"No, the bear was already dead. I just borrowed his pelt."
Somehow the Earth Druid has also cleaned it so that it was not covered in the blood and guts of said bear. A gesture I was grateful for. He quickly gets to work building a small fire in the center, laying the fur to the side for me to use.
I summon the last of my strength to dry us both, against his objections, and then I lean against him as the fire before us blazes to life, warming the cave and casting lights off the crystals surrounding us.
"You saved this world," he says against my ear, his arms wrapped around me as I snuggle against him. "Again," he adds.
"It was a group effort," I say sleepily, the warmth of the fire, the steady drone of the rain and the feel of Sebastian's body all working together to lull me into unconsciousness.
"Led by you," he clarifies. "You're the bravest, most selfless person I've ever met."
I look up at him and caress his handsome face, losing myself in his forest green eyes. "Meeting you changed my life," I say. "That day on the subway, I had lost hope. I didn't know where I was headed or what my life would look like after Adam died. I had nothing left. Then I saw you, full of color and life, juxtaposed against a world of grey, and I couldn't stop thinking about you. Your eyes pulled me in to a new world, before I ever knew how literal that new world would be. You gave me a reason to live again. You saved me," I say. "So whatever you think of me, know that part of that is because of you."
He bends forward to press his forehead to mine. "You saved all of us," he says softly. "We would be dead right now if not for you."
Tears burn my eyes as I remember how close I had come to losing all of them. "Then we have saved each other. And now, we will save all of the Otherworld, and free it from the tyranny of the Mother of Dragons."
His lips find mine and despite my exhaustion, I can't help but respond in kind, pressing myself against him, intertwining my fingers into his hair as he claims my mouth with his. His arms pull me closer to him, and our bodies press together, feeding on each other's warmth and energy. I feel the stabling strength of his earth magic flow into me, giving my own powers a boost, giving me energy, healing me. And I melt into him as he moans against my mouth.
"Eve," he says breathlessly, pushing me away gently. "I want you, but I don't want to hurt you."
I push myself against him, again. "You could never hurt me."
And it's true, I realize. It has always been true. From the beginning, Sebastian has been my rock. The foundation that this entire new life was built upon. Without him, none of it would exist for me. Without him, I would still be sorting through the tattered shreds of my old life wondering how I ended up there, wondering where to go next. It was Sebastian's strength that has helped me heal from the death of my brother. His steadfastness that has gotten me through these recent trials and struggles. Even now, as the winds blow outside, as the world feels as if its ending, it's his arms around me that are holding me together, filling the holes in my magic, mending the tears in my heart.
"It has always been you," I say, and then there is no more space for words.
There are some emotions that are too powerful to be contained in words. They require the entire body to act as their language. To communicate the depths of my love for this man, I use everything I am. Body, mind, and soul.
Any walls between us crumble and new roots form, binding us, connecting us forever.
The power we share fills me with a new kind of strength that I grab onto with everything in me.
The fire crackles beside us, the crystals shining above us and I straddle the sexy Earth Druid, enjoying the feeling of him between my legs as my weariness evaporates as quickly as dew when the sun comes out.
His lips trail down my neck. "I have missed the feeling of the sun since being turned, but being with you is better than the warmest day, then the freshest morning breeze. You bring light into my life, joy into my heart. "You are my sun, Eve Oliver. You are my everything."
He whispers these words against my collar bone, against my lips, against the hollow of my neck, and my skin absorbs his promises like a thirsty child on a hot summer day drinks his water. His declarations quench the thirst of my soul and fill me with love so deep and joy so pure I can't contain it. I feel it spilling out of me, shining through my skin like magic.
I look down at us and realize we are both glowing a golden light that radiates throughout the cave.
As he hardens beneath me, I realize we have too many clothes on, so I pull my arms away from him to quickly shimmy out of my shirt, until my breasts are free and tantalizingly close to his mouth.
He claims one of my nipples in his mouth and sucks, and my undressing is paused as pleasure strikes me like lightning, zapping through my body, spreading warmth everywhere.
I need to feel more of his flesh, so I tug at his shirt until he helps me get it off. I place my hands on his chiseled chest, enjoying the roped contours of his muscles. God he feels so good.
