Page 67 of God Touched

Imogen went hot all over. "Stop that."

Arawan, being the bastard he was, only laughed huskily at her and ran his hand over her braid and let the tail slip between his fingers. It was a very possessive gesture that every fae nearby noticed.

Imogen's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure all of those hungry eyes know who you belong to," he replied.

Imogen grabbed him by the front of his shirt and kissed him. She felt like she hadn't kissed him in days, so it was more thorough than she had planned.

Imogen pulled back from him. "Now they know whoyoubelong to."

"I love you," Arawan said breathlessly.

She patted his cheek. "So you should."

31

Imogen had decided that if she ever needed a getaway castle to hide in, this was the place she wanted to be. Everywhere she went were beautiful carvings and strange and lovely murals. It was like strolling about a gothic Rivendell cross Beauty and the Beast castle, and she loved it. She didn't care that she had no phone reception; in fact, she liked not being on call for every Ironwood emergency.

After a quick meal, Killian led them through the stone corridors and out into a large interior garden filled with blooming luminescent flowers. Even the trees seemed to glow with magic.

"This is so cool, Kill. Why don't you stay here more often?" Imogen asked.

"After being trapped here for so long, it's been nice to go back to the noise and business of the human world. Faerie has been the same for centuries and can become stagnant." Killian looked around at the gardens, and a small smile appeared on his face. "After the generals are dealt with, we will come back more often, but I don't like not being close to my brothers if something should happen. Until things settle down, it's better to only make short trips."

"This garden feels like your power," Bron said, her fingers brushing against a dark purple bloom.

"No, it feels like Kynan, my father. He had the same power I did and was a creature of the night. My mother, Rhiannon, was the opposite. He created this garden for her so that she would have light and flowers even at night," Killian said, his voice cracking. He cleared it quickly. "Their tomb is… It's this way."

For the first time, Imogen wondered if the princes giving Arawan their father's special armor was a good idea. It was clear that Killian especially missed their parents, and offering up their family's heirlooms was a big deal.

The entrance to the tomb looked like a small building from the outside and was made of black and gold stone. A large clear stone was placed in the archway above the door.

"It shouldn't be long now," Killian said, looking at the sky.

"What do you—" Imogen began, her words falling short as a bright star winked to life where Killian was looking.

Instantly, the gem above the door started to shine, and the stone doors opened to reveal a set of stairs.

"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen," Imogen said, eyes wide. "You guys have to bring Layla here. She would be losing her little nerd mind right now."

"Don't worry, we will," Bron said, following Killian inside.

Killian reached up and placed a hand on a polished stone. It lit beneath his hand, and instantly other stones lining the passageway burned to life.

"This way, watch your step. I haven't been down here in a while," he said softly. Bron took his hand, their eyes passing silent messages. Imogen followed, with Arawan coming in last, his hand resting gently on the small of her back. Even in the clean black hunting suit she had squeezed into, she could feel the heat of his palm through the Kevlar reinforcements.

"This is a beautiful place to honor your dead," Arawan said to Killian.

"I had it built after their deaths. Rhiannon would've hated being buried in the darkness, so these crystals ensure that she never is."

They stepped down into a wide circular room surrounded by soft light. A single wide sarcophagus stood in the center of the room. One side of it was made of a golden stone and the other black. On top, a carved golden woman and onyx man lay entwined in each other's arms. A lump formed in Imogen's throat as she stared at them. She wasn't a sappy romantic person, but something about resting eternally in the arms of your lover made her heart hurt.

"Maybe we shouldn't disturb them for some armor," Imogen said softly.

"You thought I was going to rob my parents grave?" Killian asked, biting back a laugh. "No, love. Their bodies are in amber, and they weren't in their armor when they died." Killian went to a far wall that was carved with a mural of his parents in a forest. He pressed on one of the star carvings, and two panels slid back from the wall. Inside were two stone statues of Kynan and Rhiannon. Kynan's was dressed in matte black armor with a silver star on the chest plate. Rhiannon's was silver and had a golden sun in the center of hers.

"As we said, my father's armor was made from the meteorite stone and can't be damaged by any forged weapon, no matter if god or man is wielding it," Killian explained. Imogen's hands burned to touch the silver armor in front of her.

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