Page 63 of The Sword & the Stone

As I stared at my reflection, something moved in the corner of my eye. I turned to see the sheer curtains swaying, beckoning me to the open window. The cool twilit air breezed over me, smelling like jasmine and wet leaves.

I sank into the window seat, the velvet cushions soft and comfortable enough that I could easily fall asleep. Below, the Seelie Court sprawled out, lit by lanterns that flickered like magic. The palace was only the centerpiece of a sprawling royal city that stretched out for miles and miles into the horizon. Every home, every structure seemed to have grown up from the ground, twisting into shape.

I felt a strange sense of belonging here, like this place had wrapped itself around my heart already. Now that I knew who my mother was—that she was from the Seelie Court—it was almost like coming home.

My thoughts drifted to the visions Tatiana had shown me.How did nobody know about her? How were rumors not swirling about the fae mistress Uther had a child with?Camelot was swarming with gossip. Even the servants should have known something.

Morrigan. That was my mother’s name. Hearing it for the first time had nearly knocked the wind out of me. Half fae and half druid. So what did that make me? It was frustrating, the not knowing. I could still barely wrap my head around how drastically my life had changed since the moment I pulled Excalibur free. What I did know was that I wasn’t human.

Maybe Mordred was right to be angry. After all, she was Uther's firstborn daughter and the rightful heir to her father’s throne. It was the way of things in the human realm. Crowns were passed on through bloodlines, from oldest to youngest. But Mordred grew up in the shadow of a prophecy that snubbed her.

I couldn't help but wonder what my life would have been like if I had been raised in Camelot, if I had grown up alongside Mordred. Would we have been close, like true sisters? Or would the rivalry between us have festered, poisoning our relationship from the start?

As much as I wanted to resent Mordred for her bitterness, a part of me understood it. How could she not feel betrayed, knowing that her own father had chosen to overlook her? Knowing that her own father banished her from her kingdom, all because she chose to take matters into her own hands and fight for what she thought was rightfully hers?

The thought left a sour taste in my mouth, and I found myself questioning the fairness of it all. How was I any more deserving of the throne than my sister? I was just an orphaned thief with no accomplishments to her name. She was a princess with powerful magic. Maybe she should be queen instead of me. Maybe Camelot would be stronger for it.

The cool breeze caressed my skin, carrying with it the distant sounds of music and laughter from the celebrations below. I shivered, the thin fabric of my dress doing little to war with the chill.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew out the candles and left me in darkness. I jumped up, hand reaching for my sword that lay across the large bed, as Merlin emerged from the shadows. Letting out a relieved breath, I set the sword back down and slowly took in his shirtless, muscular frame and dark, tousled hair that brushed his shoulders.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," I scolded, trying to ignore how my heart raced. "I could have skewered you."

A smirk played on his lips. He was dressed like a fae tonight, in loose linen trousers, feet bare, and painted with shimmering runes that matched the blue of his eyes.

Merlin moved closer, his gaze intense and darkening by the second. "You wouldn't skewer me. We both know you enjoy my surprises far too much for that."

I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest, inadvertently pushing my breasts up higher. His eyes flickered down to my cleavage before meeting mine again. "You're far too confident for your own good. One of these days, it's going to get you into trouble."

"Perhaps." He stepped even nearer, close enough now that the heat radiating off his bare skin seeped through the light dress. "But I have a feeling you'll be there to bail me out when it does. Just like you always do, Wart."

I rolled my eyes, even as anticipation coiled low in my belly. "Maybe I’ve had a change of heart. Have you considered that?"

Merlin's hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. I shivered at the contact. "I think deep down, you know you need me as much as I need you. This thing between us...I suppose it's inevitable."

I wanted to protest, to push him away and tell him he was wrong. But I couldn't. Not when every fiber of my being was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

"Damn you," I whispered, my voice hoarse with desire. "Damn you for making me feel this way. You gave up your right to demand anything from me. It’s too late, Merlin. My feelings for my knights…They’re?—"

Something flashed in Merlin's eyes then, hot and hungry. "Fuck it all to hell, Arthur,” he said with a growl of frustration. “You can have your knights, as long as you remember who claimed you first.”

Merlin's lips crashed against mine, hot and demanding. I gasped into the kiss, my hands coming up to tangle in his hair as he pulled me flush against him. The hard planes of his body molded to my softer curves.

"I can't keep pretending," he growled against my mouth, nipping at my bottom lip. "I can't keep acting like I don't crave you every fucking second of every day. Like I don't need to be inside you more than I need my next breath."

A broken moan escaped me, echoing the ache between my thighs. I knew we shouldn't, that giving in to this desire would only complicate things further. But gods help me, I wanted him. I wanted him so badly I could barely think straight.

Merlin's hands slid down my sides to grip my hips, his fingers digging into my flesh through the thin fabric of my dress. He walked me backwards until my back hit the cool stone wall; the contrast made me shiver. Or maybe it was the way his eyes devoured me, dark with need and something far more dangerous.

"Tell me you don't want this," he demanded, his voice rough as gravel. "That you don't feel this thing between us, pulling us together like gravity. Tell me, and I'll stop."

I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my throat. Every inch of him felt hot and hard against me. The blue of his eyes burned into me, stripping away my reservations until all that remained was the primal hunger raging inside.

"I can't," I whispered, the admission ripped from somewhere deep down. "I can’t tell you to stop, because I don’t want you to."

A noise that was half growl, half groan rumbled from his chest. Then his mouth was on mine again, claiming me with a ferocity that left me weak. I clung to him, my nails raking down the powerful expanse of his back as he consumed me.

Merlin's hands roamed my body, mapping every curve like he was committing me to memory. He cupped my breasts through the thin fabric, thumbing my nipples until they pearled against his touch. I arched into him with a gasp, the ache between my thighs growing unbearable.

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