Underneath her fingertips, she swore she felt its body twitch. She gritted her teeth, her entire body filling with Taveon’s healing powers. It was a storm in her veins, churning through her at an impossible speed. Her breath shuddered from her lungs, and her entire body felt as though it was consumed by flames.
And then she pushed every single bit of that power down to her hands, to the tips of her fingers, and into the poor creature who had died for this curse. The magic stormed out of her in a rush, leaving her to gasp for air as if she hadn’t breathed in a million years. Her whole body went weak, and black creeped in the edges of her vision. In the distance, she could feel Taveon pounding against the wall she had erected between them. Even with those walls there, he knew what she was doing. No doubt he’d felt her suck his healing power right from his veins.
With a deep breath, Bree cracked open her eyes. The tiny raven still lay on the ground, and a rush of disappointment burned through Bree’s heart. It had been ridiculous to think that she could have healed a dead animal, but she had truly hoped she could. Tears even pricked the corners of her eyes as she gazed at the horrible blood that had soaked into the floorboards. The raven’s blood. The poor creature would never again soar through the skies.
And then its tiny wing twitched, so lightly that she couldn’t be certain it had even happened. She held her breath tight in her throat as she stared down at the creature. The wing twitched again. A single eye cracked open. Its beak parted. Bree sucked in a sharp breath and jumped to her feet, stumbling away from the now living bird.
Because yes, it was alive. Very much alive. So alive that its little wings beat faster, and it lifted its body from the floor. Bree stared at the creature with an open mouth, her heart racing like a horse in her chest. She swore the raven looked at her and gazed deep within her soul, seeing the truth of what she had done.
Footsteps pounded on the wooden floor, and Bree jerked her head toward the sound. It was Eurig. He was staring at the raven with an ashen face and eyes so wide they could rival the moon.
“Is that the same raven we found?” His voice was rough and ragged, as if he’d run twenty miles without pausing for breath.
“Not the same one,” Bree said slowly. “But it was like the others. It was dead only a few moments ago.”
“Dead?” Eurig took a timid step further into the pub, his gaze locked on the raven that now fluttered before them both. The creature was not only alive, but it did not even appear to be wounded anymore. “But how is that even possible? Are you certain it was dead? And not just cursed?”
“Trust me, it was dead. Its stomach had been sliced open, and the blood all over the floor was the bird’s.” Bree swallowed hard, more than a little bit nervous to tell Eurig exactly what she was capable of now. “I…healed it.”
Eurig’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. No one can bring the dead back to life.”
“Well, it appears Taveon can.” Bree lifted her eyebrows, hoping that Eurig would follow her train of thought so that she did not have to explain how exactly she’d come to enjoy this strange, unsettling power.
“You can heal others because of your bond, can’t you?” Eurig asked, nodding. “I thought so. When my sword went deeper into Rafferty than I intended...well, I am glad I was right.” He shook his head, frowning. “But being able to heal is a hell of a lot different than being able to breathe life back into a dead creature. I do not know if this is a good thing, Bree. I do not know if that is a kind of power anyone should be able to wield.”
Bree knew he was right, in a way, but she did not want to admit it. She had never wanted her beastly powers, or the power to shapeshift into any animal at all. She had never even particularly wanted the enhanced senses that many fae possessed, such as better hearing, sight, or smell. She wanted something more. Something powerful. Something that could truly make a difference.
And this was it. The power to bring the dead back to life.
Chapter 21
Eurig
Bree was eager to head straight into the lands of the Wilde Fae, her intense need to save both Rafe and Taveon overwhelming the logic in her mind. Eurig understood. He was no stranger to torment or the realization that you would do anything to save the ones you loved. But Eurig was not about to let Bree rush into a dangerous situation half-cocked either.
It was far too late to be trekking through the forest at this hour. The two of them had endured attacks already, and if they wanted to beat the Wilde Fae, they would be much better off resting instead of rushing through a bloodied forest once again. So, Eurig insisted they stay in the village for the night. He had moved all of the villagers into their beds earlier in the day, but there were still a handful of open ones they were able to use to rest for the night.
The beds were in the same cottage, though in different rooms of the house. To Eurig, it felt like Bree was miles away instead of only feet from where he lay. With a groan, he rolled over on the hard mattress to stare up at the wooden ceiling. He wanted nothing more than to go to her. He had seen the way she looked into his eyes the night before in the forest clearing when they’d been healing each other’s wounds. There had been something in her expression, something he had never seen before.
And it had scared the hell out of him.
He couldn’t help but be drawn to her, but he knew it was wrong. For one, he knew she was spoken for. Either by Rafe or by Taveon, he wasn’t sure. They definitely both loved her, and her actions made it clear that she loved them, too. There was no room for Eurig in the equation, no matter how beautiful she looked when the moonlight caressed her skin.
The floorboards creaked, and he shifted toward the door to find Bree hovering just inside of his room. She had found a loose tunic in the wardrobe, one that barely hit the top of her thighs. Eurig swallowed hard and tried to avert his gaze, but he couldn’t help but drink in the sight of her smooth skin.
“Can you not sleep?” Eurig asked, his voice rough with an emotion he could not let her see.
