Page 94 of The Midnight Sovereign
I waited, sitting on my throne, until Corvin and I were the only two people remaining in the grove. He’d thought to do the same. He walked over to me and we regarded one another solemnly, both lost in the poignancy of our shared experience.
He was the first to speak. “Nice wings,” he complimented with a flirtatious smile.
I grinned back at him. “Thank you. I thought you might like them.”
Corvin laughed, his chest lightly shaking, the motion causing his crown to dip lower onto his handsome brow. Looking at the crown up close, its wings and design, warmth curled through me—because when we’d shared that dream on my bedroom floor, he’d placed a tiara, this crown’s perfect match, onto my head.Did that mean he wished I could become…I dragged my gaze back to his, appreciating the sight of him, this perfect moment together, before we returned to our lives and responsibilities.
Nobody had ever looked at me like he did now. “I won’t forget, Elvira. That we made it here together.”
“Me either,” I promised.
His next words caught me by surprise. “Before coming here, our conversation in the infirmary, it got interrupted.”
“Yes, it did,” I acknowledged.
“I need you to know that you’re right. There is something more, has been all along, than just my father’s debt binding us together. And I do, Elvira.” He looked at me with searching eyes, that same gentle attentiveness he’d always shown me ever since I first saw him in my study mirror.
“Do what?” I asked, my gaze heated.
“Want you,” he answered. It was a simple declaration—fueled by deep emotion, said in the same tone with which he’d uttered every other vow to the grove.
“You’re a prince. And I’m the Midnight Sovereign. What does that mean for us?”
“All I know is that I can’t imagine my life without you. There’s nothing casual about what I feel for you. You told me you wanted something deep. That you wanted a partner. I want that too. We’ll figure the rest out together. I know we will.”
At his words, I folded myself into his arms, softly capturing his lips. Lightness saturated my heart, moonlight twinkling through my hair and radiating from my skin, enveloping us both. Everything made sense as long as our bodies were aligned, as long as his lips touched mine. My entire body hummed in satisfaction, and a profound sense of peace washed over me.
Magic flared to life under my skin, vibrating fiercely, and in that instant, I could feel the golden tether of the debt connecting me to Corvin. We shone together in brilliant radiance, the moment it found perfect resonance, resolving in a burst of starlight, still there but finally satiated, settling into a steady, contented thrum between us.
“The debt,” Corvin murmured against my lips. “It’s been fulfilled.”
“I felt it too,” I murmured back. “By helping me make it here, you helped the Midnight Sovereign return to power. Or perhaps you simply owed me this flawless moment.”
“The first of many,” Corvin vowed, kissing me again.
“I’ll see you soon then?” I asked when we finally drew apart.
“Yes. I’ll visit you very soon. Now that we know our mirrors are connected, there’s no distance separating us. Actually, speaking of your island, I’d like your help with something. I want you to help me find a cure for my father. He deserves to makeit to this grove himself someday. To lead our people. To lead the Sky Kingdom. He deserves that more than me right now. After everything he and my mother poured into building the kingdom, making it into what it is today, he should get to sit upon that throne. Do you think you could help me with that?”
I looked upon Corvin’s face, reveling in how beloved it had become to me in just a few short moons. He’d helped me make it to this grove, and now, I had the power to truly serve this realm. Could I help him? I smiled and my moonlight gown shimmered around me.
“Meet me at midnight,” I confidently replied.
