Page 129 of Blood of Ancients

Corym’s smile turned lusty. “There are spells for that.”

“Ha!” I barked. “Of course there are.” I trailed my hand gently across the surfaces of the nearest table, the stained-glass shelves, and came to the leftmost door Zentha had told me about. “And what aboutourhandmaid? Zentha?”

Corym shrugged, following close behind me, as if he could scent the arousal emanating from my core. “Zentha herself will be a nurturewife, I’m sure, with countless suitors. Women of herstation are always the most coveted. Men will war and challenge and brawl for the first taste of her.”

“Gods. That sounds . . . amazing.”

He laughed. “I’m sure she must agree, being given the pick of the litter.”

I swung the door open and peeked inside, utterly curious.

A strangled sound pushed past my lips at the door.

“What is it,lunis’ai?”

“I think I found the, uh, garnish vanity.” I laughed despite myself, in disbelief. “What a cheeky fucking thing, callingthisa ‘garnish’ room. Vanity? Sure. I see it.”

Arne crept up behind us. After hearing our conversation play out, the sad boy was clearly as curious as I was.

Corym joined my side, looking into the room. “Ah, yes. More mood-setters.”

It was a room filled with shelves and shelves of different sized sex toys—dildos, strap-ons, gags, whips, chains, various bottles of lubricant, even a gods-damnd sex swing apparatus, plus dozens of other things I couldn’t readily identify.

“Mood-setters?” I choked out with a scoff, eyes wide at the unparalleled raunchiness that seemed to inhabit every inch of Ljosalfar life. “This is a whole-ass mood buffet! More like mood-enders. You use all this, you ain’t walking out of that room.”

“Perhaps we should put that theory to the test?” Corym whispered in my ear.

“Well,” Arne’s voice piped up, peeking over our shoulders. “Definitely aren’t going to findthislittle tidbit in the history tomes back at Vikingrune Academy.”

Chapter 36

Ravinica

I SHOULD HAVE FELTguilty about getting so distracted like this.

Kelvar the Whisperer was injured, separated from us after saving Magnus’ life. Arne had just lost his sister, and we’d all witnessed that horrible moment. Lady Elayina was in the wind, evidently forgetting all about us as she basked in her fateful return to Alfheim. Dark elves wereinMidgard, scouring the Isle, doing gods-only-knew what.

Despite all that, and my logical mind telling me to get a grip, I couldn’t feel shame or guilt. Not here. Not with my men, all five of them. Two stood with me, while the other three chuckled and conversed in the “hot springs” room.

The buzz of lust roaming through my mind was undeniable. Indefensible. I couldn’t resist.Don’t I deserve this?I asked myself.After all the battles, the turmoil we’ve been through? Couldn’t I use a moment of respite before the shitstorm starts all over again?

The answer in my mind, whether from the starberry essence or my own twisted perversions, was a resounding “Yes, girl.”

I strode into the hot springs room, leaving the “garnish vanity” open behind me. Arne stayed back, lost in wonder as he stared at the kinky objects in that room.

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