He gripped her backside, and rocked her against him, giving her exactly the intoxicating rhythm she sought. And they became lost in each other, never capturing enough. Never wanting to leave this moment.
As she gained confidence, she leaned back, braced her hands on his knees, and her body moved. He took in her swollen breasts, her hips writhing, his own hands helping her chase her impending release, his fingers sliding between her legs to rub slick circles until she saw stars. Simultaneously, he hit that spot inside her that left her teetering on the edge of the world.
A tingle trailed her spine, pooled in her belly, and wound her tightly around him as her climax built. Then maybe she wascalling out to the gods or him or both in an incoherent mess of ecstasy. But it was too much and she stood at the cliffside, afraid of the plummet.
She’d never done this. Never been face to face and unnegotiably vulnerable with someone this way. But he gazed at her like she was the answer to every question he’d ever begged the universe for.
As if he saw her struggle, he captured her mouth, kissed her long and slow as her back bowed and his ice embraced her flame. He chuckled softly as his lips brushed her jaw. “Let go, Em. I’ll always catch you.”
As if his words released her, the build, the peak of pleasure crested, and she tumbled over that cliffside. She tightened around him, her body quivering and, as promised, he matched her through each wave, keeping that toe curling pace, and her fire contained by his magic.
He had her fully and for once in her life, shecouldlet go.
Dez promptly followed and buried himself inside her to find his own release. Their magic pulsed together in a way that seemed impossible. A power large enough to rewrite the history of this world.
Emmery leaned her brow against his, and whispered, “Not even death.”
He nodded in agreement and repeated her words.
A promise between them for whatever was to come.
As they compared their identicalvotaiscars, their palms side by side, she found a saber tangled intimately with her phoenix, not quite his crest nor herShadowheart. The image was familiar somehow, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
The side of her hand where the halved blood-red text had been, now ran down her little finger, wrapped around her wrist, and continued up the length of her thumb. The crimson hadfaded into an iridescent hue, like it held the world’s colours in its depths.
She traced the thin, looped lines identical to Dez’s handwriting. “What does it say?” she asked.
As he studied the inside of her wrist, he shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
She wiggled her fingers, so filled with joy and fire and life, as he pressed his lips to her forehead. The permanency of everything she’d tied herself to and the future problems looming ahead should have frightened her, but as she gazed at the marks on his hand to match hers, they were undoubtedly her favourite scars.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
EMMERY
“Idon’t want to sleep,” Emmery murmured into Dez’s shoulder. They lay in his bed, his silky sheets draped over their naked waists, and her legs tangled with his. His soft breath warmed her hair as he chuckled.
“There’s that stubbornness I adore,” he whispered hoarsely into the top of her head. “You’re tired, angel. I can hear it in your voice.”
She pressed a kiss to his throat. “But you won’t be here when I wake up.”
He tightened his arms around her and tucked her under his chin. “I hope you know how much it pains me to leave you.Especially since our bonds haven’t settled. If there was any way I could take you along I would, but I can’t.” He stroked his fingers down her spine and a shiver pebbled her skin. She playfully bit down on the junction of his neck and shoulder, careful to avoid his healing wounds. He groaned and urged, “Sleep, Emmery. We have the rest of our lives ahead. Forever.”
“We need to figure out this prophecy,” she mumbled, as she kissed across his collarbone. “What about the Council, the fever, telling everyone and—”
“I’ll make arrangements before I leave, and when I’m back in two days, we can sort everything else out. But for this moment, can I have you all to myself?”
Emmery groaned a complaintive noise but leaned into him.
He hummed into her hair. His chest vibrated with it, lulling her to sleep though she fought with all her strength. It was the song they’d played together, the one he had woven into their bond.
“I can’t believe you read all those books I touched,” she muttered, barely here or there, or anywhere as sleep wrapped her in its arms and stole her away. “You made notes for me, and it’s so perfect.”
“I’ll more diligently hide your gifts in the future since you’re such asnoop.” His rumbling laugh seeped into her. “Talia deserves a raise for her discretion. Smuggling all those books to me wasn’t an easy feat.”
“Why did you drag her into it?”
“Because I wanted to know what you were thinking. What you liked. And you were always too busy threatening to set me on fire to have a normal conversation.”