Page 14 of The Coveted
I breathed in his scent, like woodsy soap and pine. I moved to reach for his hand, to show him the pleasure that coursed through my veins and enveloped my senses so that he could feel it too, but at the sound of loud knocking he pulled away.
“Do not move from this bed. Do not make a sound. I will be right back.”
I stilled, knowing full well what I risked if I didn’t listen. I knew it was Lucius waiting outside the main living area. I wanted desperately for this moment to be different, for Daelon to not have to leave me here all alone. Again.
Even in this state of mind,I wanted the King dead.
The door shut behind him, and soon there were two muffled voices from beyond the bedroom. I tuned in, using my power to make them sound clearer.
“What became of the girl?”
“I forced her back into her chambers. The elixir doesn’t agree with her power. I feared she’d cause trouble for us if she stayed.”
“The party’s still raging if you want to rejoin. Or do you have more sulking to do?” Lucius asked teasingly. “Don’t tell me you’ve become a bore during your time away.”
“Don’t insult me,” Daelon said, humor in his voice. “I’m just tired of fighting with the girl.”
I knew he was acting, but the way he called methe girlthe same, dismissive way Lucius had still made me frown. I pulled the sheets close.
“Ah. I’m sure you were far too gentle with her, too. That’s a weakness, brother. You didn’t do a good enough job of conditioning her for her life here. If I find myself having to intervene, you know how cruel I will be.”
“I know. Our time together didn’t go completely as planned. I had to get her to trust me, so she wouldn’t use her power against me and escape. But, I’m working on it. I made her fix the gardens.”
“Good. Well, her appearance in court tonight went smoothly, at least. It will give us some time to learn her nature and use for us, so we can deal with her more… decisively. I agree that the energy reading gift might be of use with the snakes in court, in the meantime.”
“Right. I think it went well too. No one is going to question your divine power, regardless. She’s probably just a fluke of the universe.”
“I’m not so sure you’re right about that. This doesn’t seem random.” There was a pause. “Ah well, this is boring me, and I have someentertainmentlined up for the rest of the evening, so I’ll leave you to rest. Keep your eye on her and tell me if you figure out anything more.”
“Of course.”
“And Daelon?”
“Yes?”
“You’re sure there’s nothing I need to worry about? Nathaniel is convinced—”
“Nathaniel is a jealous bastard. He would say anything to take my place. She means absolutely nothing to me, you know that.”
The door slammed shut, and Daelon slipped back into bed soon after. Lucius’s visit did quite a bit to crush my high, but no surprise there.
“You mean everything to me,” he whispered, intentionally contradicting the words he knew I’d overheard. “When your head is clear, I am going to show you something I’ve kept buried for a very long time. Something that will show you who I am and why it had to be this way.” He grabbed my hand and kissed it again.
I faced him, turning on my side. “I loved you and you felt like home. You felt safe. It’s going to take time for me to trust you again, if ever. A part of me—a huge part—is afraid you’ll always keep me in the dark or blindside me just to survive. I don’t know how there could be a path forward for us.” I couldn’t stop myself from thinking out loud. I was so safe in my vulnerability right now, like it was imperative he understood how I felt before the elixir wore off and I lost the freedom to speak so openly.
Daelon froze, breathing out slowly. He looked so hauntingly wounded. “There’s always a path forward. I will do everything it takes to rebuild that trust. I promise it will all become clear. And I want nothing more than to hear you say those words to me again when you’re sober.”
I blushed, realizing that I’d admitted my love for him for the first time without even realizing it. That wasn’t something I’d ever been willing to admit, not when I knew he was hiding so much from me. He had only confirmed my greatest fears. “I’m going to regret all of this in the morning, aren’t I?”
“I hope not. Even if it was manipulated, it was still real, on some level. But yes, you probably will.”
I couldn’t think about that now. I curled into him, my legs tangled with his and my head on his chest. He held me tightly against him just like he used to—like he was terribly afraid to let go.
In my dreams I moved like a spirit. Without body or weight, like a gust of wind or a long exhale, I blew through the castle to follow the sound of a familiar song. The rising din of its melody carried through individual, distinct notes—a clink here, a laugh there—a cry, a moan, a crash, and a step, and off it went. It ricocheted against the labyrinth of corridors as it hummed and rung. It wasn’t something that was perceptible from just one point of space, or from just a single body. This song existed only as a part of a whole, through all angles and all senses at once.
This was a song of home. A song of hope. It was a song my mothers sang to me as they rocked me to sleep, a tune I followed through the darkness of this realm. I never thought I’d hear it in this castle, but there it was, as clear as the Ocean of the Nameless and Formless. It was in the servants’ quarters, in a bustling kitchen, in a noble’s hum, the creaking of a chair, the thumping of a bed frame against a wall, hushed whispers and skin against skin, and it was growing louder still.
Something awakened. It rose up and spread, like a deep breath in and out, alive and purposed, carefully constructed by design—not by luck. It was like a house doused in gasoline that had been sitting in wait for the inevitable spark.
