Page 63 of Of Rime and Ruin
Where have I seen it before?
Those teeth, the shape of his mouth, it almost looks like…
Go inside, Sunfish,he says. The deep rumble of his voice shatters my thoughts. With a gentle twist and a push, he aims me toward the gate.I’ll be here whenever you need me. Go. Be warm.
The castle slumbers ahead of me, warm lamplight beckoning from its windows. Snow spirals in gentle flakes, dancing like glitter before the dark timber frame. A gust of wind howls over the sea, battering my hair and causing me to stumble forward. The cold stones clack beneath my feet.
Maybe if I come frozen blue and begging to the king, he’ll finally impose his hospitality and grant me that damn fire I asked for.
It’ll be warm inside. But can my pride withstand the blow?
I chew my lip, growing colder by the minute.
When I glance back, the Beast is gone, the only trace of him a small ripple on the surface of the Rime.
The frosted water stretches through the basin. Ice floes bob quietly, reflecting the colors of the aethersky above. If I’m fast, I could swim for it alone.
Fuck the king and his toasty warm castle. I could go homeright now.
I step toward the water and cringe as my toe catches a frozen stone.
A low growl rises from the tide in warning.
The Beast will catch me. And then what? He’ll drop me here again? Evoke a bit of déjà vu?
No. The Beast is unpredictable, but he’s unlikely to make the same mistake twice.
My stomach sinks as I fold my arms across my chest and slouch into the wind. It nips at the wet corners of my eyes as I squint. My muscles are cold and weary. I need sleep, I need fire, and I need to get out of this godsdamn wind.
My pride can suffer one measly blow. It’s only for tonight, after all. There’s a warm castle to explore, a king to annoy, and I’m not about to let the opportunity pass me by.
Chapter twenty-seven
Aethan
Thisisafirst,I’ll admit. I’ve emerged from the sea naked many times. But never once with a boner. I’m naked. I’m horny. And I can’t get the princess out of my head.
The guard unlocks the iron door to my chambers, averting his eyes from my stiffening cock.
I cross the room, activate the sight-pool, and adjust my view with a twitch of my fingers. Her cell is a pile of rubble, the gate torn free of its hinges. Chunks of ice stack on the floor. Neither guard nor princess are in sight.
I shuffle through the dungeon, slipping through the cavernous tunnels. The next cell, empty. The next, and the next. She’s gone.
I slap the bowl, and it flies from its perch, shattering on the floor with a loud crack of porcelain.
Fuck.
I bury my fists in my eyes, groaning. How did I let this happen? What have Idone? One minute I was in the diningroom, inviting her to join me for a meal, and the next—I made her my meal.
The back of my neck tingles. My memory is here, in order. It’s foggy and indecipherable, but I can make out the shapes. Me, charging from the castle. Plunging into the water. The transformation. My hands, grasping metal bars. Ripping. Swimming. Her ass, pressed against…
Mine.
I blink, and my gaze focuses on my lap. In the course of my reverie, my hand has circled the base of my cock. It swells in my hand, lengthening. One pump—to relieve the need.
No.I groan and release my length.The princess could be dead.
I play my memories again. The ripping. The swimming. The ass—skipping forward—the fear, the rage, icy hot and all-consuming.