She toed the wooden floor with her bare feet. “Not really. It’s kind of hard to relax knowing what tomorrow brings. We have to infiltrate the Wilde Fae. The fate of the Court and everyone I care about depends on what happens when we do. If we fail…”
“We won’t fail. I will not allow it.” Years ago, Eurig had vowed to do whatever he could for Taveon. It was why he’d come to the castle in the first place, and it was why he’d stayed even after discovering the training he would be forced to do. And it was what had driven him to seek answers beyond the castle, to find a way to bring his old friend out of his slumber. But it was not his only reason anymore. Eurig felt driven by something more, and that something more was standing right in front of him.
“Yeah, but it looks like you can’t sleep either.” Bree took a timid step toward him, but she averted her gaze, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him. “If you’re not worried, then what is it?”
“Oh, I worry about a lot of things.” Eurig pushed up from the bed and settled his feet on the floor. “I worry about that dead raven. I worry what will happen to Taveon if we are wrong. And I worry about you. Don’t think I can’t see how much this is tearing you apart.”
“You worry about…me?” Eurig swore that Bree’s cheeks flushed with color.
“Of course I do,” he said. “I can see how much you care about them both.”
“Them both?” Bree asked, her face screwing up in confusion. “Who do you mean?”
Eurig stood and took one slow step toward Bree, as if his body was moving out of its own volition. “Rafferty. Taveon. Who else would I be talking about?”
Bree’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “You could have meant Taveon, Rafe, or Dagen. Or anyone else who calls the castle home. I do care about them all, you know.”
Lord Dagen. Did he hold a piece of Bree’s heart as well?
“When you say that you care about them…” Eurig stopped himself, and he took a step back. The direction of this conversation needed to cha
nge. Her answer did not matter. He knew the truth. She belonged to one of them and not to him. And even if she did not, Bree deserved far more than a bastard outcast from a little plank above the sea.”
Bree’s entire face was the color of blood, and she stammered when she finally replied. “Are you asking me what I think you’re asking?”
“No,” he said, turning slightly away and clenching his jaw.
“Yes, you are,” Bree said. “I can tell what you’re doing. You’re trying to pretend that you don’t want to know the answer to your question, but I can tell that you do want to hear it. So, I’m going to tell you.”
Eurig’s gut clenched tight. “Bree, don’t.”
“It’s true. Rafe and I are in some sort of…relationship. A romantic one.” Bree sucked in a deep breath. “As for the others, Lord Dagen and King Taveon, we share something special, but I can’t explain it. And I know they care about me, too.”
“So, you are a taken female. You have been spoken for.” He hated the words, even though they were true. No, especially because they were true.
“I don’t know what I am. But I do know that I care about more than one male alone, and as confusing as it is, I refuse to believe there is anything wrong with it.” Bree sucked in a deep breath, and she stepped up before Eurig, tucking her finger underneath his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes. “And when I say that I care about more than one, that includes you.”
Chapter 22
Bree
Bree’s heart was racing so fast that she could barely hear Eurig’s words over the sound of it echoing in her ears. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. First, she’d tiptoed into his room, hoping he would be awake. And then she had braved forward, telling him exactly how she felt. He would probably turn her away now, even though he had been the one to ask the question.
If he wanted to know if she was taken, then surely that must mean he cared, right?
“Bree,” Eurig breathed, his entire body tense underneath the small touch of her finger on his chin. “I could never wrong Taveon like that.”
“It would not be wronging Taveon,” Bree insisted. “He’s more than well enough aware of my feelings for Rafe, and Rafe’s feelings for me. It doesn’t bother him. Trust me, I would know.”
“This is crazy,” Eurig said, but he did not take a step away from her.
“And why is it so crazy?” Bree asked.
“Have you ever heard of such a thing? Sharing a female? It just is not done.”
“Well, there you are wrong,” Bree said, her mind flicking back to the things she’d been dwelling on these past few months. “In the Light Fae realm, Greater Fae females have more than one mate all the time.”
Okay, so that was an exaggeration. It happened, but not all the time. Still, it was evidence that what she was suggesting wasn’t as crazy as Eurig thought. But even if it was, nothing in the world had ever felt more right. She cared for more than one male, and more than one cared for her, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.
Eurig raised an eyebrow. “Multiple mates?”
Bree nodded, holding her breath and hoping that he wouldn’t find the idea as foreign as she feared. “That’s right. One female. Many males.”
“Many?” Eurig pursed his lips, lips that Bree was desperate to kiss. “How many?”
“Norah, the new Queen of the Light Fae, has four.” Bree’s heart thumped. And she wanted four. Rafferty, Taveon, Dagen, and now...Eurig. Four Dark Fae males to call her own. They were all so different, yet they all owned a piece of her heart.
“Hmm.” Eurig leaned closer, dropping his forehead to hers. “And the mates...they do not mind this?”
Bree knew that Eurig was not asking about Norah’s mates, though he hadn’t specified. He was asking about hers. “Norah’s mates understand that she loves them all. And that they love her.”
