Page 180 of Kingdom of the Two Moons

I tremble as the memory of last night comes crashing through my mind. What he said about my mother. The way he was when he showed me the stars. The sensation of his fingers on my skin, the way they glided up between my legs. His scent and power, engulfing me.Flooding me.

Him, so close.

So unleashed. So… irresistible.

The absurd softness of his magnificent wings. How he shuddered and seemed to hold his breath when I touched them as ifIwas making him feel that way.

How his and my magic—ourmagic—danced with each other in the dark.

You will learn to call it on your own.

Mymagic… I have magic. That thought still feels surreal. I look at my hands, my white skin that shone silver as his magic thrummed along my core, calling it.

I swallow. He and I together—so beautiful it was heartbreaking. Something that was meant to be, almost impossible to stop once it started, terrifying in its force. Ravishing. Devastating.

A cold shudder licks down my spine, vying with the heat that surges through my veins once more, whether I want it or not.

Hells, last night I was so close to giving in. To surrender to it. To this strange lure. Now that I know what it does, it’s even harder to ignore.

I promised to stop. Nothing more.Caryan’s serene words cut through my mind. They should rattle me awake. Scare me.

He’s cruel. He’s dangerous.Destroyer of the worlds,that’s what the forest called him. I’m nothing but a slave to him. Mean nothing to him. I’m a pastime. A tool.

I saw what he did to his lovers. Did so easily.

And yet, that doesn’t prevent me from feeling raw. Feverish and restless.

I let out a breath as something under my skin starts to undulate along my bones. Something that wants out, that wants to be released, to burn and burn and burn, just like that night in Niavara.

I shove it down, down, down, and lock it away.

I let my hair fall into my face while I pray none of their fae senses will detect my shame and arousal. And if they do, hopefully, they’ll blame it on something else.

As if the forest has heard my wish, a gentle breeze comes upfrom the side, wafting my scent past us, and I murmur a quiet thank you to the kind magic.

When I glance back, I find both Kyrith and Ronin looking around, as if they don’t trust the paradise around us for a second. Their eyes dart from tree to tree as if, behind every one of them, an enemy squats. For once, they’re unusually oblivious to me.

“Is it… dangerous here?” I ask, so quietly I doubt anyone hears.

But Caryan’s ears pick it up, although he’s walking a good five yards ahead. He answers without turning. “For some.”

“Why?”

He pauses then, waiting for me to catch up to him, and I shiver once more when I enter the halo of his scent, his power. Not yet ready for it again.

He steps behind me. “Close your eyes,” he orders, and I ignore the prickle under my skin. The deep timbre of his voice. “Now listen. With all your senses.”

I do.

“Tell me what you hear. What youfeel.”

His words brush against that fragile spot in me, but I fight them. Instead, I focus on my surroundings. There’s a rustle to my left, a silent crack as if someone has stepped on undergrowth, then the faintest rhythm of footsteps further up ahead.

“People. Moving,” I whisper. “Hiding.”

“Use all your senses,” he murmurs against my neck. So close. “What do you smell?”

Him. A storm. The scent of midnight and lightning. “Blossoming flowers. Leaves. Wet bark. And mold.”

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