Page 236 of A Dawn of Gods & Fury

As he speaks, my heart swells. It’s everything he has ever wished for, everything we’ve talked about. I push aside my dread and let myself imagine. “The bridge between Ybaris and Islor will be open for travel, and I will figure out how to convince the nymphs to heal the lands without claiming lives. Not just Ybaris but also Kier.”

“Until you do, the Plains of Aminadav will help provide for the people in all the realms,” he says, bending his neck forward to kiss my nose.

“And I will empty Ulysede’s coffers to trade with Seacadore. And Udrel, if we must,” I promise. How long would it take to sail there? Could Caindra fly that far?

“Fine, but leave my gold pillars alone.” A smirk curls his lips. It drifts with a pensive look. “We will have that wedding we keep planning.”

I inhale sharply at the thought of marrying Zander. For real, this time.

Easing my body up to straddle his hips, I lay kisses along his throat, his jawline, his lips. Between my legs, his cock is hard and waiting. “And we’ll take the stone on Hudem.” Can a Ybarisan and an Islorian have children together? And is there any point to the ritual, now that the nymphs are here and the blood curse is gone?

He chuckles, his hands seizing my hips, positioning himself at my entrance. “With an audience.”

My laughter dies as he slides into me.

“We’ll divide our time amongst kingdoms.” His hand slides between us, his thumb rubbing over my clit as he thrusts slowly, our mouths working together in a tantalizing dance of tongues.

“In Cirilea when the roses are in bloom.” I sit up, his lip leaving mine to trail down to my breasts, collecting a nipple between his teeth. “And the dragons will fly us everywhere.” I seize the sides of the tub for purchase, my breathing growing ragged as his teeth scrape across my flesh with a delicious bite just short of pain.

Words fade, giving way to moans and cries and the casual splash of water as our bodies rock against each other in an intimate dance, chasing a euphoria I once believed only existed in fiction. But all I had to do was fall in love with a king.

My king.

We climax together in a rush and topple into a heap.

And then continue planning out a life that we may never have a chance to live.

74

Annika

I regain consciousness lying on the stone floor of a cave. My shoulder throbs. So does my head.

But the wyvern didn’t eat me.

A wide opening in the ceiling allows in dappled light. It must be morning.

With a grimace, I heave myself to my feet, staggering before I gain my full balance and venture, checking the dark corners above for any beasts waiting to swoop down. From what I can see, I’m alone. But there are enough bones lying around to mark this for what it is—a lair.

I test for my affinity, but I can’t grasp onto it. It must be because of the giant goose egg on the side of my head that stings to the touch.

How long before the wyvern returns for its meal? I need to get out of here.

I need to find Tyree.

There’s a tunnel ahead. I bend and follow it through, into another cavern, this one long and narrow and lit by small gaps in the ceiling and a larger one on the far side. Too small for a wyvern. I aim for it but get distracted halfway by a stone fixture in a corner.

I’ve seen this before, in Cirilea, in the nymphaeum.

Could it be real? Or am I feverish?

Wandering to it, I trace my fingertip over the swirling lines. It is certainly real, and it even has the same engraving.

What is it doing here, in Udrel’s mountains?

A fluttering sound stirs behind me. I glance over my shoulder.

And scream, jumping backward. My body slams against the stone.

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