Page 217 of A Touch of Poison
“You’re so good, love,” I told her as she rocked to meet me, and a dazed smile lit her face.
Stars above, I fucking loved her. More than I thought possible. I might’ve said it out loud—I wasn’t sure.
A bone-breaking tension rose in me—a tingling that pulled every muscle more taut and made every thought more fleeting.
With every thrust she let out another cry, each one more breathless than the last, her tits bouncing. The sight of her stole the air from my lungs, the sanity from my mind, and my fingers dug into her as she screwed her eyes shut and lost herself in another writhing climax.
“Fuck. Fuck!” I followed her, balls tightening as electricity exploded inside me and the world disappeared, leaving just the image of her, the feel of her, the sound of her moans.
Just her.
There was only her.
I barely caught myself on the table instead of collapsing on her, my muscles melting into blissful ease. Shadows ebbed around us as if exhausted. Freed, she draped her arms over my shoulders and murmured my name. I kissed her throat, still inside her and yet needing more points of connection as I tried to gather myself.
As I caught my breath, I pressed my forehead to hers and met her sleepy gaze. Her green eyes were the colour of forests and grass and the leaves of the roses she adored so much. She was a thing of life—a goddess of it—and it felt like she’d finally started to live.
With a half smile, she touched my cheek, fingertips brushing my earlobe, sending a ripple of pleasure down my spine.
“Love,” I managed to say, foolishly—not a complete sentence.
But she destroyed me. In the best possible way, she destroyed and re-created me.
Shaking my head, I nuzzled her nose. “I love you, my beautiful genius—I fucking love you.”
80
Kat
Without the prospect of Kaliban to take my memories, I went to the Hall of Healing the next day with a sickly feeling in my stomach. My nerves hummed, the magic around me too, and if not for numerous chances to let go recently, my hands would’ve been covered in my purple stain. I might even have hazed.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Rose stood beside me at the bottom of the stairs. “I can come in with you.”
“I…” I blinked up at the marble building. “I was about to say I’d started this journey alone, but… that isn’t true. Bastian was here when I woke. And you’ve been with me almost every day since.” I gave her a sidelong look. “Would you?”
“I offered, didn’t I? And it wasn’t out of politeness, but… if she really does have a cure for you, I want to be there to support you. I’m sure Ella would come, but…”
“But she isn’t the best with blood.” I scoffed, the tightness in my stomach easing to know I had Rose.
“Gods willing there is no blood, but…” She shrugged, then nodded towards the doors. “Shall we?”
I squared my shoulders and offered a silent prayer to the gods I’d told to fuck themselves more times than I cared to admit.
Please, please let this be the last time I have to do this.
* * *
Elthea gave Rose an evaluative glance,but otherwise gave no reaction to her sitting at my side.
“Well.” She clutched the notebook, fingers tapping an agitated rhythm on its cover, but said nothing more.
“You said you’d made progress with my cure?”
She drew a long breath, chin rising. “I think I have. In fact, I’msureI have.” A fleeting smile lit her face, and I had to bite back a laugh.
Elthea, the woman who remained calm and deadpan ninety-nine percent of the time, wasexcited.
“I realise my mistake now. I was attempting to cure all of your ‘affliction,’ but”—she shook her head and sighed—“magic isnotan affliction or an illness or anything bad at all.” She raised her hand. “It’s not good, either, to be clear—it justis. Like fire—it can be used for good or ill, but in its own right it’s a neutral state.”
