Page 29 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

I do not bother to hide the annoyance on my face at his remarks regarding my safety. “First of all, I don’t need protection. I thought we established that. Or did you miss the part where I knocked the three men who were holding Jedrick captive on their asses?”

“Well, I did miss that actually. I was running a little late, but I’m absolutely sure you were spectacular. I’m simply stating that you have upon your head the crown two kingdoms are about to go to war over. So perhaps you should not be gallivanting in a cursed forest!”

I scoff, which makes him narrow his eyes. “Leon. I. Live. Here. As I have for decades. If two kingdoms are about to go to war over this—” I point to the cursed crown. “—then I need to disappear. You say that Grayden would keep me as a pet, lock me in a dungeon ’til he can find a way to remove the crown, most likely with my head still attached? Who’s to say that if the Kalvornian king findsme, he won’t do the same? This crown isn’t coming off and I can’t risk being found.” The anger worsens the pounding in my head.

Leon opens the cookie tin again, handing me one before he bites into his own. “We will find a way to remove it, I promise. For now, we only know two things about the stolen crown: that it once held magic lost to us, magic no mortal can use, and that it was only meant to be worn by an heir of the Fasaile line.”

I roll my eyes, chewing on the cookie he gave me. “No, that’s false. It has nothing to do with the Fasaile line. They were never involved ’til it was stolen from Queen Inara, who was fae. The crown was created for her and keyed to work with her particular type of magic. Magically forged items can have a mind of their own once the original wielder passes. Magic is fickle. Being Inara’s heir has nothing to do with it; it has more to do with the fact that the wearer has the power to control the magic.”

Leon stills. I may have given too much away.

Fuck.

He is quiet for a moment, assessing me, before saying, “There is something you are not telling me, isn’t there? Like how you would know all this and why the crown is no longer black. Why even now I can feel its magic radiating off you.”

I have no answer to that besides the truth, but I can’t say that. “I have no idea why the crown would change colors. Perhaps it is because we are out of Adreania? It is said that magic still lingers here. Maybe that is true.” I go back to eating my bread, trying to appear bored with this conversation.

His eyes move rapidly. I can almost see him place the pieces together. “Arra, are you fae?”

CHAPTER 13

Iforce out a hollow laugh, my stomach twisting itself into painful knots. “Of course not. How could I have been in Adreania all these years? Besides, the fae no longer exist, nothing but myths now. Leon, my dear, are you feeling all right? You may have hit your head harder than you thought.”

Leon eyes the crown with suspicion. “Something strange is going on. There has to be a logical reason for the shift in color.”

“Magic has a mind of its own.” I pick up my plate, hoping to end this conversation, and head into the kitchen, where I place my dishes in a copper sink and fill it with fresh water. He joins me, bringing over the silverware and our glasses while I push open a window to let in the crisp night air.

I can tell he has more to say. He opens his mouth but closes it again with a shake of his head. After washing the dishes, he hands them to me to dry, and he watches and puts them back where he found them. Whatever tension remains between us slowly fades away, leaving us in a comfortable silence.

He looks at me every so often with a smile on his face, but he doesn’t speak. I fight the overwhelming urge to be honest with him. The panic that he knows too much has subsided; only the desire to have him know my true self remains.

Tomorrow I will have to send him away, but for tonight I can enjoy that he is here with me.

I pull out the only piece of clothing that will fit him: soft sleeping pants that tie in the front that once belonged to my father, one of the few items my mother kept. At the bottom of the drawer, under the piles of sheets and towels, are a few swords he made. My hand hovers over all of them before I pull out one of my favorites. The emeralds on the hilt sparkle in the candlelight, so close to the shade of Leon’s eyes. He will need an exceptional weapon to protect himself in the morning. Something inside me twists painfully at the vision of him walking away from me with it.

I point to the space where the narrow stairs hide a door, and he makes his way over to it.

“In the bathing room, pull the left lever for hot water, the right for cold. After you wash up, you can use the same tub for washing your clothes. You will find a bar of oatmeal soap, lathering hair syrups, and a jar with cleansing oil for washing your clothes.” I pass him the pants. “Here. You can change into this for now. Announce yourself before you come back up. I need to change.”

He nods and heads that way, eyeing me when I put the sword on the table. There’s a chest at the end of my bed and I quickly open it, pulling out silky loose sleeping trousers, a sleeveless top, and extra bedding.

A hot bath would be a blessing now, but is Leon the type of man who would snoop through my possessions if left alone here? Maybe he wouldn’t, but truthfully, if this situation were reversed, I would, so the bath is forgotten. A few more swigs of the wine bring a new wave of relaxation, and I take a deep breath before I turn to stare at my reflection in the ornate mirror above the tiny writing desk.

The gleaming circlet sits on my head. It is decorated with delicate leaves and small etchings in the fae language, its magic pulsing around me. The crown is obvious even if it is only a few shades lighter than my hair. Thankfully my ears are still hidden. I separate the top part of my hair and hastily braid some of it to wrap aroundthe crown as best as possible. I stick a few golden pins around the circlet.

How in Ellova’s name did Jedrick sleep with it on?

With the last of the candles blown out in the dining area, I crawl into my soft bed. Moving all the way to the wall, I lean against the headboard. The echo of the running water makes it impossible to think of anything else besides what he may look like, lying in my bath, rivulets of water flowing down over his muscles. The illusion in my mind of us together in that tub is too tempting to ignore.

The tub is only big enough for one. I would need to straddle him, our faces close enough to kiss as he gently caresses the bar of soap all over my trembling body. He cups his hand in the water to pour it over me, watching the trail of bubbles slide down over my skin, placing soft, lingering kisses on each part of me he cleans. His strong hands line up my hips with his center as I carefully sink down on his waiting cock. The soap forgotten as his hands dip between my thighs, we groan together as the water splashes over the edge of the bath at the frantic motion of our joined bodies. His fingers have the dexterity of a healer on my clit?—

The door of the bathing room pops open a crack, causing me to jump. “May I enter?”

“Y-yes!” My voice is a strangled mess.

He stops in the doorframe, his broad, bare chest on display, and studies me in bed. “Are you all right?” That tender tone with his features pulled together in concern sends a blush to my cheeks.

Yes, Leon, I’m fine. You just startled me as I was daydreaming about us, hopelessly imagining you naked as I rode you ’til the floor flooded from our fucking.

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