Page 153 of The Ascended
His eyes darkened as he studied my face. "No, but once again, I’m not the one competing for my life. If you’re going to survive—to withstand the scrutiny of Olinthar’s forge, you’re going to have to find some middle ground. You cannot keep suppressing your power."
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” I said. “I simply don’t know how.”
“Then I suppose we’ll need to create a situation in which you must.”
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," he said, voice dropping to almost a whisper, "that you’ve only given up that perfect control under a few circumstances. At the Proving, yes. Out of desperation and fear. But the other times you’ve surrendered have been much more fun, wouldn’t you agree?"
Heat hit like a punch to the gut when his eyes dipped to my mouth. Something wild and molten twisted to life inside me.
"I suppose it’s time for me to deliver on my threats." His voice was rough.
I couldn't look away. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
"Do I have permission, starling?" He leaned closer, his scent filling my lungs. "Can I make you burn?"
Gods help me, I nodded.
He smiled and began walking toward me with slow, deliberate steps. Instinct had me backing away, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard I was sure he could hear it. One step, then another, until my back hit something solid—the rock he always leaned against.
Before I could move, Xül lifted a hand. I gasped as fingers emerged from the stone behind me, wrapping around my wrists and ankles. Another ghostly hand tangled in my hair, pulling my head back.
"What are you doing?" The words came out breathless.
Xül's eyes raked over me. "Magnificent," he said, voice like gravel. "The restraints suit you."
It flooded me then—heat, hunger, something dangerously close to surrender.
"You like being held down, don't you?" Xül murmured, taking a step closer.
Above us, the stars pulsed brighter, responding to the surge of whatever betrayal was coursing through me.
"You don't need that control, starling," Xül continued, his voice a dark caress. "Give it to me."
Then a crack—that wall I'd built around my power, around my desires. The stars burned against my skin, calling to me, begging to be used. Every nerve ending in my body was alight, aware of him, of the diminishing space between us.
Xül moved closer still, until his body pressed against mine, pinning me to the stone. He was fire wrapped in flesh. The full weight of his presence—the dominance and overbearing aura of a fully ascended Aesymar holding me in place was maddening. Absolutely fucking maddening.
And gods help me, it felt like freedom.
One hand came up to grip my waist, fingers digging into my flesh through my thin shirt.
"You feel that?" he whispered, his lips a breath away from my ear. "Cling to it. Then lose yourself in it."
His thumb traced a slow path along my jawline. The simple touch sent fire racing across my skin, and my breath hitched. The corner of his mouth lifted in satisfaction.
"I’m curious," he murmured, his voice dropping to a register that vibrated through me. His fingers slid into my hair, tightening just enough to send shivers cascading down my spine. "What sounds you'd make if I touched you... here."
His other hand drifted down my side, tracing the curve of my waist, my hip, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I bit my lip to keep from whimpering, but he noticed—of course he noticed—and his eyes darkened further.
"Don't hold back," he commanded, his face lowering until our noses almost touched. His breath mingled with mine. "I want to hear you."
The hand in my hair tugged gently, exposing my throat. The ghost fingers holding my wrists tightened in response, and a moan escaped me.
"There it is," he growled, his lips now hovering just above mine. The anticipation was unbearable, a physical ache that spread through my entire body. "Give me more."
His thumb brushed across my lower lip, catching on the sensitive flesh. My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, my lips parting involuntarily.
