Page 45 of In Her Own Rite

This time, it hits him first. He groans, grabbing onto my hips with his free hand, pressing up into me, and I can feel him spill himself inside of me. The thought of it overwhelms me, and seconds later I’m coming, my climax shaking through me. I’m gasping, wild, saying his name.

“Kieran. Oh my God, Kieran.”

“Em,” he whispers.

As I come down, I look at him under me, his gaze all warmth and devotion. I lean myself down onto his chest, slipping him out of me, looking into his eyes.

“I can’t believe this is real,” he murmurs, wrapping his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

“Promise me you’ll never leave,” I whisper.

“I promise.”

16

KIERAN

When Em comes back from washing up, she picks up my phone from the table.

“Someone’s calling again.” She tosses it gently towards me, and it lands on the bed. As she comes to lie next to me, curling up in the crook of my arm, I lift it to see the screen.

“It’s Seb,” I say, and pick up the call. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Dude, where the fuck have you been?” His voice is tense. I can hear people talking in the background.

“What? I was busy. What’s going on?”

“There was another attack. They came for the harbor, in broad daylight.”

“What the fuck?” I sit up in bed. Em looks up at me.

“What is it?” she whispers. I bring the phone down to put it on speakerphone.

“They attacked the harbor? On Saroe?” I ask.

“They destroyed it. Someone tore through the sails of all the fishing boats. They flipped Heimig’s car and lit two of the shops on fire.”

“Uikbaane,” I curse. “Is Heimig okay? Is anyone hurt?”

“No one’s hurt. He was there, but he wasn’t in the car.”

“How many of them were there?”

“Ten? Twelve? I don’t know, dude. We’re having a council meeting in twenty minutes.”

“I can’t get there in time,” I say. Not that it would do much good, anyway.

“No, don’t bother. It’s better that you guys are safe.”

“Are you thinking of coming here, too?” Em asks.

“Oh, hey Em,” Seb says over the phone. “I don’t know. Saga says that if we leave now, we’re giving them what they want. And I’d rather have me and Gabe here at thefikarigto protect the place if they get too close. But Maren is scared, so we’re talking about it.”

“It would only take you a few hours to get here, right?” Em asks. “So if you’re not sure, but something changes…”

“Yeah, Gabe said the same thing.”

“I’m sorry, man,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I should have been there.”

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