Page 66 of Of Gods and Pain

“So…” Nell leans back, a smirk on her face as she looks between Cas and me. “You two, huh?” I bark out a laugh, and my prince chuckles.

Gods, it feels good to surround myself with them.

Chapter Thirty

Anellah

One would think that growing up as a god, living with the knowledge that you have millennia ahead of you, would make you a patient person.

That trait did not pass down to me.

Days. We’ve been scouring the library for days, looking for any mention of demons or Breoqan. Is that even the actual name, or did I hear it wrong with all my screaming?

It doesn’t matter because there’s nothing here. Between myself, my bonds, the guard, and Leia—and, of course, Xamira supervising everyone—we’ve swapped floors each day, hoping to catch something another missed. But, no. We’re not that lucky.

I feel imprisoned all over again; only this time I’m stuck from a lack of information. Stagnant in my ability to move forward confidently.

I mean, how could we move forward? There is an entire fucking realm somewhere, full of demons, and we have no idea how to fight them. I’m stumped with how Andras knows this information…but I’m also curious how he plans to control these demons. If they’re the wild beasts he and Imogen made them sound like, why wouldn’t they just kill him first and save me the trouble?

Wishful thinking.

I’m tired, stressed, confused…and hungry. When was the last time we all ate? I don’t even know what time of day it is. Everything is such a blur.

I sigh, stopping in front of a bookcase on one of the bottom floors; one I’m fairly certain I’ve already looked at a couple of times. But, I don’t want to make myself anxious later when I remember I didn’t check the entire floor because I was annoyed. Crossing my arms, I scan the titles, seeing if there’s anything that stands out.

Before the War. No, I’ve read that one front to back already.

History of Anloria. No.

The Bridge between Kingdoms. No. That one sounds like it would be helpful, but it’s just an old children’s book. I’m not sure why it’s in the history section, though.

That’s Ender’s job, not mine.

I still have not met Ender…apparently he’s stopped by to greet the others during our time in here, but all I’ve gotten is prickling under my skin. Like he’s watching me and doesn’t want to introduce himself.

I won’t force him; Calix used to be shy before I pulled him out of his shell.

My heart squeezes at the thought of my best friend. I miss him. I want so badly to tell him of everything that’s happened here. But, unfortunately for me, cell phones don’t exist in our world and there’s no postal service between realms.

Something grabs the back of my neck and shoves me into the bookcase. I squeal, wondering how someone snuck up on me. And then I feel him. His presence is so comforting, I didn’t realize he was here.

His hand skates along my stomach and the muscles flex as my breathing becomes heavy. “I love how reactive you are,” Cas whispers in my ear, making me shudder.

At least I didn’t break his fucking wrist like I did with Emrys. I laugh to myself at the memory.

“What’s so funny, princess?” His lips trace the lines of my neck, warm breath coating my tingling skin. “A random male has you pinned against a shelf at the bottom of a dark, empty library. There’s no one around to hear you scream…no gods to hear you beg.” His body presses against mine, pelvis aligned with my ass. I almost insist he take me right here.

“As if the Prince of Anloria is some random male,” I tease. “And pinned? Do you truly think you could keep me like this if I didn’t want you to?” He smiles against my shoulder, kissing the exposed skin.

“No. I don’t.” He grabs my hips and spins me around to face him. His face hovers just above mine; his eyes are endless wells of the most breathtaking forest. His intense focus on me is molten anticipation, crawling under my flesh at a speed I can’t grasp, forcing my heart to quicken. “And I fucking love that about you.”

I bite my lip, his eyes focusing on the movement.

Gods, I love him.

I love everything about him. His eyes, face, hair, and gorgeous fucking body.

His heart. The way he sees everything, but never judges. How he’s always exactly what I need, when I don’t even know what that is.

---