Page 175 of Kingdom of the Two Moons

Darkness, calling light.

He lifts his chin, his irises pitch black, rimmed only by that silver circle.

“As I told you, you and I are unique to this world.”

With that he pushes me against the edge, wings splayed wide behind him, making me feel incredibly small. His thumb grazes mylips then, his own lips so close to mine as he whispers, “Tell me what youwant,Melody, and I will give it to you.”

Everything.I want to haveeverything, and yet I’m terrified of it.

I don’t say anything when he lifts me, his hands on my butt. I shiver when I feel him hard against my belly, pushing. I spread my legs for him as he runs his hand up my bare thigh. Further and further, pushing the seam of my dress up and slipping past my underwear, his magic like dew and midnight, twining around me, lacing with cascades of stardust that flow out of me.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he whispers against my lips, but I just shake my head.

I gasp when his fingers glide between my legs, and into me, while at the same time he sinks his teeth into my neck. My body starts to melt away from within. From his talented fingers that feel too huge, while I feel too small, too tight. From the overwhelming sensation of him inside me, pushing, sucking, drinking in my very essence. From his hard body against mine, hot and hard under my flat palms. From our entwined magic, burning together through every inch of my body.

It feels elemental.

It’s too much, and not enough. My skin is too tight, every part feels raw. Aching.

He pulls back then, his gold and silver eyes never leaving mine as his fingers glide a little deeper. It’s more intimate than being touched like that—the way he’s looking at me. I arch against him, my nails digging into his flesh as his fingers go even deeper than I thought possible.

I gasp as my thoughts splinter. As I rip apart and shatter.

It feels like a relief and not. It’s not enough. It leaves me trembling and strangely empty.

I lower my eyes, self-conscious of what we’d just done. Of what he has done to me and made me do.

My skin still gleams otherworldly. My very blood is still burning, ablaze. I’m suddenly too aware of a part of me that wants more. Wants and wants and wants.

Another is terrified.

I whisper, “Please let me go,” into his shoulder.

He keeps me locked against the edge, one hand still around my neck. I startle as I read the same desire in his absurdly silvery eyes when I look up and search them.

Panic floods me, swamps me when he doesn’t move. “You promised,” I whisper too quietly. “You promised to let me go.”

“I promised to stop,” he replies sternly, so darkly it makes my blood freeze. “Nothing more.”

My innermost being turns into liquid fear so overwhelming it makes me shake in his hands. His eyes have darkened into a beaten gold I’m drowning in.

He won’t. Won’t let me go. He will make me stay. Will…

“Please don’t…” My lips shape the words against his skin. My palms push against his chest as if I could do anything against him. “You said I should tell you what I want—I want to leave. Please.”

I’ve never hated a word more. But it’s all I can do.

His fingers loosen from my neck, from my thigh. He lets me go. I don’t dare breathe as I slip past him, past his mighty wings that brush against my naked skin like a last caress I barely feel.

As soon as my feet meet the solid ground, my whole body dripping wet, I storm through his living room. The door swings open to let me go, as if already awaiting my departure.

53

Riven

Late at night, Riven slips out of the embrace of the naked bodies sprawled all over the floor around him. He collects his clothes from where they tumbled to the ground after he finished with the silver-backed woman and she led him to the ballroom, where the celebrations had taken quite a different turn. Even those acrobatic, magnificent dancers joined the mingling of flesh and lust and lush insobriety.

He trails down the familiar route he could probably find with closed eyes, sleepwalking along the corridor to Caryan’s private quarters.

---