“We need to talk,” she said, sitting up to look down at him. His cock remained semi-hard, still inside her.
“That’s not a good way to start a conversation right after sex.”
Her brow furrowed but she pressed on. “I know we haven’t really talked about this, about us. I need to do that.”
“Okay…” He had no idea what to say.
“Well, then, what is this? What are we doing here?”
He thought about the answer for a moment and then looked up into her eyes. “I’ll be honest. I like you, a lot, more than a lot. I think one day I could fall in love with you.”
She swallowed heavily and he feared it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “That is exactly how I feel, too. I want to see where this goes. I could see myself falling in love with you one day, too.”
He let out a sigh of relief. If she would have told him she loved him he wouldn’t have minded, but he was glad they were going to take things as they came. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”
“So we are staying for a while, then?” she asked, still peering at him with a mix of vulnerability and resolve in her eyes.
“Sounds lovely. I say we find the library. I haven’t even begun to introduce you to the Marquis.”
Chapter 21
When Katherine woke, her feet and knees brushed books littering the bed. She smiled at the mix of exhaustion and soreness infusing her body. Arwan certainly enjoyed his Marquis de Sade. She rolled over and stared at him, his limbs were spread out across the bed in abandon, his five o’clock shadow deep, his hair a mess. She liked seeing him like this.
The door of their bedroom bursting open, however, quickly snapped her out of the moment. Baldir strode in like he owned the place and sat by her feet on the bed. She scrunched them toward her to hide her nudity and he smiled. “Don’t worry…I’m not likely to ravish you.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. You could knock.”
Arwan lifted his head and looked at her smiling then glanced down toward Baldir. “What are you doing here?”
He asked it as if wondering why he’d chosen a specific restaurant not sitting on their bed while they were both nude.
“I came because I had another vision. This one was a doosey. Everyone else is on their way.”
Katherine threw a pillow at him before seizing another to cover herself. They’d kicked the blankets off sometime between acting out scenes from her latest millionaire playboy romance and losing the book in order to guess how it ended. The memory made her smile but she ducked her head so Baldir didn’t notice.
“Give us a minute to get dressed and we’ll meet you out there.” Arwan climbed to his feet and showed Baldir to the door. The God was not shy about looking his fill while exiting.
Arwan returned to the bed and stacked the books carefully before placing them on the nightstand. “Good morning, Cariad,” he said, leaning in for a kiss.
She gave him a quick one before tossing the pillow away and heading the bathroom to dress. Teeth brushing came before making out in her mind. Even if Arwan didn’t seem to care what level of personal hygiene she maintained, she did. She slipped into jeans and a T-shirt before grabbing her toothbrush. Arwan came up behind her, still naked, and pressed his erection against her clothed behind. It sent liquid heat through her body and she locked eyes with him in the mirror. They were both wondering how much time they had, she had no doubt.
Pounding came from the other room and she groaned. “I guess we can pick this up later.”
He swatted her butt and began dressing. As he slid into his own pants she let out a little sigh.
“I’d walk around naked if you asked me to,” he said, tying his sneakers before standing and adjusting his waistband and shirt.
“I would love that…as long as we remained in the room. I don’t need the fairies thinking you’re open game.”
“Jealous, are we?”
“No, possessive maybe.”
He winked at her and she exited to the bedroom to pull the covers and bedding back onto the bed. Fairy cleaned up after them anyway but she couldn’t leave them on the floor. It would haunt her for the rest of the day.
“Ready?” he asked standing at the door.
She took a deep breath. “Yep.” Whatever Baldir wanted to share never boded well for them. Why couldn’t he have visions of babies or weddings? Why was it always war, death, and destruction? It occurred to her maybe they didn’t deserve happiness. One day they might end the world. Creatures like that didn’t deserve happy endings. The dark thoughts continued as they made their way to the white room they always seemed to meet in. Everyone was arranged on the couches waiting. Arwan and Katherine dropped into one and signaled Baldir to start talking.
Baldir took a deep breath and spoke loud and clear. “Hel has convinced Odin to wake the Einherjar and march on the Underworld.”
They all glanced toward Hades who sat grinding his jaw. Cloris reached out and rubbed a thumb over his knuckles but that was it.
“Do you know how long we have?” Scarlet asked, leaning over the back of one of the couches around Tyr’s shoulder.
Baldir shook his head and Bianca stepped up. “What if I try?”
Gwyn reached out for her, but said nothing and then dropped his arm. Bianca seized Baldir’s clasped hands before he realized what she was about to do. An explosion shook the room and they both landed flat on their back. Bianca’s head hit the coffee table sending it sliding across the carpet. She lay unconscious and Gwyn reached her first, Victor trailing behind. “Wake up, my Queen,” Gwyn whispered holding her across his lap. A moment later her eyes fluttered open and she met Hades’ eyes. “This is going to get ugly.” Then she rolled toward the floor and threw up at Gwyn’s feet. He didn’t notice, too concerned with making sure her hair stayed out of the way.
