Page 102 of To Ashes and Dust
I leaned into him, my gaze lifting to the painting of us hanging on the wall—of a time when I was Lucia, and we were excitedly awaiting the arrival of Emilia. It was strange how it was all falling into place, as if the lives I’d lived simply felt like a far-off time. It hadn’t been someone else’s time, but my own.
“Maybe you suppressed the memory,” Damien suggested, fidgeting with a stray lock of my hair. “It’s quite common.”
It was possible, but what could’ve happened that would be so horrible that I couldn’t, or...wouldn’tremember?
“Something else happened. I kept trying to reach out to you through our thoughts, but it was as if something was blocking our connection.”
Damien’s brows furrowed. “You never mentioned that.”
What could’ve caused it? Could Melantha have somehow interfered? Was that even possible? Something else resurfaced from the memories I’d relived several times this evening, and I paused.
My gaze turned to the plant nestled in the corner by the bay window. “I wonder...”
I pushed up to my feet, and Damien watched me curiously as I approached it. “What are you doing?”
“I used the abilities of House Dendron in the memory. I don’t know how to explain it, but I think I remember how to use it.”
Damien rose, his brows pinched as he followed me.
I bit my lip as I stopped before the plant. It was a fern, its long stems full of leaves stretching up toward the ceiling. I pulled from the memory, letting my will slip over my fingers as I reached my hands over the fern. My eyes slid closed as I focused, and my thoughts took the form of roots, of the tendrils of life that flowed through them, tunneling my will into countless stems stretching out of the pot like a firework. My hands became an extension of that life, the warmth seeping into my skin, pulsing through my veins. I stretched my fingers out, like leaves fanning out for more sun.
Damien stiffened at my side, a short breath hissing through his teeth, and I opened my eyes to find the fern’s stems lifting, the leaves stretching out the way my fingers did. I gasped, my hands recoiling, and it slowly eased back into its upright position. A smile formed on my lips. I’d done it.
“Have I told you lately how much you amaze me?” Damien’s strong, warm arms came around me as he pulled me back against his chest.
I smiled to the side at him. “I do try.”
He gave a light chuckle, the sound causing my heart to flutter. “You should probably stop for the day. You’re starting to look a bit pale.”
My eyes fell from his, the truth bringing a rush of annoyance. “You’re right.”
I wanted to continue, but I could feel that unseen limit drawing closer, where my body couldn’t keep up with the power’s toll. It was dangerous territory. I’d suffered from a recoil the first time we’d practiced my Nous ability. I’d pushed far beyond my limits, and it hadn’t ended well.
“I’ve got some paperwork I need to complete. If you’d like, you’re welcome to grab a book and keep me company,” Damien offered, and the corner of his lip tipped up into a crooked grin as his finger drifted across my lower stomach. “It might encourage me to work faster.
Heat rose in my chest, but I cocked my head to look at him over my shoulder, lifting a brow. “Would my company be an encouragement? Or a distraction?”
He licked his lips. “That’s yet to be determined.”
Part of me was curious. I’d never really been in his study; not for any reason, it had just never happened. We had been preoccupied elsewhere, and Damien rarely spent time in there to begin with.
“I guess I can grace you with my presence,my king,” I said in a teasing tone, pulling free of his arms.
Damien grabbed my hand, pulling me against his chest with such force that I nearly gasped. His forehead pressed to mine, eyes molten. “Ok,that,mea luna, isverydistracting.”
I bit my lip, and for a moment, I was conflicted as to whether I should be as distracting as I was tempted to be, or if I should pull away and make him that much hungrier for me.
“I promise not to tempt you,” I said with a coy grin.
He gave me a knowing look, as if contemplating whether I truly meant it. I pushed myself up to kiss his cheek before slipping from his grip. His eyes followed me, and I bit back a giggle as I headed for my study to grab a book.
I was curious to see his office. What did he do? What kind of paperwork did the King of Immortals need to complete? My fingers drifted across the spines of my books, unable to decide on one. I settled on a book I’d bought recently but hadn’t been able to read yet, tucking it against my chest.
The wood floors creaked under my feet as I stepped out of the room, heading upstairs and down the hall in the opposite direction of our bedroom. The door to his study was left ajar for me, and I quietly opened it, peering inside. Damien stood behind a large, ornate wooden desk, already sorting through paperwork. I bit my lip, smiling at the intense concentration already forming on his face.
My eyes explored the rich wooden space, the walls lined with shelves of dark walnut. There weren’t nearly as many books on the shelves as I had in my study, but where books were missing sat all sorts of knickknacks and items that piqued my curiosity. Some of the objects had to be from the Godsrealm—a few large clusters of crystals, including one that emitted a soft glow, as well as a few small skeletal displays of creatures I’d never seen before.
Damien pulled his attention from his work and extended his hand toward an emerald chaise at the other end of the room. It rested near a fireplace as grand as the one downstairs, decorated with finely carved, walnut-stained wood. A cozy fire was already lit, warmth emanating throughout the space. I set my book on the chaise, taking every detail in before I turned my gaze on Damien, who’d resumed his work. I drifted toward the desk. God, there was so much paperwork.
