Page 167 of Of Serpents and Ruins
Brandt and I exchanged looks as Tile strode before the assembly and invited all to join us in the celebration. Throughout the kingdom, there were numerous other locations for all to join in feasting where they were without traveling. And it was all set to start as the sun went down.
Brandt swept me up into his arms as the surf crashed and foamed at our feet.
I gasped and giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Are you ticklish, Stella? I can’t remember." He nuzzled my neck, making me giggle more until I snorted. "Once I get you back, I intend to make love to you until the dawn rises," he whispered in my ear. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and then kissed my temple.
I laughed, tilting my head back. The moons had risen, bright and beautiful in the clear night sky.
"Ah, so you mean we’ll collapse in each other’s arms and sleep until morning."
It had been disconcerting, hilarious, and peaceful to awaken with one another like that on our return to Castle Serpentfire. We’d slept all the way back. It had been so comforting to be in his arms once more and feel his hardness against my butt and hip. Not to mention his heat. But I had no intention of ever letting him live that down.
He gave me a mock scowl as he carried me out of the surf. "Well, I wouldn’t say no to sleeping until morning. I’m gettingold, woman. And how can I resist it when your snores are my lullaby?"
I pressed my lips in a tight line. "So romantic."
He nudged me with his cheek. "Smart mouth."
"Just the way you like me."
He grunted and grinned. We both knew the truth and loved it.
All the formalities had ceased, and now the party began.
Farther up on the beach were tables and tables of food beneath serpent lanterns and flower sculptures. The scents made my stomach cramp in hunger. There were so many options I could barely see them all—purple taro rolls still steaming from the oven, roasted sweet potatoes with fresh herbs, browned pineapple glistening with sugar sauce, pellets of fast-fried white corn, mashed cassava with garlic and herbs, and roasted butter fish with crisp skin. Bowls of fruit—some fresh, some cut—brought brilliant color, the pomegranates, strawberries, citrus, and melons like gems. Whole barrels of tart autumn wine and melon beer along with dozens of juices filled one whole table.
The fountains with their delicate carved serpents and the columns of magically contained lava interspersed the dance floor. The little mini raptors, including Scarlett, wove in and out among the tables. They nipped a few guests if they were not given treats, but most were happy to pay the toll of food and scritches. The Little Empress demanded much tribute from all.
Our feasting went late into the night as did the dancing and the celebration. Flutes, rattles, drums, and chimes all brought us together. And unlike in the Wild Lands, this time I was with Brandt.
We danced with everyone.
Halfway through the night, Brandt whisked me away to our quarters in Castle Serpentfire.
That wonderful combination of scents—his and mine—rushed over me. He had barely gone into the bedchamber in my absence, instead choosing to sleep on the couch in the gathering area outside. Now we were both together once more, among the items we had acquired in the first half of our marriage.
As I walked inside, I took it all in. That wonderful comforting mixture of our perfume and cologne embraced me: strawberries, grapefruit, and salt water with hints of orange, smoke, leather, and bergamot. The massive four-poster bed with red silk sheets and a black coverlet had already been turned down, waiting for our arrival.
The heavy curtains had been flung back, letting the moonlight stream through. It really did feel right to be here. The air smelled right. The sky looked right. And the people—my breaths tightened in my chest. Just thinking about all that had happened—I pressed my lips into a tight line.
"Is everything all right, my love?" He caged me against the wall, leaning over me, muscles tensed, heat radiating from him. Somehow he’d already stripped half his clothes off and left them in a pile on the floor. Those gorgeous serpent tattoos coiled along his arms and sides.
"I was just thinking how glad I am to be back. How much I missed you. How, even not knowing you, no one ever measured up."
He grinned, his eyebrows lifting playfully. "I ruined you so much for other men that it lasted into a second life. I may decide to be proud of that."
"You should be." I stuck my tongue out at him.
"And you should be proud that I never moved on from you." He traced a line up my chin and over my nose up to my forehead with the tip of his nose.
"Hmmm…so unhealthy. So sexy."
He laughed. "I knew you were coming back, you ridiculous little minx. And don’t act like you wouldn’t have been jealous if I had moved on." He fiddled with the side clasps of my dress.
"Hmmm. I was ready to rip Candy’s throat out."
"Candy?" He pulled back. His smile quirked crooked. "You thought Candy and I—"
