Page 39 of Crownless King

I turned my head, placing a kiss on the inside of his palm. “How will you fight the queen?”

“I’ll need an army. And for that, I’ll need to get High Lords on my side. They aren’t the easiest bunch to convince, but I can be very persuasive.” He gave me a cocky smile.

“Will you have to leave Vensari, then?”

“We both will.”

“Me, too?”

“Of course. You’re the only one who can handle the book, and the book is our main proof of my claim to the throne. Will you come on the road with me, little bird?”

I smiled. “I’ll come with you anywhere.”

He rolled me to my back and slid his hand between my thighs.

“From now on, I want you everywhere with me. You’re moving to my bedroom until we leave.”

“To your bedroom? Again?” I asked breathlessly, desire quickly taking over my body.

He nodded before kissing along my jawline, his finger slipping inside me.

“You really shouldn’t have left in the first place, sweetheart. It would’ve saved me the trouble of stomping through the corridors at night, looking for you.”

My body arched toward his as he circled my clit with his finger. I moaned, and he jerked his hand away, then entered me swiftly, taking my breath away.

He exhaled into my hair. “This is where I belong, my sweet Sparrow. Inside you is the only place I want to be.”

At that moment, I believed it was true.

ChapterEleven

SPARROW

Ifolded a long undershirt and put it into a leather-bound trunk. This one would probably be trunk number a million and one of those Voron planned to take on the road with us. For someone who could live from only a saddlebag for weeks, if necessary, he insisted on bringing almost an entire household with us this time.

Part of it was to ensure my comfort, he’d said. But the main reason, I believed, was to demonstrate his status. He didn’t want to knock on High Lords’ doors, looking like a weary traveler asking for charity. He wished to travel in style and command respect.

Brebie had been busy packing, surrounded by every available servant she could find. And I was helping her, trying to be useful.

“Brebie, can I ask you something?” I started folding another garment, avoiding looking at her.

“Sure. What is it?”

“What do women do in this world to avoid getting pregnant?”

“Avoid it?” She paused with a string of beads she was packing dangling from her fingers. “Why would they avoid it?”

“I know pregnancies are rare among fae and almost always wanted. But what if it was not?”

She dropped the necklace into a jewelry box. “Sparrow. If it happens to you, I’m sure Voron will be happy. I always thought he’d make a great father.”

I couldn’t help a blush flooding my face. Voron and I hadn’t announced our relationship to the world, but to those in Vensari, it must be pretty obvious. One didn’t need to be as sharp and perceptive as Brebie to figure it out. Voron hauled me to his bedroom every night, like a dragon stealing a treasure. He’d ordered all my things moved to his bedroom, too, yesterday morning.

Since the night he’d first made love to me, Voron had been generous with his affection, even if other people were around. He didn’t try to hide whenever he felt like hugging or kissing me.

But I hadn’t spoken to Brebie about us before.

“It’s just that they say humans are more fertile than fae, and right now, I simply don’t think it’d be a good time.”

---