There was so much still left unspoken between Bree and Rafe and Taveon, and even Dagen. But she knew they understood her feelings were spread further than toward one single male. Through the bond, Taveon was silent, but Bree knew he was there, watching and listening to her conversation with Eurig. And she knew that he could read the truth in her heart and feel the affection that had been building inside of her.
He did not object, and he wouldn’t.
Eurig gazed into her eyes as if searching for the truth. For a moment, she thought he would pull away from her once again and deny her the intimacy she yearned from him. But then his lips were on hers, his kiss rough and fast. She clutched his tunic, and her body arched toward him.
With a grunt, he pulled her on top of his chest so that she was straddling his hips. Between her thighs, she could feel the hard length of him pressing against her core. A delicious thrill shot through her gut, causing a flame to spark to life.
Her core burned with need as Eurig’s kiss deepened. The scent of him was overwhelming, and she swore she heard the crash of waves on a distant shore. His hand found her hips, squeezing tight as he pulled her harder against his cock.
By the forest, she wanted him. All of him.
Bree pulled back, her breath ragged. She gazed down at him, a new spark of heat bursting forth at the delicious look in his eye. He licked his lips and curled his finger, motioning for her to come back in for another kiss.
“I want you inside of me,” she breathed, face flushing.
It wasn’t like Bree to be so forward, but her outposter was bringing a new side of her out in full force.
Eurig’s lips twisted into a wicked smile. He wrapped his arms around her body and flipped her onto the bed. His hands found her tunic, and he’d ripped it in half before she even knew what was happening. Seconds later, he was just as naked as she was.
She’d seen him naked many times by now but never like this. Never so...aroused. Her core pulsed, and a wetness coated her thighs. That wicked smile still donning his lips, Eurig flipped Bree onto her stomach and lifted her hips into the air so that the entire back of her was exposed to his hungry eyes.
He leaned forward, dropping his head to hers so that he could whisper into her ear. His hot breath tickled her skin, making her entire body dissolve into a trembling mess. “Are you ready for me, Bree?”
She swallowed hard, practically panting with the need for him. “Please.”
Eurig rubbed his hands across her bare ass and then squeezed her thighs tight. The length of him pressed against her, and he moaned when he felt the wetness between her thighs. With a low growl, he pushed inside of her. Sparks lit up in Bree’s eyes. She shuddered as he pushed in, deeper and deeper until he hit the very back of her core.
She let out a moan of pleasure and need. Her body clenched around him, and a desperate desire made her rock back against his cock.
“Bree,” he growled, his fingers digging hard into her hips. “How do you feel so damn good?”
Bree smiled and rocked against him again, taking pleasure in the pure, unadulterated pleasure that shook through Eurig’s body. It made her feel strong and powerful, making her male experience the kind of bliss that caused his entire body to shake from the force of it.
And then he rocked against her in turn, his hardness hitting the back of her core once again. She cried out, a new wave of stars dotting her eyes. Deep, deep pleasure began to build inside of her, sending her body so close to the edge of endless waves of relief.
But she did not want it to stop. Not yet. Not now. She wanted this moment with Eurig to stretch on for endless hours. Days. Weeks. Months.
Eurig slammed into her once again, the pace of his thrusts quickening with each passing beat. He shuddered against her, and her body pulsed around his cock. All logical thought fled from her mind as the pleasure of his body consumed her. Nothing else existed but the heat between her thighs.
Another thrust. Another moan. Bree’s breaths grew ragged. Eurig thrusted his hardness even deeper between her thighs. And then she was gone. Pleasure exploded through her core, her entire body pulsing from the release that p
oured from within her. Eurig cried out only seconds behind her, emptying his seed into her trembling body.
They stayed there like that until their heartbeats slowed and their breathing became steady. And then Eurig pulled Bree to his chest before lowering them back down onto the hard mattress. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder and ran her fingers along the hard panes of his stomach. Her heart felt full, her body felt weak, and all the fear and pain she’d felt the past few days had disappeared into a puff of smoke.
“That was nice,” Bree whispered into his chest.
He caressed her shoulder, twisting his head to drop a soft kiss on her forehead. “It was more than nice. I have been thinking about how you would feel for awhile now, Bree. Imagine my surprise when it was far better than anything I could have imagined.”
A thrill went through her heart, and suddenly, she felt very shy. “Right back at you. You felt better than I imagined, I mean.”
“I only wish our coupling could have the happy ending you want, Bree,” Eurig said sadly.
Frowning, she sat up on her elbow and gazed down at him. “Why wouldn’t it?”
“We are on a dangerous mission, one fraught with violence.” Eurig sighed and pulled her back to his chest. “I worry what will happen if we are unable to save the Court. If the Wilde Fae invade the castle...we could end up as prisoners. Or worse.”
“Or we could win,” Bree said, a new determination shooting through her gut. They would get through this. Not only for the others but for each other, too. “Don’t give up hope, Eurig. We’re a good team, don’t forget.”
A lazy smile spread across his face. “That we are.”
“Besides,” she said, half-teasing, half-serious, “you’re one of my mates now. That means you’re stuck with me for awhile.”
A Heart of Midnight (Dark Fae Academy Book 2) Page 14