29. Eldrin

Chapter twenty-nine

Eldrin

T he night was cold, which was a reason for Amber to push herself as close to me as possible while we slept under the stars. Not that she needed a reason. The hours we had spent together only made me crave more, like she was an ambrosia and I was desperate for every drop.

Her hair was spread over my arm, and she rested her head on my bicep while she smiled. Her eyelids were heavy, our lovemaking spurring her to contentedness.

I kissed her, as desperate for the taste of her as I had been a mere hour before, when she had taken off her dress and climbed on my lap, riding me until she climaxed. And then I laid her down and tasted the sweetness that dripped out of her, drove my tongue into her, until she shuddered and whimpered, begging for me. And when I finally entered her …

“Already?” Amber asked with a contented smile, grinding against my hips. “We just finished.”

“Always.” I nibbled on her ears and her neck arched in response, moving her breasts. I took one of the perfect mounds into my palm and massaged and cupped it. “Are you not ready?”

She kissed me in turn. “Always,” she echoed against my lips.

“You’re perfect.” I moved my hand and traced the delicate angles of her face.

“I know,” she said, and laughed. “And humble.”

I shook my head, biting back a grin. “I see that. And I would not have you any other way.”

Silence fell between us, and Amber snuggled harder against me.

“What would you do, if you could do anything?” Amber asked. “With us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Pretend you are the god of this world, and you could do anything. Get rid of anyone. Bring anyone here. What would you do? Not Vanir or the veinwart, obviously. Something different.”

I thought for a moment. “There is a glade in the Darkening Woods, in the part that is still in our original home. It’s known for being one of the most beautiful spots in the forest.”

“Is it?”

I nodded. “I think so. A special flower grows there, a sort of lily. And only there. It’s said that it was a gift of a god to the elves. It smells so sweet, the flower has a rich nectar that has no equal anywhere else in the Woods. The honey made from it is used to heal, and it does so better than almost any other medicine.” A soft look crossed her face, as if she was imagining it for herself. “Elves of the Darkening Woods often have their marriages there,” I added.

“I can understand why,” she said quietly.

I swallowed. “I’d like to bring you there one day.” When she blinked hard, I continued, “I know it is impossible, but that is something I dream of doing with you—to take you there and make you mine. Forever.”

“You would?”

I nuzzled her neck, my love for her—and it was love—rising in my being, an emotion that was as impossible to ignore as desire. Where lust was a wildfire, strong and fleeting, this was the sun, steady, constant, and necessary. “Without hesitation. No one, and I mean no one, was able to bring me back from the hell I put myself in. No one has made me find joy in this life, even before I lost it all. You are my heart, my ember, and should the fates allow it, I would keep you with me forever. I cannot find happiness in this life without you—it would be impossible.”

She answered me with a kiss, desperate and urging. And when she moved to take me into her arms, and when I took everything she was willing to give me, I had no hesitation that I meant every word.

But we were almost to the veinwart, and soon, whether we were able to stay together, or be lost to each other forever, would no longer be our decision.