by Alix Sharpe
“She made you a Master, didn’t she?” Merlena said, not even looking up. “The Arch-Master.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe she was right to,” Merlena said, her words barely audible. “Maybe we’ve been going about this all wrong.”
Kyle bit back the ‘no shit’ bubbling on his tongue. This was a big moment here, and as uncomfortable as this stuff made him, he also knew the weight it carried.
Merlena slid her own ring off her polished finger and extended her hand to Angeline. “Don’t make me say it,” she said, waving for her to take the jewelry. “I hope you know how much work you have ahead of you.”
“I know,” Angeline said, taking the ring, “that’s why we’re starting right now.”
Kyle watched as Angeline moved over to the mass of shell-shocked Diviners and Mages. She started giving one of those epic rally speeches you see in movies, except, well, Angie had a weird way of describing things. Her word choice was more than awkward. But hell, it seemed to work. Within a matter of minutes, the faces and gone from terrified to determined, and a few minutes after that she had them running around, gathering supplies from the stables and parts of the building still standing.
By the time Angie turned back to him, she looked like she’d somehow gotten 12 hours sleep and a good meal, like her injuries weren’t even bothering her. Her gorgeous eyes flickered with that determined honey glow, her bruised face all lit up, grinning ecstatically just like when he’d handed her those paint brushes. She walked over, silently grabbed his hand and dragged him into the closest cluster of trees.
Before he could get a word in, she had him pressed up against a boulder, hands on his chest, mouth on his.
Kissing him.
Kyle grinned against her lips and leaned into the kiss, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and back. “Being ‘Master’ really gets you going, doesn’t it?”
She pulled away and raised an eyebrow. “Arch-Master.”
He grabbed her and flipped her around, changing places so that she was the one pinned against the rock. “I thought you liked it when I was in charge?”
“We both know I’m the one who wears the pants,” she said, dropping her hand to cup him through his clothes. “You should probably take these off.”
Kyle laughed and snatched her hands, pinning them above her head. “I’ll take them off when I’m good and ready. First, you gotta be honest with me, Ang. In the past 24 hours, I’ve seen so many sides to you I’m having a hard time keeping them straight. Not that I mind, I like all of them… well except the one that made me leave.”
Angeline’s smile broke. She dropped her gaze to the ground. “I was trying to protect you…”
“I know,” Kyle said softly, ducking his head to capture her stare. He released her hands and slid his own to her shoulders. “And I was trying to protect you too. I think there’s going to be a lot of that between us. The arguing, the bickering. But you know, I like you feisty.”
“Between us. Us? But Kyle… I can’t.”
A pang of hurt socked him right between the lungs. “You can’t?”
“I can’t leave, I can’t—”
“I’m not asking you to leave Angie, I’m asking you to let me stay.” He stepped closer to her, her chest pressed to his. “I thought you wanted to get away from all this, but now I see what you really needed, was the power to change it. You’ve got that Mage ingenuity, that Salamander spark, and Diviner-like foresight. If anyone can turn the tides of this war, it’s you.”
“You want to stay?” Angeline said.
“Hell yeah, Angelface. Being around you… well you make me a better man. I haven’t felt like a man in a long time.”
“Could have fooled me at the rate you mention your big, manly muscles and allude to your giant manly cock.”
“Giant, huh?” he grinned, pressing his hips against hers, making sure she felt said cock.
She smirked and pushed back. Then she lifted her hands to the gold chain around her neck and slipped the crimson amulet over her head. “I suppose you want your giant, manly powers back as well?”
He chuckled and took the amulet in his hand, studying his reflection in the red glass. He shook his head. “Nah, you hang onto it for me. Amulets are going to be a hell of a lot harder to come by, what with this place burned down and with the Elves stealing ‘em. We can share this one for a while.”
With a broad smile tugging at his cheeks, he pushed her hair to one side, and slid the amulet back down over her head, placing the red amulet against the skin of her chest. He chuckled to himself and lifted his gaze to hers.
“What?” she grinned, wrapping her fingers around the hard muscles of his biceps.
He leaned closer, sliding his arms tight around her waist. His voice dropped to a whisper, sweet, sincere. “I trust you, Captain…”
Then that devilish trademark smirk crept back across his face. He ground his hips against hers, dropping his gaze down between them. “…Now what are my orders?”
Thank you for reading!
Much like the war against the Elves, numbers are vital to the success of my campaign.
You are now one of Sharpe’s Soldiers:
***Take to Amazon/Goodreads, summon your magical powers, and leave me a rating or review!***
The fate of The Realm is in your hands…
Don’t be a Merlena sitting back in your high heels ;)
Seriously though, your love & support provides the precious fuel to keep me writing and unleashing that hellfire!
Stay tuned for:
BLIND SIGHTED
(Spells of Surrender Book Three)
To check out more, please visit: www.alixsharpe.com
You can find me on Instagram: @alixsharpewrites
Or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALIXSHARPEWRITES