Page 25 of The Mirror in the Mountain

Estelle’s fingers threaded through mine, tugging me forward. She didn’t look at me as she silently led me toward the pond. And I didn’t say a word as I followed her under the curved branches of a willow by its shore.

She turned slowly, the moonlight refracting from the calm waters glistening on her cheekbones, lighting up those stunning, gold-flecked eyes.

“You don’t have to fight this,” I whispered, the world around us so still, it felt like we were under an enchantment. “I’m not trying to use you. And if you never want me to help you rule Soleara, I’ll be content to spend my days learning all the ways to make you smile, make you laugh…and make you moan, if you’ll let me.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up in an almost smile, and I reached up my hand without thinking, cupping her chin as I traced the edge of her lips with my thumb.

My heart leapt when she didn’t pull away.

“So, whatisit that you want then, Princeling?”

“You,” I said baldly. “I want you to give me a chance. Give thisanimabond between us a try before denouncing it to crueler intentions.” My hand traced down her jaw, wrapping behind herneck as my fingers threaded in the waves of her hair. “I won’t rush your decision. And if I need to tell the High Queen herself that we need more time before the bonding ceremony, then I will, if that’s what you want.”

Her eyes widened. “There’s no way?—”

“This is your decision,” I said firmly. “And if it’s not me, I’ll find a way to accept that too.”

“It’s your decision too,” Estelle whispered.

I gave a small shake of my head. “I already know what I want. I don’t need time to deliberate because there’s no question that it’s you.” My fingers stroked the back of her neck as her lips parted in surprise. “I know you don’t know me yet, but somehow, I feel like I’ve known you forever. Like I’ve always been waiting for you. And I think you feel that too.”

Those flecks of gold in her eyes glinted as they narrowed. “Bond or no, I have no intention of losing my head just because I met myanima.”

But I felt her shiver as my other hand traced down her back. Felt the way she arched into me as my hand wrapped around her waist, drawing her flush against me.

“We’ll see about that.”

I leaned forward, my mouth brushing hers in the barest whisper of a kiss. Over before it had even begun—waiting for her response before giving in to the desire to take her exactly as I wanted to and never let her go.

She sucked in a faint breath. Then her lips crashed onto mine, frantic and rough and claiming. Like she’d been holding herself in check and was finally giving in to reckless abandon. I lifted her up, and she immediately wrapped her legs around my waist, her nails digging into my back like the remaining room left between us was as intolerable to her as it was to me. I backed her further under the willow, away from the prying eyes of any guards that might happen to patrol above us. Pushing heragainst the rough bark of its trunk as I feathered kisses down her neck, my hand moving up her exposed legs to where the hem of her nightdress had ridden dangerously high.

“Maybe I’ve always been waiting for you too,” she whispered against my mouth so softly, I almost missed it.

I stilled as hope flooded me. And then I was kissing her more feverishly than before, her soft moan into my mouth unlocking something primal within me.

Estelle’s fingers found the buttons on my shirt, tearing them open. I groaned aloud as they moved to the ties of my pants. Catching her fingers in mine, I brought them to my mouth to kiss them as I whispered, “Wait.”

She jerked back, but my hold on her hand tightened.

Her legs slipped from my waist, her expression shuttering. “Do you want this or not, Princeling?”

I let out an incredulous breath. “First you don’t want me, now I’m not getting naked fast enough?”

Her eyes flickered. “If you don’t want me to?—”

I was already shaking my head. “Of course I do. I just didn’t want to go too quickly for you. We have a lifetime together…we don’t have to rush into tonight. And I want this to be perfect for you.” My mouth twitched. “We could even find somewhere more comfortable than a tree and the ground.”

She gave me a slow smile that made my heart skip a beat. “And if I prefer it?”

Light glowed at her fingertips, and I felt my mouth drop open as tiny balls of it drifted upwards, resting against the willow’s leaves. Estelle’s face was illuminated in a soft, silver glow, the gold of her eyes gleaming like a crown around the dark dots of her pupils. Tiny flecks of light danced around us like fireflies, a few landing softly in her chestnut hair.

Her magic was Celestial—and with that kind of control, I knew it was a force to be reckoned with. My own magic itched to be released, to meet and match her own.

“Estelle—”

I let go of her hands. Instead of pulling away, she reached toward me, entwining her arms around my neck. When her lips met mine again, I lost all semblance of thought as she pressed herself fully against me, nearly climbing me in her insistence. I hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs back around my waist, bringing her core against the straining bulge she had elicited.

She gasped as I brought us to the ground, still cradling her against me. Then she stilled as she realized her back didn’t touch the mossy earth.

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