“Victor,” he said, but the man already dashed into the other room. Seconds passed and he returned with a cold compress and lay it across Bianca’s brow. Baldir sat up and clutched his head between his knees. “Warn a man before you go rooting around in his head, for fuck’s sake,” he grumbled, the words partially muffled.
They waited in silence for Bianca to compose herself. “Baldir is right. Hel convinced Odin to use the Einherjar to take back the Underworld. She convinced him it will stall Ragnarok.”
Victor cleared his throat. “For those of us non-God speakers…what is an Einherjar?”
Bianca reached out to him and he clasped her hand. “It’s like an army of the dead. Half of those who die in battle go to Valhalla. Odin is charged with their keeping. He can control them and it seems they are about to go war.”
Tyr cursed loudly and began pacing behind the couch. “I knew my father feared Ragnarok but I didn’t think enough to team up with the woman who had me killed.”
“What does this mean?” Katherine asked already fearing the answer.
Cloris stood and straightened her dress carefully. “It means the horseman and their allies are going to war with Hel and Odin.”
Katherine rubbed her hands down her face and then leaned her head on Arwan’s shoulder. That secluded cabin on the Welsh coast was looking pretty tempting right about now. She could want it but she would never leave her friends when they needed her.
Gwyn lifted Bianca and helped her stand before nodding to Cloris. “Fairy will stand with the horseman.”
Bianca grasped his hand and then also faced Cloris. “The Wild Hunt swill stand with the horseman.”
Katherine grabbed Arwan’s hand hard.
Then Tyr spoke. “I don’t know if it will work but I can call my brother, Thor, and see if he will join our cause.”
“Persephone should be warned,” Hades said. Cloris and Hades stared at each other for a moment and everyone could see they were communicating in a way only they could understand.
“Wanna share with the group?” Scarlet prompted.
Hades waved his hand. “It’s nothing. Neither of us relish having to share
this news with Persephone. She won’t take it well. She’s been trying to restore the Underworld to its proper order before Hel redecorated.”
They both filed between the dislodged table and everyone’s feet toward the door. Cloris addressed the group before leaving. “Meet back here later so we can start on a plan. I don’t intend to let Hel surprise us again. Lord knows what else she has up her sleeve.”
They left, and everyone else filed out of the room save Katherine and Arwan. Something ate at the back of her mind. Then it hit her. “The skin. We need to get the skin away from her. We should also try to figure out what other mythical devices she’s collected to keep herself alive.”
Arwan nodded. “I can help. I know what books will contain that information.”
They headed toward the library and threw open the doors. A few fairy residents lay on chairs and carpets inside but they scuttled out at the sight of them. Katherine’s glare sent most of them running from a room.
Arwan scanned the shelves with his finger until he found the book he wanted. With ease he slipped it from the shelf and let it fall open in palm. He turned back to Katherine. “How well do you think Gwyn knows the Fae of Avalon?”
DEAR READER
My work is very important to me and I am dedicated to making it as perfect as I possibly can. What would help me out in this endeavor is if you would review this book. It can be a good review, or a bad review…all I ask it that it is an honest review. You can post the review on any of the purchase sites, or Goodreads.
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Thank you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There is always a parade of people to thank in this section. For which I never feel like I’m doing them justice. I would like to thank my writing group the North Central Ohio Writers for helping me and encouraging me in my goals. I would like to thank my proofreader Angela, my beta readers: Karlee, Cheryl, Susan, Rachel, Kerri, Billie, and Sophie. Without them this book wouldn’t be beautiful….or possibly legible.
I’d like to thank my online support groups: the Rom-Critters, and the Rom Vets. Also the Blackships (you know I love every single one of you for getting me through this book.)
I’d like to make special mention to my amazing cover artist Victoria Miller, and my friend, and fellow writer, Carma.
I’m sure I’ve missed people and I’m so sorry if I did.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monica Corwin is a writer who attempting to make romance accessible to everyone no matter his or her preference. As a Northern Ohioan, Monica enjoys snow-drifts, three seasons, and a dislike of the Michigan football program. When not writing Monica spends time with her daughter and her ever growing collection of Arthurian Legend tomes.
For more information…
@monica_corwin
monicacorwin
www.monicacorwin.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
.
Dedication
Revelations
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Dear Reader
Acknowledgments
.
About the Author
On a Black Horse: An Apocalyptic Paranormal Romance (Revelations Book 3) Page 12