Page 49 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
I’m so scared of crashing down. But his movement is smooth and graceful. It feels like we are flying. The gentle night wind brushes my face as he lands on the ground.
How in the world did he make that jump? He has to be a warrior among his kind. I take a slow, steadying breath themoment he sets me on my feet. My heartbeat turns erratic when I look up at Svenn. I had a glimpse of his face in the dimness of the cavern but nothing prepared me for this.
He is utterly devastating.
The moonlight highlights his chiseled jaw and every inch of his sharp features. His hair is like the different shades of night merged together. There is this untamed beauty about him that simply takes my breath away.
His light pale skin is the only reminder that he was imprisoned in the cold, dark dungeon. He must be starving.
“I’ll get you something to eat soon,” I promise. I brush a wayward strand of hair from his face. Now, I have the strangest urge to bury the rest of my fingers in his thick, dark hair.
Svenn does one of his sudden embraces again. It feels nice to be hugged so snugly like this. He is holding me like he doesn’t plan on ever letting me go. I close my eyes and bask in the warmth of his body against mine.
“I know. I know,” I whisper, stroking his back repeatedly. My eyes begin to water. “I thought we weren’t going to make it out of that horrid place.”
But we actually did it.
The rumble in his chest sounds a whole lot like a purr. His hand sweeps over my tailbone and lower. A small gasp escapes my lips. There is nothing innocent in his touch this time. There are no words to convey how much I want him in this moment, but this isn’t fair to Svenn.
Even if I’m just an elfling among my kind, I am still sixty-eight years old. He’s a naïve young mortal, vulnerable and disorientated from his imprisonment. No matter how I see it, I am taking advantage of him. The guy is probably grateful I released him from his captivity.
“Stop—”
He releases me reluctantly, pulling back. An amused look plays on his face.
“We probably shouldn’t do that,” I say, shivering from the loss of warmth.
The muscles in his square jaw tick, fighting a smile. I think he can tell how much I want him.
“Let’s go and find the others,” I say quickly, trying hard not to look at him.
My eyes scour over the desolate green clearing around us. An abandoned structure that appears to be some kind of temple looms nearby.
“We’ll have a better view from there.” I decide for us. The inner sanctum of the building has completely perished. Nothing about the ruined shrine suggests that there is a deeper labyrinth down below. Svenn falls into step beside me as I climb the stone steps to the roof.
A stark sense of unease grips me over the five slabs of boulders that look like seats—thrones—and the black stone altar in front of them.
“This is not a place of worship,” I mutter to myself. There’s nothing holy about it at all. I run my hand over the glyphs on the time-worn stone.
“More warnings,” I say, suppressing the dread edging my voice. “Something is just not right.”
The Ashmedai is nowhere in sight, but there’s this constant sense of looming danger I can’t quite shake.
Fear reignites in my chest. I quickly look at Svenn to make sure he is safe. He has settled back into his usual watchful quiet. His gaze is fixed on a large stone slab near the thrones, covered with strange glyphs and a raven symbol. I’ve never seen such grief in a person’s eyes.
“Are you alright?” I ask softly.
His strong shoulders whirl on me.
“You’re safe with me.” I raise my hand to touch his face. He leans his head on my palm, his breath coasting my skin. His dark eyes are filled with such palpable heat that it startles me. They roam over me in a slow study, stripping me bare. Liquid fire unfurls in my belly in response to his stare.
A deep yearning rises in me to taste his lips again. That rock back in the cavern must have hit my head hard earlier. I’m suddenly craving forbidden things.
As someone bound to the crown, I’ve resigned myself to a life of service. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like myself again. I desire something just for me. It’s selfish but I want to stay with him just a little while longer.
I rise to my toes to kiss him.
Svenn goes still and rigid. A heartbeat later I feel his hand on the small of my back, pulling me closer. His tongue slips over the seam of my lips, deepening the kiss until I am breathless. I have been kissed before, but not in the way this man is devouring me. It’s like I’m the air he needs to survive.
