and levin strikes flashed in the sky. Seconds later, thunder boomed in the distance. My power purred beneath the surface as it always did during a storm. Thunder and lightning called to each other, wanting to play in the sky. The soothing hum of my esprit helped me sleep on rainy nights. Rain had become my favorite because of that, but thoughts of Kenzo kept me awake. And Caelus's injury.

There wasn't any more I could do for Kenzo besides letting him rest. But I hated the waiting.

The door creaked open, followed by the faint scent of citrus. With soundless footsteps, Caelus knelt in front of me. I smiled at the sight of him, despite myself.

His hair was damp and that spring-rain scent, his true scent, enveloped the space between us—amplified by the storm or from bathing, I wasn't sure. He'd changed out of his blood-covered clothes into a simple black tunic and pants to match.

Normally, I might care if someone entered while I was wearing one of the sheer nightdresses with thin straps that Klareth and Alissa had bought for me before I left the temple. But with Caelus I found I didn't care. It wasn't as though he hadn't seen me this way before, and he'd seen more of my body the morning after I'd killed the high priestess.

All I cared about was that I wanted to see him—needed to see him.

"Your wound," I said, not wanting him to think I'd forgotten.

His brows pinched together. "You look . . . drained."

I started to protest, but there was no way to hide the exhaustion I'd spotted beneath my eyes in the mirror.

He placed a warm hand on my mostly exposed thigh. "You should rest."

"I want to heal you."

He smiled and held up a lavender rose petal with his other hand. "I thought you might consider this instead."

The corners of my lips tilted farther up, and I took the velvet petal. Our fingers brushed, and a static charge passed between us. If Caelus noticed it, he didn't show it.

He stood and pulled over the simple wooden chair from the desk. With a quick tug, he removed his tunic. The muscles of his torso stretched with the movement. He sat with his chest to the back of the chair. My breath caught at the gash that ran from his right shoulder blade to nearly the full length of his back. The wound didn't have the same cauterized look as the ones Kenzo and I bore. "This doesn't look the same."

"I snuffed out the flames around the feet of another one, but doing so left me exposed."

I placed the petal against his wound, and the muscles of his back tensed. A warm glow formed around the petal, and it slowly sank down into his flesh. "You? Not fast enough?"

"Surprising, I know." He flashed a smirk over his shoulder, but it didn't hold the same lightness it normally did.

His skin mended itself back together beneath the petal, and the muscles of his back relaxed. "Did you manage to kill it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It ran off. I'm guessing around the same time as the other one."

Lightning trickled from my fingertips and danced along the gash as if it were drawn to him, needing to stitch together the wound just as much as I wanted to. My power fell from me, and I didn't fight it, allowing it to add to the healing of the petal.

Caelus shuddered and groaned, tilting his head back.

My cheeks flushed at the sound that came from his throat, knowing he found bliss when I healed him.

It wasn't long before the wound was fully mended, leaving only the faint trace of new skin that would fade with time. I'd been distracted by the fresh wound when he pulled off his tunic, but with it healed, my eyes drifted to the faded scars on his back. My fingers traced the smooth, scarred flesh, and he didn't move as I trailed each one. Sparks continued to dance from my fingers, aching to restore his marred skin, the storm seeming to give it a mind of its own. But my lightning didn't heal scars. "There's so many," I murmured. I never want him to have another.

"My life wasn't always easy."

"And it's easy now?"

He shrugged, the muscles bunching and contracting under my fingertips. "Comparably."

My fingers skimmed the edge of a tattoo I'd noticed when we shared the room at the inn. "And this?" The design covered his upper arm, spilling onto his back. Swirls of ink that reminded me of sweeping winds spun toward his shoulder blade. From where I sat, I could make out the edges of what looked like a wolf staring back at me. He turned slightly, looking at the tattoo.

"It's a long story," he said, meeting my eyes over his shoulder.

I glanced out the window. "Sorry, I just . . ."

He turned to face me. One of his hands caressed my thigh, sending warm tingles through my body. The distance between us evaporated, and I became keenly aware of how little clothing I wore.

"Just what?" he asked.

I eyed his hand on my leg. "It's as though my power is attracted to you. Like a piece of it wants to be a part of you."

His lips twitched up. "But that isn't all, is it?"

His thumb stroked back and forth on my leg, leaving a trail of heat with each stroke. His smile was different. That lazy, patient one. Like the one he'd had when I found him collapsed in my aunt's foyer. Does he know he gives away so much in those smiles?

His eyebrows raised, and amusement lit his eyes. "I can't say that I do."

My eyes widened. I said that out loud.

He laughed deeply, the sound of it breathtaking.

I drew my leg to my chest and turned toward the window to hide my embarrassment—not that I could see anything past the dark, rainy night.

