Page 135 of Kingdom of Briars and Roses

I surged up, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him down, deeper, closer. His pants came off. Then my nightgown. I wrapped my hand around his length, noting the sheer size of him with a thrill of anticipation. But he hesitated, his gaze holding mine even as he strained to keep himself still.

“Say you want this,” he rasped against my skin. “Say you wantme.”

There was no hesitation. No doubt.

“I want you,” I whispered, my voice raw, honest.

With a rumble from his throat, his lips found mine again, stealing my breath, stealing everything, and I let him take it.

Let him take all of me.

He slid inside me, and my mind blurred, lost in the sensation of him, in the way his hands traced fire across my skin, in the way our bodies tangled, moving together, chasing something we had spent too long denying. My magic thrummed beneath my skin, heating me from the inside out. Or maybe that was Rydian. I was lost to tell where I ended and he began.The way he filled me, stretching me gloriously as he drove into me, ignited my soul.

I told myself it was desire, nothing more.

For so long, I had fought against this, against him, against the way he made me feel. But I was tired of fighting. Tired of pretending.

So I stopped.

I let go.

And I fell.

Chapter Forty-Two

Aurelia

Beryl’s hands moved deftly as she tightened the laces of my gown, her austere features set in concentration while she worked. Her demeanor was as cold and clinical as ever. I’d grown used to it in the past few days, but I couldn’t shake the sense that her unfriendly manner hid more than just a rigid personality.

I glanced at Vanya, who stood by silently. The dark circles beneath her eyes were finally beginning to fade, but she hadn’t been the same since her donation. Apparently, the building I’d burned had been one of three spread across the city. Vanya had reported to one of the two I’d left standing and paid her tax after all.

She met my eyes and nodded once before quickly looking away again. It was the confirmation I needed to know my message had been delivered. Now, I could only hope its recipients decided to accept my offer.

Beryl pulled again at the laces of my gown; this time so hard that I gasped. “I think that’s tight enough,” I croaked.

“The king wants everything perfect for the party, Your Highness. You’ll barely notice the snug fit once you’ve worn itfor a few minutes,” Beryl said briskly, finishing with the final lace. “There. All done.”

I met her gaze in the mirror, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. One more night in a gown was worth it if it meant I was free of this place. “Thank you.”

Vanya gave me a pointed look as she stepped forward to adjust the folds of my gown. “Everything is ready,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I gave her a small nod, my throat tightening with emotions I didn’t dare show. Studying my reflection, I had to admit the dress was beautiful—a deep green, embroidered with silver vines, that hugged my figure at the top then flowed out in a wide skirt at my waist.

I could barely feel the thick velvet against my skin, not with my thoughts swirling. Callan’s betrayal. Rydian’s midnight visit. The passage in my room, locked when I’d woken up this morning. And my single scrap of a plan already set in motion.

A knock sounded at the door, and my heart squeezed.

It was now or never.

I knew it was Callan even before the door opened. Turning to face him, I fought the urge to strike out at him. It wouldn’t do any good. Even if I ran for it, there were too many soldiers between me and freedom. Too many Autumn fae willing to drag me back to Duron and let him do whatever he wanted with me.

As if to prove it, I glimpsed Fletcher and a few other soldiers through the open door. Callan might’ve insisted on keeping up the illusion that I was here of my own free will, but it was a lie.

I was a prisoner.

And tonight, I was nothing more than a symbolic decoration on his arm. A tool to wield for his own gain.

A trophy, after all.

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