Page 110 of Lady of Starfire

“Fuck, of course I want,” Cassius interrupted, mouth hovering over his. “I’m not as selfless as you believe I am. I want, and I take. But tonight, this time, was just you.” His hand came up, cupping the side of Cyrus’s neck while his thumb swiped along the edge of his jaw. “You deserve to be wanted without being required to give something in return.”

He swallowed the emotion building in his throat. “Cass,” he rasped again, his fingers flexing where they sat on Cassius’s hips. He could still feel him hard against his body. “Don’t ever tell me to get the fuck out again.”

“Don’t tell me to sleep in another room again,” Cassius retorted.

“Don’t sleep in the armchair anymore,” he tossed back. Cassius’s amber eyes flared brighter, and Cyrus flicked his gaze over his shoulder. “Are your wings about to appear?”

Cassius rolled his eyes. “Fuck off, you ass.”

He made his way to the bed as Cyrus reached for his pants and followed.

The candles were blown out, the night permeating every inch of the room when Cyrus said into the dark, “Can you promise me something, Cass?”

“Depends on what it is.”

They were both on their backs. Cyrus had a hand propped behind his head, the other resting on his stomach.

“When you learn what I’ve done…” He loosed a long breath, trying to find the words.

Cassius reached over, his fingers intertwining with the hand on his stomach. “It will not matter, Cyrus. We have all done things to survive.”

Cyrus didn’t reply, and it was minutes later when Cassius said, “Cyrus?”

“Yeah?”

“If you break, we clean it up together.”

Chapter21

Eliza

She had been awake for hours when the first bits of dawn started dancing through her window. Something was coming. She could feel it in her bones.

Eliza paced back and forth in her room. Window to veranda doors back to the window. She was dressed, leathers in place, sword sheathed down her back. She couldn’t explain it. Maybe she’d just go through her routine early. It couldn’t hurt.

Razik had left days ago, and she’d slept like shit since. Which was just great. She’d known better than to ask him to stay. This godsdamn bond had latched onto that moment of weakness, and she’d been fighting it ever since. It was nothing she couldn’t work out in a sparring ring.

She waited another ten minutes before she stepped from her rooms and headed out to the training sands. It would be a good hour before Callan would meet her. When she reached the training area, she found Maliq still sitting, facing the north. Still waiting. His ears twitched at her approach, jade eyes settling on her when his head cocked to the side. She bowed her head, and the wolf huffed before turning its attention back to the north.

“You feel it too.”

Eliza turned, finding Ashtine walking up the path. One hand rested on her belly, the other had water taking different shapes in her palm. A flower. A fish. A horse. A hawk.

“Has Nasima returned yet?” Eliza asked.

Ashtine’s small smile faltered. “No.”

“Will she?”

“Perhaps,” Ashtine murmured, the water vanishing when Maliq came to her side. She reached down, scratching between the black wolf’s ears.

“Do you know what is coming?” Eliza asked.

“Many things come, General. Some from the north. Some from the west. Some from the east.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about the south,” Eliza muttered.

“There is that,” Ashtine agreed, not catching Eliza’s sarcasm. “We shall leave the south to the others.”

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