Page 84 of Daughter of the Darkened City

Enid worked her expertly, the movements making Avenay moan and pant, writhing on the bed. Avenay’s moans became harried, her hands gripping the sheets, legs shaking, until she arched higher, letting out a cry of ecstasy.

Enid rode the wave out, pulsing her fingers. Then she moved up to where Avenay was and pulled her in tightly. Enid leaned against her chest, listening to her heartbeat.

Chapter 30: Avenay

Avenay woke the next morning to a world of orange light. She blinked and looked around. She was in Enid’s arms, encased by the demon’s wings curling around them. Enid’s breath hit her neck in a soft rhythm. Avenay curled in closer, savoring the feel of Enid’s body around her. They’d fallen asleep like this, clinging to each other tightly. Avenay didn’t want to get up, but she had this needling feeling that she should get up, go to the library and see what she could find. The ritual was that night. What could she do? Still, she needed to try.

She shifted, careful as she tried to slip out. But Enid’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.

“You’re just going to share my bed and then sneak out?” Enid asked, her voice heavy with sleep as she opened one eye and smirked. “I didn’t take you for that kind of girl.”

Avenay rolled her eyes and pressed harder against her. “I’ll stay here as long as you need me.”

Enid cradled her face, her eyes awake now, taking her in with a soft reverence that leveled Avenay’s breath from her lungs. “I’m not sure you want to make that promise.”

“How come?”

“I’ll keep you here forever. I’ll never let you leave this bed.”

“Oh? And what exactly would we fill all those hours with?”

Enid grinned, bending to brush her nose against Avenay’s. “Oh, I have a few things in mind.”

Avenay’s body heated, breath catching, pulse pounding. Enid’s hand traced a line on her jaw, the demon’s face going soft, almost dreamy, as she looked at Avenay.

She couldn’t lose this. She couldn’t lose Seraphina, and she couldn’t lose Enid. Her throat tightened and tears threatened to spill.

“Hey, hey,” Enid said in hushed tones. “What’s that look about?”

“Please don’t do the ritual tonight.”

Enid ran her finger from Avenay’s chin to her ear, giving a soft tug. “It will all be fine,” Enid said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“I feel like I’m missing something, Enid. Like there’s something I should know or should have seen and yet haven’t.”

“You’ve done everything you can. It’s now up to Onora and me.”

Avenay gazed at Enid. She was met with courage and love, and she could almost weep at the beauty of it. The thought of the spells going wrong and Enid never returning made her chest tighten and throat close up.

She brushed the wavy black strands of hair out of Enid’s face, memorizing the silken feel of it. “You don’t have to do this.”

Enid tugged her wrist again, making her fall on top of her. “I’m going to. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

Enid pulled her into a kiss, tongue swiping up lazily over the roof of her mouth. Avenay sighed into it, passion and calm and pleasure colliding in her veins. Enid pulled her against her chest and Avenay propped herself up on an elbow. Sleep lined Enid’s eyes, tiredness weighing over her limbs.

“You look exhausted,” Avenay whispered.

Enid gave her a wan smile. “I haven’t been sleeping very well.”

Avenay opened her mouth, ready to protest once more against her volunteering, but Enid just pulled her into another languorous kiss, and they laid there for a long while, kissing and caressing, enjoying the warmth of the other. The ritual wasn’t until later that night, and they’d been told to rest. Enid was a female of the night, so she took to that decree well. As they snuggled, she fell asleep, her half open mouth a comical sight that lifted Avenay’s mood.

Not enough, though. She still wanted to see what she could do. Surely, there was some way she could help. She slipped away, pulling the blanket over Enid, then made her way to the library. Hevena was there when she arrived, looking over an old grimoire. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to disrupt the witch in what she was doing if it would help with the ritual. As if she sensed her, though, Hevena looked over her shoulder, her face softening. She beckoned and Avenay walked forward, pulling up a seat next to her.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“A recovery spell for after the ritual tonight,” Hevena replied. “It helps everyone heal, but it’s slow, so it doesn’t require quite as much magic all at once. Instead, it draws power slowly from the earth and into all those it’s cast on.”

Avenay nodded, amazed as always at what spell-work could accomplish. “Hevena, is there anything I can do? Any translations you need, or anything else? I can use my light powers to help fight against the void beings tonight.”

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