Page 80 of Royal Hunt
His mouth opened angrily to argue, but I plunged ahead.
“Nessian can’t hold the barrier forever; nor should he. The other heirs can leave tonight, so they won’t need protection. If I leave, Nessian wouldn’t have to worry about me either. He can bring down his shield and go home.”
I thought this would appeal to Ellis, but his eyes narrowed further as he sat down next to me. “And why would Nessian be so concerned aboutyou?” he asked, a bit of an edge to his voice.
Confusion furrowed my brow. “Er … I don’t know. We’re all friends so I thought—”
My words were cut off as Ellis closed the distance between us before I could react, his hands grabbing my face and holding me still as he kissed me. For one, glorious moment, I forgot about all the deaths, the pain, and the crisis and high stakes around us. My arms wrapped around his neck and I relaxed against him, once again a foolish girl giving herself to a stranger on a balcony in a last ditch effort to take control over her life.
One of his slim hands slid from my cheek to my throat, providing a delicious pressure that I didn’t know I needed as he bent me backward and pressed me down to the chaise lounger. His weight over me calmed my nerves and allowed my racing thoughts to settle. He broke contract with my lips, instead running a path down the side of my neck, nipping at my skin with his teeth.
“My queen,” he growled hungrily against me, the vibrations from his voice going straight to my core.
“No crown,” I reminded him in a gasp, unable to stop the smart remark from tumbling out of my lips. “No wedding.”
He chuckled darkly, and I swear with his lips on my body I felt it all the way down to my toes. “I will regain my throne, Eve. And not because I want to be king or because I give a shit about the people who would rather see my blood stain the dirt if it meant a hunk of bread and cheese extra for them.”
Fingers danced over my chest and neck, stroking my cheek. The pad of his thumb caught on my lower lip as my eyes closed to take it all in.
“You want to know why I’ll reclaim it?”
His breath puffed against my ear, his lips so close as they hovered just above the skin. I shivered. “Why?” I breathed out.
“Because I will give you my world. I will raise you up as queen and salvage this kingdom so I may see you rule over it, damned prophecies or not. I owe you my life. I owe you everything. I will prove them all wrong. Would that make you happy?”
It shouldn’t be so damn sexy to hear him not give a shit about his people, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. I’d care for the people enough for both of us.
“Y-yes.”
He pulled away from me, leaving me with nothing but cooling air between us. “Then it’s agreed. You aren’t going anywhere.”
Wait. That wasn’t what I’d said at all!
I tried again. “Your dreams … I can’t help but think it all connects to what Cassus was trying to tell me. He said if we don’t repair the barrier between worlds that we’ll be cut off from magick forever and that the land will never recover! Everything you’ve seen will come to pass.”
Ellis snorted, laying back on the chaise and putting his hands behind his head. “Ridiculous. The heirs have manifested plenty of magick. You know better than to listen to the desperate ramblings of a condemned man—fae. Whatever.”
I took a deep breath, fighting to remain calm.
“He said the magick would burn through you uncontrolled until it killed you. He said you don’t know how to handle it and that it will consume you. When it goes, that’s the last of magick here.”
Ellis went still, his eyes narrowing at me. “And what other sweet nothings did Cassus whisper into your ear?”
Stay calm. Stay unflappable. “He didn’t whisper,” I shot back, irritated. “Ellis, no matter what you think of the fae, it hasn’t rained since the games started. Cassus says the link with the fae world kept our weather cycles synced. What if he’s not lying? What if doing nothing ensures that everything in your dreams comes to pass?”
I walked across the room, picking up the crown and turning its sharp edges over in my hands. It didn’t have a single scratch or dent in it. Wordlessly, I handed it back to Ellis, who frowned at it and set it at his side. He patted the inside of his thighs, giving me a direct look.
I blushed and sat in his lap, only for him to turn me over on my stomach and pull me up against him so I was draped across his chest on the chaise lounge, our legs tangled together and my body pressed against his.
After a moment of awkwardness I relaxed into him. This was … nice.
“For years I’ve been tortured by dreams of devastation and ruin,” he waxed on. “They drove me mad, so I tried to lose myself in drink and women. It made me lose my relationships with my family and my kingdom, but I never gave up hope entirely because I also saw you.”
His fingers stroked my hair, tangling lightly to run along my scalp. I was boneless against him.
“I was a shit prince who didn’t deserve the hope brought along by the daring, strong, beautiful girl who haunted my dreams. She was the perfect siren.”
Now I was definitely blushing. He pulled me flush against him, turning both of us on our sides and pulling me against him. He nuzzled into my neck like a giant, satisfied cat, practically purring as a satisfied rumble emanated from his chest. I could have laid like this for hours, staring at the fire and relaxing every muscle until I fell asleep.
