Page 73 of Oath of Rebellion

She shivered and spasmed, and his finger finally released her clit to hold her torso. Thank the gods for the vines because her legs felt like she would fall into the dirt without them.

She gasped as he slid out and the light magic faded. The plants receded until she was lying on a bed of blue and red flowers.

Her face was still near the base of the tree. Adrenaline began to slow through her veins, but the scent of the venom made her sniff.

The honey sweet smell drew her in, and she wanted to lick it. It was like a haze, her mind wrapped in desire and need so she couldn't think straight.

She leaned closer to where the barbed tail dripped the green syrup down the bark. He wrapped his hands around the tail and pulled out of the tree.

The sharp movement made her blink and pull back. What was she doing again? She looked around, fingering the flowers.

"These are beautiful," she said softly as she sat up.

He bent at the waist and took her chin in his fingers, tilting her face up to meet his glittering green gaze.

"They're nothing compared to you, love."

She gasped, her heart melting at his words. He ran his hand over her cheek, pushing her wild hair away from her face. She nuzzled into his palm, then he was stepping away. She sighed and reached for her pants.

She stood on shaky legs, one hand on the tree and carefully avoiding the venom still dripping.

Knox lifted her, making her gasp and hold his neck tight. Then he laid her reverently on a soft plant bed, stems woven together into a hammock.

He brushed the hair away from her face again and smiled. "Are you alright? How was it?"

She nodded, more relaxed than she'd ever been before. She blushed at his attention. "I feel amazing. We should do that again."

He grinned with pride and stood straighter. "I'll gladly do that again with you, princess. The light show took me by surprise."

She chuckled, her eyes growing heavy as he set the hammock to rocking. "Yeah, me too. It's never happened before."

She yawned, not wanting to think about why her magic had slipped her control.

Knox then reached over her to wipe the venom on the grass.

"We might as well camp here for the night. Get some rest while I check on Ryder and make sure he's safe. I'll be right back."

Eirwyn sat on the hammock and then turned to lay down. She was barely drifting to sleep when the hammock dipped, and she rolled into Knox' arms.

Her head fit perfectly against his chest and she hummed. "This is nice," she said softly, her hand coming up to rest on him.

He took her hand and kissed the palm, the glove still bloodied. Then he turned his head and kissed her hair. "Sleep well, princess."

Her eyes fluttered open to see the hammock growing a type of shell over the top of them. She felt like they were sleeping inside a giant acorn or something, but the gentle sway of the hammock pushed her to a deep sleep.

****

Hours later, the hammock dipped as Knox pulled away from her. She groaned, "Just five more minutes."

He stood, stopping the hammock from rocking too much as he chuckled. "Dawn is here. We need to get a move on if we're going to make it to the halfway point to the dwarves."

She groaned as he walked away. The vines no longer covered over them like a shell. She blinked, the faint lightening of the sky the only sign that day was coming.

She looked over and saw Knox walking back toward her, looking up and tucking his shirt into his pants. He adjusted his suspenders and stopped next to her.

He frowned and whispered, "The eagles are coming. Are you awake? We need to go before they find us."

She stretched and swung her feet over the side of the hammock. Knox gently grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. Once she was standing, he let her go and then turned to look up, scanning the trees.

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