Page 19 of Iris of the Crowned Flame

“I can’t, especially not if we plan to meet up on our own, too. I need a chaperone. Maybe Ethan can be that chaperone? You will understand the risks and be prepared for them.”

Ethan nodded. “Yes, that will work. I can chaperone you for all three men. Katelle might be upset at the lack of time we have, but her father brought Egan here. Until we figure out why Spencer senses evil around him, I’m uncertain I want to spend much time with her and her family, anyway.”

I caught his gaze, seeing regret and pain. I nodded, offering an unspoken comfort, before turning my attention to Spencer. “And can you help us by telling us more about these hazes you see around people?”

“Of course, I’ll need some help with learning who is who, but anything I can do to help, I’m yours.”

“OK, I can’t continually meet with you more than the others, but let’s see if we can get Ivy to you. Wait, no. Ivy, you’re my lady. That could cause rumors.” I didn’t want to ask Amyra, but I was out of people.

Amyra knew, thankfully, and she squeezed my shoulder. “Please, Lyla, let me. I’ll help Spencer learn who these people are, and I can even carry messages between the two of you so that you don’t need to risk so much.”

“Amyra, I really appreciate that. I know it’s a lot?—”

“Please, Lyla, don’t worry. We need to get through this tournament, and then we can figure out whatever this changing the world business is once we have Spencer and you as our king and queen.”

She smiled as she entwined both my hands in hers.

“This is the way for our future. I can feel it. I know this is the way.”

Ethan stood up, stretched, and tucked his chair into the table. “OK, I think it’s time to call it a night. I’m meeting the princes tomorrow morning for the tour, so I need to be well-rested.”

Spencer followed the cue and stood up as well. “Thank you, all of you, for listening and not judging.”

CHAPTER 14

Once the men left, Ivy and Amyra helped me finish preparing for bed. And I couldn’t help myself, after such a wild two days, so I asked Amyra to stay with me tonight. She seemed more than happy to do that.

As soon as Ivy retreated to her room, leaving Amyra with me, I went to soak in the bath before bed. For once, I didn’t have meetings in the morning, so we could take our time with this. She drew the bath, and I cleansed my face from the makeup for the day. I recalled what Spencer said, how he sees our hazes as a blue mountain stream and earthy soil. The imagery reminded me of one of our favorite retreats, up north in the Frosted Forests. Amyra and I have been there a couple times, along with Ivy and Ethan, and it had felt magical.

Amyra came over to help me out of the bathtub. As I steadied myself and dried my body, she positioned herself behind me, wrapping her hands around my waist, and kissed my neck softly. One hand possessively reached up for what had always been hers. I leaned into her touches, feeling my chest push out while my head fell to the side, giving her more room to tease. I watched her in the mirror, her eyes closing while her hand roamed to tease. The other slowly worked its way down, though never reaching the destination I hoped for. She pushedher thigh between my legs to brace me, while she used her teeth to trace hints of what she would do if she didn’t have to worry about leaving a mark.

The teasing lasted for what felt like forever, what I wished could be forever. She eventually pulled away her mouth and her hand from between my legs, leaving only her hand on my breast, using her pinch to turn me towards her. I faced her sultry grin and knew that she’s intended to give and take what would hopefully last us until our next encounter.

“My queen, I may be yours to rule out there, but in here, when it’s just the two of us, know that you are mine to rule here.”

With that, she leaned in for a kiss, and I knew I would be in for a world of pleasure tonight. I met her kiss with hunger for her indulgence. She pulled her mouth away, just to trail her kisses down my neck to my shoulders. The touch of her lips reached my nipples and sent shock waves through my body. A moan escaped my lips as my hand moved to her head, holding her in place while she swirled her tongue around my nipple, pulling it across her teeth in the most tantalizing way. She used one hand to stabilize us, bracing against the tub, and her other reached for between my legs, letting her thumb find her favorite spot and sinking her fingers inside me. I could feel her purr when she found how slick I am for her.

She stood, suddenly, holding her hand between my legs. “Come, my queen, let’s find your bed and make sure you sleep well.”

She winked through her smile, causing me to laugh. Using her hand deep inside me, she awkwardly pulled me to the bed, resulting in more laughter. Once we reached the bed, she removed her hand, licking her fingers as I sit down.

“Mmm, honey from my princess, the best kind.” She said around her fingers.

I guided her over my thigh, our lips meeting as she eased me down to the bed. She used her leg to push me farther onto it so she could kneel on the bed and aimed her teeth at thenipple she left out earlier. Amyra nibbled, teasing and smiling as my back arched into her touches. She placed her fingers back inside me, rubbing her thumb and tickling against my insides until waves of ecstasy throb through me, making my hips grind into her hand. Moaning swiftly became screams of pleasure.

As my wave of pleasure slowed down, she slowly removed her hand, offering her fingers to me, instructing me, “Taste what it feels like to be worshipped, my Love.”

I greedily sucked on her fingers, twirling them around my tongue. She moaned as she pulled them free.

“You’ll pay for that.” She teases.

She scooted herself down on the bed, putting her mouth where her hand just was. Her tongue expertly traced all the right spots, sending me into another wave of pleasure. She pinned my hips, forcing me to endure her kisses until I begged her for mercy. Only then did she stop, rising from my legs with a smile on her face.

“Please let me show you the same,” I breathlessly pleaded with her. She crawled up on the bed and I reached to help her and spun her to be under me, as we giggled.

I placed my knee between her thighs, pushing against her as much as I could. I leaned forward, reaching to twist her nipple between my fingers, using the other to support me, and kissed her, tasting myself on her lips, mixing with her honeyed raspberry kisses. My knee rubbed her just slowly enough to drive her crazy as I dove my tongue into her mouth. Just when it seemed like she couldn’t take it anymore, I pulled my face back, and then buried my lips into her neck, biting and sucking with just enough pressure to avoid leaving marks.

She tried to twist away from me, crying out in pleasure, but I had her pinned well, and brought her to her ecstasy. When my knee was soaked, I positioned my head between her legs to lick up her sweet mess, using my teeth the way she used her thumb. I inserted my fingers and helped her find another wave of pleasure, then a third before her hands were pulling my hairup and away from her. I devoured her taste from my fingers as she whined, “No fair, you can’t just keep going.”

---