Page 164 of Of Serpents and Ruins
And Stella—even bloodied and battered, there had never been anyone like her. It was like seeing her with fresheyes. Despite her weariness, she moved with such grace and confidence, her gaze constantly seeking mine and sparking with playful light.
My brash seer was probably plotting some dreadful pun to whisper in my ear when I least expected it.
And I couldn’t wait.
Once on the ship, though, I knew I had to speak to a couple individuals. So I slipped back into the map room to use the water mirrors. They blazed to life, shining and shimmering like silver pearls. I traced my finger along the rim. Frost formed at the edges as a familiar voice blared out, unusually harsh compared to its usually measured tone.
"Fine?" he demanded, agitation edging his voice.
"Fine." I sighed. It really was fine. And it was going to get better. Somehow, we had made it.
"Fine." It sounded as if he sighed as well, relief in the voice.
The water within the mirror vibrated and pulsed as our connection ended. Of course we would have to speak together again soon. He didn’t like to speak frankly over the water mirrors or through any other magical form if it could be helped. And there would be time enough to talk.
I then drew my finger along the rim once more and brought up the next. The waters rippled even faster, and the reflection turned dark, revealing a deep stone interior.
"Slumberous slow-speaking sidewinder."
I smirked. Some things never changed. "Impatient irritating impudence."
A grunt followed. Then a low chuckle.
We’d all meet again soon when it would be safe to talk. But at least my allies knew we were safe. Not being capable of aiding us had caused both of them great pain. Our next meeting would be one of grand celebration.
But for now, there were other more important matters.
Sen was already preparing what he called a great feast, though I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to stomach any food for a while. Hord was standing with his arms folded, listening with amusement as Cahji told about their adventures in retrieving the Great Axe and how Cahji had gone on his own little adventure, rescuing the vampire king and queen from a shipwreck and getting them to safety all before his father noticed he was missing.
Lorna listened with rapt attention, her eyebrows lifting. Arjax sat on the railing, not holding on to anything but staring out over the edge and offering his own commentary and guess that Hord had in fact known what Cahji was doing but allowed him to complete the rescue.
Hord remained resolute, simply insisting he was proud of his son.
Candy agreed, sprawled on the deck, her arm flung over her face as she teased that Cahji might enjoy visiting the land of the vampires and demons and his rescuing their leadership all but guaranteed him a hearty welcome, so long as it wasn’t politically expedient to deny his involvement in the rescue. The ship rocked and swayed in the sparkling waters, four of the crew swimming as water serpents and drawing us along.
Weariness clung to my body, but the cool, clean air filled my lungs. For the first time in years, I could breathe. And there was only one person I wanted to see.
Hord guessed it and told me which cabin was Stella’s.
I knocked at the door and waited. She had never ceased to be my wife in my heart—and we had had sex twice. But that didn’t mean she wanted someone walking in on her. "Stella, do you—"
The door flung open, and she appeared in the doorway, golden eyes wide and bright. "Get in here, spicy strawberry margarita man." She seized me by the collar and dragged me forward.
Ihlkit, she was magnificent.
I swept forward and caught hold of her, lifting her up and holding her tight. I buried my face in her neck, a low groan tearing free. Her fresh-washed hair covered my face, burying me in her fragrance: grapefruit, sea salt, strawberries, and trouble.
"Oh, make sounds like that, and I’m going to crawl out of my skin." She hugged me fiercely.
Her breath rushed against my neck, making my skin prickle. I squeezed her close, grateful for the Vawtrian magic that let us both heal so swiftly. There was so much that we needed to manage, and yet we could set it aside without the pain of bruises and cuts to distract us and ground us in the challenges that lay ahead. Here, in the sanctuary of this small room, we could just exist as a couple.
"You still fit so perfectly in my arms," I murmured against her skin.
"Seems like everything still fits perfectly." She pulled back and grinned up at me. Those eyes of hers sparked with life despite the bags and the lines of fatigue.
I lowered her to the ground, shaking my head at her. "You’ve gotten so bawdy."
I loved it.
