Page 68 of A Kingdom of Shadows

Pleasure unfurls inside my stomach as I glance at him, and he comes up to kiss me.

A strawberry has never tasted any better.

"Darius," I sigh, his name in between, looking at him as I stroke my hand along his jaw. His gaze almost undoes me, and what I choose to say next has me panicked. "I—I have never done it." What I thought my first would be with Lorcan is now just the past.

Darius releases a relieved smile, his forehead dropping onto mine. "Touched or untouched, I'd have you either way. And only when you desire it, Goldie."

My heart swells, not knowing what to say to that except grin. "Well, if we continue here, we might get caught."

"So be it."

"Miss Nara?"

My eyes widen as Tibith rubs his tired eyes from the threshold, and both my head and Darius move to the side.

Mortified, I sit up as Darius calmly straightens himself, and Tibith beams at us. "Hello, Darry!"

I don't have time to do up the laces of my nightgown, so I cover myself with my arms as I jump down from the counter. "Tibith! Why—" A surprised glance his way. "Why are you up?"

"You weren't on the bed, Miss Nara. I thought you might have gotten lost!"

I plaster on a tight smile, my heart racing with exhilaration from minutes ago. "Wait for me there. I will be with you in a moment." As Tibith nods, I glance at Darius and take a firm stance, throwing a mocking curtsey his way. "Goodnight, Darius."

He runs the pad of his thumb along his lips as if the imprint of our kiss still lingers there. "Goodnight, Goldie." He bows, then slides his gaze past me. "Tibith," he says. "Take good care of her."

"Of course, Darry, I am her second protector!"

Darius chuckles. "I'm assigning you to the first position."

If Tibith's excitement over bread wasn't so prominent, it is now as his ears flap, and he jumps in the air and pads his way out of the kitchen quarters.

Warmth blooms in my chest as I smile, starting to head after him when Darius tugs at my hand, and I turn to look at him. His gaze dips to my lips, my half-exposed breasts, and then he's whirling me toward him. I almost trip, pressing my hands to his chest and gasping as he swallows it with one final kiss.

Letting me go, I walk backward, my fingers skimming my bottom lip as our eyes stay on each other, and I smile grandly.

Perhaps, avoiding him was always going to result in failure.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I'm flipping through books when Aias barges into my chambers without a knock or even a hello as he drops onto the bed.

I look at him.

He looks back at me.

I flip a page and sigh in resignation when he says nothing. "What is it?"

"Do you realize the significance of what is going to happen in two days?"

My body locks up. "I—"

He doesn't let me finish. "It will be the first of September when Elves celebrate and worship the moon and the hope that there will be a ruler of the stars one day. They call it Llerune. It is one of many celebrations that Terranos holds yearly."

Curious amusement has me scrunch my brows at Elves different beliefs compared to mortals. "Did you not also call it that, then?" I ask Aias. "You are an elf even if you've lived in the Screaming Forests most of your life."

His smile strains. "Renward was never one to celebrate it."

I nod slowly, regretting having brought that up.

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