Page 158 of House of Embers
He nodded before lowering his lips to the V of her legs. She gasped at the first sweep of his tongue, her body already trembling from his ministrations.
“I, Fordham Ollivier, swear to take the love of my life, Kerrigan Argon, to be my wife. I promise to love and cherish her,” he said as his fingers slipped into her body. “To trust in her.” Suddenly he was moving, sliding in and out. “To stay by her side through good times and bad.” His tongue got involved, and she saw stars. “For better or worse.” He tilted her hips for better access, driving deeper. “Forsaking all others, keeping myself only…” In. “Unto.” Out. “You.” In.
Kerrigan gasped, tilting her head back as her climax hit her full force.
“For as long as we both shall live,” he said, kissing her once more before retreating.
“You,” she panted.
“Me,” he agreed. His body covered hers as he aligned their hips and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. “Your turn.”
“I, Kerrigan Argon, swear to take the love of my life, Fordham Ollivier, to be my husband.”
He slid forward into her, and she wasn’t sure she was going to be cognizant enough to continue.
“I promise to love and cherish him.” She lifted her hand to his cheek as he started a rhythm. “To trust in him and stay by his side no matter what happens. Forever and always. In this life and the next.”
He pressed a kiss to her thumb. “And all that comes after.”
She bit her lip and nodded. “Forsaking all others for I only belong to him.”
“Yes, you do,” he agreed.
He lifted one leg up onto his shoulder as he drove deeper into her. The rest of the world fell away. Even talking was beyond them. In every way, they had just sealed their union. Later, if they survived this, Titania would have something to say about a wedding. But for now, this was as much as they needed.
Together, they reached new heights, his lips descending as he swallowed her second climax. Their bodies met one last time, and then they both lay panting, sated.
“I want to live in this moment forever.”
He kissed her swollen lips. “Forever.”
“And tomorrow?”
“Nothing is certain except the words that were just spoken. That I will love you forever. In this life and the next and all the ones after.”
She rested their foreheads together. “I love you so much.”
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and if I die tomorrow or live thousands of years from now, only you will ever matter to me.”
And as they held each other tight with moonlight cast across their figures, this was enough. Tomorrow could wait.
Chapter Fifty-Six
The War
Kerrigan stood before the largest portal she had ever created. It shimmered at the edges, sputtering sporadically as if upset by the force she had used to push it all the way open, but it held. And when she had tied the thing off, connecting the southern reaches of the Vert Mountains with the valley outside Ravinia Mountain, relief had settled in her trembling bones.
“Good job,” Wynter said with a pat on her back.
Kerrigan swallowed hard before acknowledging her general. “Thanks.”
Fordham’s brow was furrowed—the only indication that he was nervous about her. “As if we expected anything less.”
“I did,” Viviana quipped from beside Wynter.
Dozan had a blade in his hand a second later, looking half ready to launch himself at the former queen. “Give the word and she’s…” He drew his thumb across his neck.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Viviana said.