My breasts brush up against his bare skin and tighten in need. I grind against him but our pants are in the way of our pleasure, and there's no easy way of undoing this.
Unless…
I close my eyes and imagine just teleporting our pants and nothing else.
This is new for me.
But my power has returned. Being with him has strengthened me beyond what I could have imagined.
And in a blink, we are both naked, our clothes lying next to us now.
His eyes widen. "Neat trick." His voice is thick with desire, as he presses himself between my legs.
He resumes his attention to my breasts and drops his hand between my legs to heighten my need with his fingers.
At first, his touches are feather light, teasing my flesh. I arch closer to him as his tongue flicks at my nipple. When he presses his fingers deeper into me, I moan, desperate for more, unable to stop from moving my hips to feel him more deeply.
"I need you," I beg, ready for more than just fingers and tongue.
He groans, his mouth tracing a line of fire back up my chest to my neck.
He removes his fingers and uses both hands to grab my ass as I reposition myself to take him into me.
The moment I do, his teeth sink into my neck, and I cry out his name and thrust my hips, taking him as deeply as I can, my knees digging into the fur, our bodies pressed together, everything else disappearing but us.
It feels as if the entire mountain erupts as pleasure explodes within me and we both crash into each other, riding the high together as the storm thunders outside.
Spent and panting, we lay in each other's arms beside the fire, and I run a finger over his chest as my head lays on his shoulder and his arms grip me firmly. My legs are wrapped around his and I relish the feeling of our skin-to-skin contact.
He kisses me and smiles. "That was definitely worth the wait."
I laugh and kiss him again. "It's the first of many," I say. "We will get through this, and we will have lifetimes to enjoy each other."
The Plan
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
~Maya Angelou
We both fall asleep, and when we wake, the fire has died down, as has the storm. I sit up and stretch, grinning through a yawn. "That was… "
"Incredible," he says, kissing me and pulling me against him.
When he hardens against my stomach, I moan. "We should get back," I say, but it's not a convincing argument.
I'm ready for round two, and clearly, so is he.
With the first wave of passion spent, we now take our time. He explores my body slowly, studying the dips and valleys with his mouth, using his tongue rather than his fingers to tease
me.
And when he enters me, it is deliberate, our gazes locked on each other, and a well of emotion consumes me, like the view from the top of a mountain after a long and arduous hike. I have waited so long for him, so long to feel him inside me, to complete this dance we started on the Subway in what feels like another life.
I wrap my legs around him and take him all the way in, enjoying the slow, delicious way he moves within me.
This time when we climax, it is like hang gliding off a mountain. His hands are gripped in mine, pinning them to the fur. My breasts are pressed to his chest, his lips are on mine. We are one.
We cuddle after for as long as we can justify it, then we reluctantly collect our clothing and dress.
"I'm guessing everyone will be worried sick about us," I say.
He shrugs, then winks at me. "Still worth it."
I chuckle. "You know I always wondered how people in thriller movies could take time from being stalked and nearly killed to have sex, but now I get it. In life or death situations, you realize the importance of that intimacy more than ever." I walk over to him and lay my hands on his chest. "If the world is going to end, I needed to be with you today, and as many times as I can before that happens."
"We are not going to let the world end," he says, frowning. "Because I don't think any of us will survive this life without you."
I blink away the tears when I realize what he's saying. "You have to," I whisper. "Alina needs you. You have to make it. For her. For me. Swear it."
He closes his eyes, his face a portrait of grief to come. "I swear it." He opens his eyes and caresses my face. "But know this. I will do whatever must be done to save you."
I know what he's saying, and I frown. "Let's first try it my way. Before we talk about turning over the child, let's try to find out what's going on with her powers and why. Let's find another way."
He nods and leads me out of the cave by the hand. But before we leave, I grab the fur. "For later," I say, winking.
He chuckles. "For later."
Outside, evidence of the storm is everywhere we look. Trees are toppled, pulled from their roots or split in half like twigs. Foliage is ripped out of the ground. Boulders have been tossed about like pebbles. In short, it's a mess.
"We'd better get home, make sure everyone's okay," I say, reaching for Sebastian's hand.
"Are you sure you're strong enough to teleport?" he asks.
"It's easier than walking from… " I look around. "From wherever we are. Do you even know where we are?" I ask.
