Page 133 of Thorns & Fire
‘Because it makes you feel like a king when I’m screaming it as I come on your cock,’ she quipped.
The cock in question twitched in his leathers, still hard from their fun in the saddle.‘Such filthy words from a princess.’
‘You haven’t heard anything yet.’
He gave her a squeeze.‘Is that so?I’ll be sure to wring every last word from your lips...’
The laugh that bubbled from her was like magic.
Torj knew it was short-sighted, that there were challenges to come.But with Wren in his arms, he could only feel contentment – and a flicker of disbelief that they had reached this point.He remembered the other times they’d shared the saddle, all sharp words and taunts.Now, he didn’t want the ride to end.
But end it did, with Drevenor’s wrought iron gates coming into view, the academy standing tall beyond the curling ivy.
He felt Wren tense between his legs, felt the tightness in her chest as though it were right there in his own.
‘It’s not going to be easy,’ she warned, her voice no more than a whisper.
‘I never said I needed easy,’ he told her.‘I neededyou.’
CHAPTER 54
Wren
‘Some threads in destiny’s tapestry cannot be cut – they simply weave new patterns through time’
– Tethers and Magical Bonds Throughout History
THERE WAS NOTHINGWren wanted more than to sink into a hot bath with Torj and forget the midrealms existed.But that was not the life she led, and the Bear Slayer understood that.He had told her of the shadow magic he and Wilder had discovered in the enemy laboratory, which only fuelled her need to finish the cure, to stop Silas.
She thanked Dessa profusely for guarding her work in her absence and promised to update her as soon as she could.While Wren washed quickly, Torj retrieved the supplies Thea and Wilder had brought back from the enemy’s workshop.When she emerged from the bathing chamber, she was touched to find that everything was set up for her at her bench.There was also a fresh pot of tea and some biscuits.
She glanced to where he waited in the adjoining doorway.‘You did all of this?’
His answering smile had her melting.‘There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.’
Wren bit her lip, warring with herself.Gods, she wanted to go to him; she wanted him close.After so long apart, after all they had missed together...Now they had no time.
Another smile, this one full of understanding.‘Do the work, Embers,’ he said softly.‘I’ll be here when you finish.’
Wren did go to him then, and brushed a kiss to his lips, a promise of what was to come when she finished her opus.‘Thank you,’ she told him.
And then, she returned to the cure.
For months she had been working under the assumption that the alchemy attacked blood itself, and in that respect, the earlier cure she’d used on Zavierhadbeen a fluke of sorts.But from what she’d seen in the laboratory beneath the cobbler’s workshop, the alchemy – or curse – wasn’t attacking royal blood; it was attacking the very fibre of the magic in their systems.The substance didn’t just attack magical properties and fester, it multiplied upon contact with power...and now, armed with that knowledge and the knowledge about her own storm magic, she had to know, once and for all, if it would work.
Wren’s hands shook as she set up her samples and the last of the Delmirian rose.If she managed to recreate the counter-alchemy, it would shift the tides of the upcoming conflict.
As afternoon turned into evening and evening turned into night, Wren called for Thea.Her sister gave her a fresh sample of royal blood to work with and promised to retrieve some from Zavier as soon as he was well enough, so Wren could be sure that whatever she created didn’t simply work on her alone.
Seeing her focus, Thea didn’t linger.Wren simply thanked her and continued her work.
At some point, Torj brought her more food.The Warsword didn’t speak, didn’t fracture her concentration; he simply stood by herside until she’d finished her bowl of stew and then took it away.When he was gone, his scent lingered, and she found herself moving towards the adjoining door before she stopped herself.
‘Do the work, Embers.I’ll be here when you finish.’
She turned back to her crucibles and powders, and continued.
Wren had no notion of the hour when there was a soft knock at the main door.She opened it to find Farissa on the other side.
