Page 74 of Up In Flames
Still, he paused.
I looked at him over my shoulder.
Ara stared back, a little lost. “I haven't used only the elements in so long. I don't know which would best prepare you.”
In a husky timbre, I suggested, “Why don't you try your tongue?”
Ara's body jerked in arousal, and then he grinned. “What a wonderful idea, my love.”
Spreading my cheeks wide, Ara bent his head between them and licked. Then moaned. And lapped. The wet sounds combined with his groaning pleasure and the divine feeling of his tongue to make my cock twitch.
“Ara,” I groaned. “Oh, fuck. Yeah, just like that. Get me real wet.”
He made a happy sound, then lifted his head. “Yes, I think I shall claim you now, my Ember.”
With that, Aranren slipped into me. My back arched, and I pushed onto his thrusts, taking him as deep as I could. He was fully sheathed in three seconds. And then came the sound of flesh hitting flesh. My favorite sound. I felt so full, so complete, and our bond rose to shimmer in the air around us. It was settled, I knew that, and yet it felt as if this were the final step. As if it wasn't complete until Ara had given me what I had given him.
“Ember,” Ara growled, his hips moving faster. “My Ember. My light. I love you.” And then he cried out without words and filled me.
Aranren's pleasure summoned mine. As he gave me what I craved, I emptied myself on the bed, muscles tight and back arched. We shuddered violently and then fell onto our sides together, him still inside me. Ara curled around me from behind and gathered me in against his chest, my head tucked below his chin.
“I love you,” he said again. “And it's finally untainted by Death.”
“Death is over.” I snuggled in deeper and sighed.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ara and I stepped out of the room to the sound of cheering. We froze in the doorway, hand-in-hand, and stared at all the happy faces. My lovers rushed forward and swept me up into jubilant hugs, lifting me off my feet to spin me around. Meanwhile, the Emperor went to Aranren and hugged him before introducing him to Sally.
“You did it!” Rath declared. “We felt the bond take root. The war is over, Ember!”
“Wedid it,” I said as I lifted Ara's unshackled wrist. “I released him to test it. Death is gone. Aranren is free!”
“We are all free,” the Emperor declared, and the corridor burst into more cheering and applause.
I smiled at Ara through it and when the ruckus died down, I said to my men, “Now, we just have to figure out how to live together.”
“I have a fortress,” Aranren offered as he joined us, the Emperor and Sally beside him.
“It's, uh, currently full of, uh.” I slid my stare down to Sally.
“Actually, it's been cleared,” the Emperor said. “Your fellow lords stayed behind to deal with what was left. They'vecleaned the fortress thoroughly and put . . .” He paused, glancing at Sally, then added, “Everything away. The Corrupted were freed when you were, my friend,” he said to Aranren.
“But won't Death be there?” I asked.
“Death will be everywhere,” Ara said. “But we can put up wards to keep him out. And I must face him eventually. I'm not afraid of Death anymore.”
“What do you think?” I asked my other men.
“We need to discuss this more,” Xae said with a look at Taroc. “I think it may be a . . . traveling situation for you, Ember. You may have several homes to divide your time between.”
“We're splitting up?” I asked in surprise.
“Uncle Ember, you ended the war!” Sally said. “Daddy told me. You and Uncle Ara ended it.”
“Uncle Ara?” I looked at Aranren.
He shrugged and grinned guiltily. “Sarthares, I mean, the Emperor, is familiar with the name. He shared it with Sally.”
