Page 78 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
Her voice echoed loudly in the cavern, and I flinched at the unexpected shout. Relief poured through me at hearing her voice.
She shuffled in behind me again.
“All right, I’m back. Sorry to say, but it only narrows further ahead. If you would have pushed any further, you’d be a goner. Let’s get you out.”
Disbelief warred with embarrassment and shame. I didn’t enjoy being told I couldn’t do something. Even worse, I hated being indebted to someone because I had been stupid.
“Going to pull you back now.” She maneuvered around to my back again, grabbing my arm and giving an experimental tug. After some thought, she dropped it and grabbed my exposed upper thigh instead. “More area to pull from—give me a moment.”
Whether she meant that, I didn’t get a moment to consider. She immediately yanked me back, hard.
Pain assaulted me, burning a hole in my chest. Awhimper left me, but that was all the sound I could spare. It was harder than ever to get any air in my lungs.
“Shit.” Her hands felt around the rock. “You’ve already gone past the narrowest part. I think I can break some of it. Hold up.”
She rustled around in her clothing, and must have found what she was looking for. Without warning, she struck, sending sparks flying that illuminated her determined face.
Again and again she struck, with no obvious effects. It did nothing against the rock, as I thought. What had she expected? She?—
“Ah, there it is.”
WHAM. CRACK.
A different pitch sounded out of the left center of the rock pinning my left side. Shava turned the blade around in her hand and slammed the reddish metal hilt down against that spot as hard as she could.
Impossibly, the rock cracked and split.
I gasped in air as I suddenly had a few more inches to work with. Shava laughed with triumph and brushed more rock away. Avoiding the jagged edges she created, she slowly helped pull me back out of the crevice and back into the main chamber.
Sweat poured down my back, my arms and legs shaking as I collapsed back in the main cavern. Shava kneeled in front of me, taking my head in her hands.
I wasnotok.
“Zephyr, are you?—”
Caught up in a vicious cocktail of adrenaline, fear, and lust, I seized her and slammed her up against the cave wall, her back hitting it with a muffled thud.
My mouth closed over hers. Minutes ago, I’d been unable to breathe. Now I’d steal her breaths.
Desperation drove me into her, along with theunfamiliar sensations of gratitude and the fear attached to it. I couldn’t rely on anyone—it made me weak, and an easy target. I didn’t know how to cope with it. I especially was afraid of how much Ilikedit; having someone else to rely on.
No, I wasn’t being desperate. It was just lust; simple lust. I’d fuck her and be done with it as a thank you, and nothing more. One hand went around her delicate neck, feeling her pulse push rapidly against the pad of my thumb. Her skin was flushed, eyes bright with arousal.
Lust. It was just lust.
I kept her pinned with my right hand, the left one throwing her skirt over her shoulder. My breeches went down my hips with a single shove, and the next moment my length rubbed against her heat, which was wet, warm, and inviting.
“Zeph,” she moaned, jolting me. No one had ever called me that before. Did I like it?
These new thoughts and feelings were confusing. To avoid thinking about them, I thrust into her.
“ZEPH!”
Don’t get caught up in emotions. Don’t fall for her. You’re just grateful to be out of those rocks.
“How did you know how to do that? With the knife?” I clarified as I thrust, not breaking my rhythm or giving her time to think.
“W-what?” she choked, eyes hooded and half-closed with pleasure.
