Page 22 of Fire & Ice

Trying to steady my racing heart, I carefully fold his letter and place it in the carved wooden box on my dresser. Running my fingers over the intricate scrollwork, I'm reminded of the first gift Beau gave me - a gold comb inlaid with sapphires that match his eyes and the bracelet and necklace my parents gifted me.

My mind floods with memories of our first tentative encounters in the dreamscape, the exhilarating discovery that he was real and not just a figment of my imagination.

So much has changed since then. We've grown closer than I could have imagined, our souls intertwining until neither of us can imagine a life apart from the other. There have been challenges, of course. Beau's position often requires difficult choices, and my fiery temper has clashed with his icy restraint more than once. But we've come through the storms together, our love burning bright – leading us ever closer to the final part of our mating.

I stand before the open window thinking, I feel the cool breeze caressing my skin. Beau's scent lingers in the air, mixing with the dampness of the rain that has started to fall. I close my eyes and inhale deeply, trying to calm the raging fire within me.

I know there will be more trials ahead. But a future queen has no time to dwell on the negatives, especially when there was more training to be done.

I head down to the palace library to meet with the queen. As her protégé and future heir to the throne, I am tasked with learning all there is to know about the vampire court and the ancient ways of our kind.

The queen is waiting for me, a book open on the table in front of her. She looks up as I enter, her piercing gaze meeting mine.

"Tempest," she says, her voice stern but not unkind. "We have much to discuss today. I trust you have been keeping up with your studies?"

I nod, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. For a moment, I had forgotten everything else that was happening in my life, lost in my own thoughts and fears. But now, with the queen's guidance, I know I can face whatever comes my way.

Together, we spend the day poring over ancient texts and scrolls, delving deep into the history of our kind. I am fascinated by the stories of Beau's ancestors, of their great battles and fierce determination to survive and thrive in a world that would snuff them out.

As morning approaches, I am exhausted but exhilarated, my mind buzzing with newfound knowledge. The queen nods her approval as I bid her goodbye and head back to my chambers.

As I slip into bed, the moon starts to set outside my window, the intruding light of day reminding me of Beau's absence. I ache for his return, to lose myself in his cool embrace once more. Just a few more days to go and then I can also give him a token of my affection as well.

Chapter 24

Tempest

I awake with a start, the lingering heat of my dreams clinging to my skin like smoke. Our bedroom is cast in shadows, the pale light of the setting sun beginning to creep through the parted curtains. The familiar surroundings soothe my racing heart—the plush velvet chaise where I meditate each morning, the crackling hearth, its embers still glowing ruby red.

I rise and cross the room, my bare feet sinking into the antique rug. I pause at the window, looking out over a kingdom beginning to stir. My people, soon to be my responsibility.

The door creaks open and Beau steps inside, raven hair mussed, icy eyes searching mine. "Tempest," he breathes, crossing the space between us in hurried strides. He takes my hands in his, calloused and cool.

"I’m so glad you’re back," I whisper. His nearness intoxicates me. I want to reach out and touch him, trace the angles of his face, run my fingers through his windswept hair. Fire blooms in my veins, desire and nervousness twisting together.

He smiles, a flash of white in the dim room. "I had to get back to you, council be damned. Seeing you in my dreams this time wasn’t enough."

“I got your letter…” I trail off excitement and nervousness butting heads in my belly.

"Good," Beau murmurs, tilting my chin up. His lips meet mine, a spark of electricity that steals my breath. I melt into him. Nothing has ever felt so right as Beau's kiss.

I break the kiss, breathless.

"I have something for you," I say, turning towards the wooden box on my dresser. Inside lies the sapphire tie pin I had custom made from my bracelet and necklace my parent gifted me. Beau watches curiously as I lift the pin from its velvet bed, admiring how the gem glitters in the low light.

"This was fashioned from the jewels I wore when we first met,” I explain, rolling the sapphire pin between my fingers before I press the pin into Beau's hand, closing his fingers over the sapphire. His eyes widen at the implication of my gift, but he simply nods, pinning the sapphire to his lapel. The blue gem glints like a fallen star over his chest.

"I will cherish it always," Beau vows. He pulls me close once more, lips finding mine. The sapphire rests between us, a silent promise for the future.

I breathe deeply as Beau's hands slide down my arms, his touch leaving trails of icy tendrils on my skin. Our kiss deepens, all hesitation gone. My fingers curl into his shirt, pulling him against me. His heart pounds under my palm, mirroring my own frantic rhythm.

I have never wanted anything as much as I want him in this moment.

Beau's lips brush my ear, his whispered words igniting my blood. "Goddess, how I have missed you, My Fire.”

My reply is to capture his mouth again, tasting the ice on his tongue. He groans deep in his throat as my hands slip under his shirt, nails raking lightly over his back. I have never been more certain of anything.

In one smooth motion, Beau lifts me and lays me back on the bed. His body covers mine, cool and hard like marble. My legs wrap around his waist. We move together, two opposing elements coming together to create something new, something whole.

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