I was about to prop my chin on the heel of my hand, but his fingers slid under it and pulled my gaze to his. "You've been the sweetest dilemma since the moment you entered that tavern. One I couldn't escape and found myself unable to keep away from. One I've wanted to spend every moment with. Stunning to the point that I could barely look away."

My breath caught, and my heartbeat thundered in my chest. Heat spread from my cheeks down my neck.

"When I saw you and Kenzo . . . I froze. I knew Kenzo needed help—needed you." His fingers slipped away, sliding to the nape of my neck. He pressed his forehead to mine. "A senseless part of me wanted to take you and run. Keep you away from any further harm."

I'd seen the moment he'd hesitated. I wanted to reassure him, but my mind couldn't move past his words, that had my heart racing.

"Kiss me," I breathed, giving in to what I'd wanted for longer than I was willing to admit.

His storm-cloud eyes bore into me, and he pressed his lips to mine, tender and gentle and so unlike the kiss we'd shared in the castle. He pulled back far too soon, his hand releasing the back of my neck.

Caelus stood. "I should leave."

I pushed myself up from the chair. "Stay."

My gaze drifted over the tight muscles of his abdomen, and those indecent indents that dipped into his pants, before meeting his thunderous gaze. I knew I'd been caught admiring his body thanks to the smirk on his face. I didn't care, because the look in his eyes was the same as my own.

Caelus stepped forward, leaving a hairsbreadth between us. The sensitive peaks of my breasts brushed his bare chest with each breath, the thin fabric doing nothing to stop the friction. It was stupid to want him to stay. Stupid because I wasn't even sure what we could be. I just knew I wanted him.

I'd been falling since the day we met.

The burning silver of his eyes told me he wanted me too. Asking him to stay might have been reckless, but I stopped caring about that. Maybe it was selfish, but I didn't want to lose him when I hadn't even had him yet.

His lips brushed mine, a soft featherlight touch. Barely even a kiss. "What do you want, Eira?"

Not Lady or Tempest . Just Eira. I'd always been more than my titles to him, even when he used them. He used them more to tease me.

In answer, I pressed my lips to his with the same heat that boiled inside me, as I had in that iron hallway days ago.

His hands slid up my sides, brushing the edges of my breasts through the thin nightgown. He cupped my face, keeping the kiss gentler than I wanted, leaving room for me to reconsider.

But I wouldn't. I needed him. My body ached for him the same way the tempest within me was drawn to him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, removing any lingering doubt of what I wanted from him. My fingers twisted into the soft strands of his hair, and, with a tilt of my head, I deepened the kiss.

Caelus groaned against my lips, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. He tasted spicy and sweet. His hands moved along the curves of my body, pulling me against the hard muscles of his chest. The evidence of his arousal pressed into my lower stomach, and his fingers tangled in my hair. He kissed me like he'd die if he spent another moment without doing so.

Caelus pulled away, panting, and rested his forehead on mine again, a hungry look in his eyes. "Tell me what it is you want." It sounded like a plea.

My eyes darted from his eyes to his lips, and I swallowed hard, trying to calm my thundering heart. "You," I breathed. "None of the pretending."

He grinned. "You were the only one who ever called it pretending ." He kissed me again, and his hands slid down my back, cupping my ass. He broke the kiss, and his serious eyes met mine. "Say the word, and we can stop. Anytime."

I nodded, and his lips crashed into mine. He lifted me up, and my legs wrapped around his hips as I held on with my arms around his neck. His cock pressed against my wet center through his pants, and a whimper escaped me.

His chest rumbled with a groan, and the fiery ache in my core grew.

Caelus gently placed me on the bed. He settled himself over me, his lips gliding down my jaw to my neck.

His hot breath caressed my sensitive skin. "You're irresistible, the sweetest temptation."

My fingers caressed the muscles of his arms and shoulders. "You've resisted me so far," I said.

He chuckled, the sound deep and gravelly. His lips found my neck again, and more featherlight kisses trickled down to my collarbone. "Apologies, my lady ."

I slapped his shoulder, though not hard enough to hurt, and his laugh reverberated through me.

Caelus continued moving down my body, kissing the tops of my breasts before his lips returned to mine. He kissed me slowly, exploring, taking every inch I gave him. His hand palmed my breast, fingers teasing my peaked nipple.

I whimpered, craving more and exploring his taut body with my fingers, tracing them along his muscles. Wet heat pooled between my legs, begging for release.

Caelus's hands slipped under the hem of the frilly nightdress over my body.

I pushed a hand against his hard chest, and he immediately created space. "I've never . . ." I started.

He nodded. "Stop anything you don't like."

"And I don't take the contraceptive herb."

He chuckled, pressing a kiss on the sensitive spot below my ear. "I do."

I smiled, and he continued slowly, stripping the nightdress from my body and leaving me bare before him.

His eyes caressed every inch of my naked skin, lingering on my peaked breasts and the curves of my hips. His fingers brushed against the marred flesh, and he studied the claw marks. He dipped down, his mouth pressing against each one. "Never again," he said, his warm breath gliding over my skin.

