Page 135 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

His voice comes out achingly tender. “This is where I belong. With you. No matter where your magic takes you, I’ll follow. You can always reach for me.”

Sudden tears prick at my eyes. But then the daimon-man eases back to thrust into me again, and the rush of bittersweet emotion is carried away by a sensation that’s all bliss.

I clutch at his shoulder, my other hand digging into his curly hair. Every buck of his hips sends a deeper swell of pleasure through my body.

“I’m not letting you go either,” I promise him between fractured breaths. “I’m not letting them take you away.”

He makes a strangled sound and plunges into me faster. His fingers dig into my ass. “Cling to me, my little vine. Like we’ll be twined together always.”

My arms tighten around him. He adjusts our position with his next thrust and manages to hit the sweetest spot inside me.

That’s all it takes. The surges of bliss expand with just a few more strokes until they crash right over the edge.

I sob and shudder, holding on to Rheave for all I’m worth.

“Oh,” he mutters. “Oh.”

He shudders in turn, the movement of his hips turning jerky as he finds his own release inside me.

He hauls me right up against him and buries his face in the crook of my neck. His breath sears across my throat.

“I’ve got you,” he says, like he did when he held me through the worst of my magic’s torment.

In that moment, I believe him. The only question is who’s going to save the rest of the kingdom.

Thirty-Seven

Ivy

Rheave lowers me carefully to the ground, stealing a few more kisses along the way.

When he draws back, his pale cheeks are flushed, his eyes sparkling with glee. “That was fantastic. I don’t know why humans aren’t doing it all the time.”

A laugh tumbles out of me. “I guess we wouldn’t be able to get a whole lot else done.”

“Hmm. Another area where there must be balance.”

Even though my legs are still wobbly from the force of my orgasm, the ground feels more solid beneath my boots. As I wriggle my trousers back up to my waist and re-strap my thigh sheaths, a renewed sense of conviction fills my chest.

“Speaking of which, as amazing as this diversion was, we do still have an army of scourge sorcerers to find.”

Rheave glances toward the top of the gully with a frown. “Which way do you think we should go from here?”

That is the question, isn’t it?

I inhale slowly, considering our options, and my gaze settles on one of the butterflies gliding through the eerie subterranean glade.

Kosmel has guided me before. All of the godlen offer signs to those who pray to them when they feel the need.

What has Rheave ever asked of the divinities before despite everything he’s given of himself to protect the realm? I think they owe him a favor or two.

I motion toward the butterflies. “Ask Inganne for help. Ask the butterflies if any of them have noticed a place around here where there’s a lot of magic. You said they feel like friends… Friends help each other.”

Rheave blinks, and a grin flashes across his face. He secures his own trousers and turns toward the butterflies.

When he speaks, I don’t know how much it’s to them and how much to the godlen who might be watching over this place.

“Thank you for giving us a joyful spot where we could make more joy. There’s something very important we need to do, and we could use your help. Have you noticed anywhere near the forest where a lot of magic is being cast? We need to stop those people before they cause a lot of pain, but we have to find them first. I would be grateful for your guidance.”

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