He kissed his way back up my body, stopping at my breasts. His tongue worked in tantalizing swirls against my nipple, his hand teasing the other. Passionate need coursed through me. That teasing mouth moved to my other breast, drawing my nipple between his lips. One of his hands traveled down my body to between my legs. Agile fingers swept through my wet folds, and I felt the uptilt of his mouth against my skin. His fingers teased the sensitive bundle of nerves. My hips moved of their own accord, longing for more. His tongue swirled against a nipple, sending warm tingles down my body.

Caelus slid a long finger inside me. He pumped it in and out sinfully slow, his thumb maintaining that delicious friction—better than anything I'd ever done to myself. I wanted those fingers to move faster and chase my budding climax. He inserted another, and my hips undulated against his hand.

With a kiss between my breasts, he purred, "So stunning."

My back arched, and my head spun. Each stroke of his fingers left my body writhing. His thumb rubbed titillating circles on the most sensitive part of me while continuing to glide in and out, coaxing me toward release. My body collapsed against the bed, and his hand slowed as he began to map my body with kisses, making his way down between my thighs.

I fought the urge to close my legs reflexively, and his warm tongue slid between my folds and up to the tight nerves at my apex. My fingers found their way into his hair, and my breathy moans filled the room. He continued to flick and tease, slipping his fingers back inside me, curling them, and I began spiraling.

I wanted more.

Gods , I wanted him.

My mind fragmented, and my hand gripped his hair as he sent me over the edge. I loosened my grip, the delicious waves of pleasure passing, and Caelus's fingers slipped out of me. But there was still an ache between my legs—a longing for him.

I pushed myself up, meeting him halfway, and my fingers found the clasp of his pants. Caelus helped remove them, and his long hard length sprang free. It throbbed, and I swallowed. The real thing was far more tantalizing than what I'd read about in books or overheard.

Caelus guided me back down to the bed and lowered himself over me. His lips found mine again, slow and gentle. A silent reminder that we could stop. That we didn't have to continue past anything I didn't want.

But I wanted everything.

He slid his cock between my slick folds with a groan. Then, slowly, he guided himself inside me. I winced at the slightest twinge of pain from the stretching to take him. He stilled immediately, letting me adjust before sliding in farther, and peppered me with sweet little kisses on my lips, my cheeks, and my neck, as if it hurt him to see me in the slightest of pain.

He paused once he was fully inside me, and I twined my fingers through his silky hair. With agonizing slowness, he pulled out to the tip. The muscles of his abdomen trembled as though it was a tremendous effort to go as slow as he was for me.

But the pain had passed, and I lifted my hips, encouraging him.

He thrust into me, still maintaining his slow pace.

I whimpered, "Please."

He kissed my forehead. "I think I enjoy your begging," he said, thrusting into me slowly.

I made a sound of protest, and he laughed.

"As you wish, my lady ." He pumped his hips faster, sending waves of pleasure through me. He hooked one of my legs over his shoulder, thrusting harder. His pace quickened, and I was certain the others could probably hear us, if they hadn't already, but I didn't care. The sounds of our bodies coming together filled the room between my moans. Our mouths collided, and his fingers found my nipple, adding to the riot of sensations building and building. He buried himself deep into me again and again and created a wholly different storm within me.

Our bodies came together, and lightning flashed outside the window.

Gods. I wasn't certain I could ever have enough of him. How was I supposed to move about my day-to-day life once this was all over?

He shifted, hitting a deeper part of me, thrusting even faster than before and tipping me toward that edge. I reached my hand between us and circled that bundle of nerves until I was crying out his name, thunder booming outside.

He continued to pump into me, and I rode out the pulsing waves of my release. His muscles tensed, and he groaned against my throat, his cock twitching inside me.

I flushed at the sensation. No one ever mentioned that.

But there was some sort of addictive feeling in knowing what I could do to him.

He kept himself propped over me as we caught our breaths, skin slick with sweat. My arms stayed wrapped around his neck, unwilling to tear my gaze away from his. He pressed his lips against mine, quick and gentle; then he pulled himself out of me and went into the adjoining bathing room to clean himself up.

When he returned, I was dozing off. " Lady Eira, you should clean up before sleeping."

I groaned in protest, exhaustion settling in, and he chuckled. "Or I suppose I could help."

My eyes shot open at the thought of Caelus cleaning me, and I pushed myself up from the bed and quickly made for the bathing chamber. I emerged moments later to find Caelus relaxed in the bed, hands behind his head. He pulled back the covers, inviting me in. I settled next to him. His warm body pressed against mine, and he wrapped himself around me, his arm draped over my stomach. One of his legs lay atop mine. That exhaustion found its way back deep into my bones.

Caelus kissed my cheek and murmured something, but the word sleep was all I heard.