"No, not really. This must be part of the new world we haven't been to yet."
"Okay, well then we teleport. Besides, I feel as good as new." And it's true. I've made a remarkable recovery and feel stronger than ever.
It only takes me a moment to take us back to the castle, and we land by the front door, just as intended. Sebastian sways a bit and then steadies himself. "That's still very strange," he admits.
"I think it must be easier if you have Darkness," I say. "Otherwise you're fighting the magic."
He nods and the moment we step in the door we are greeted by three very worried men, two babies, and a pacing Dryad.
Derek pulls me into his arms. "We've been worried out of our minds. Where have you two been?"
I explain our confrontation with the Mother of Dragons, then the storm, then my powers conking out followed by our makeshift habitat for the night.
"Good thinking," Elijah says to Sebastian. "The cave was smart. That storm was the worst this world has ever seen. Buildings are damaged. People are panicking."
Lily steps forward. "Kaya says more people than ever are requesting transport to Earth. Especially those who can pass as human. Everyone knows something's up here, most just don't know how serious it is."
"What does Kaya say about the chances of getting everyone out if we need to," I ask.
Lily frowns. "It would take at least a month to evacuate this world, but that would create a massive influx in Earth that could trigger a whole new witch hunt."
"In other words, it would be a massacre the moment they arrived," I say.
Lily nods.
"So we have no choice," Derek says. "We need to turn the girl over."
"I don't think you understand," I say to Derek. "She's not going to leave this world intact. I'm sure of it. Once she has the murderer and her grandchild, she'll take her kids and head to her world, and snap her fingers to get rid of this one. I know it. I can see it in her."
They look at each other, and Liam shakes his head. "Eve is a Fate. If she sees this, we have to trust her."
Sebastian comes to my side. "I believe Eve as well," he says, surprising me. "I saw how unhinged the queen was. She will not leave us alone until we defeat her."
Elijah frowns. "You realize that's impossible, right? I have searched every book I can get my hands on. There's nothing powerful enough to defeat her in this world."
"There has to be a way," I say, standing. "I'm going to visit a friend. I have an idea. I'll be back soon."
I close my eyes and imagine the place I want to go, then I open them and find myself standing before an ornate door carved of cherry wood. I use the door knocker and a moment later, a young woman with cat ears and a tale opens it. She's wearing a white fur jumpsuit and smiles when she sees me. "Eve!" she hugs me, and I laugh as I return the hug.
"You look happy," I say, so pleased she seems to be settling in well to her new life, after being a sex slave to The Collector.
"I am, thanks to you." She turns to escort me in. "Mistress Lilith will be delighted to see you."
"Hopefully that's still true after she finds out why I'm here," I say.
Lilith's mansion is a vision of class and sophistication, much like the ancient vampire herself.
She's sitting at a white grand piano in her all white living room, playing a complicated piece I don't recognize. She stops when she notices us, and stands, adjusting her crimson red dress as she walks over to greet us.
She looks like a drop of blood in her pristine parlor, and the contrast is striking. Lilith is one of those beings who always stands out from their environment, but in a way that is complimentary, as if the world is orientating itself around her.
"Eve, how lovely to see you," she says, kissing both my cheeks, then offering me a glass of wine.
"Actual wine, I hope?" I say, sniffing at it.
She laughs. "Of course, darling. I know you haven't yet developed a taste for the finer things. But give it time."
It's my turn to laugh. "I think I'm good, thanks though."
We sit across from each other and she leans back and studies me, her long sharp nails clicking against her wine glass which is definitely not filled with actual wine.
"It's been ages since you've come by for a visit. I hear you've been digging in the dirt with the peasants."
"Your elitism is almost offensive," I say smoothly, "were it not for the fact that I know you donated the money to feed and clothe everyone for nearly two months while we worked."
She wrinkles her nose. "How did you find out? It was meant to be anonymous."
"You just told me," I say, winking.
She rolls her eyes. "I cannot believe that trick worked on me. I must be losing my edge in my old age."
Lilith might be the oldest person alive, or undead, rather, but she looks in her prime, with flawless skin and luminous dark eyes that are keenly intelligent and full of secrets.
I fill her in on the details of my life the past few months, then I get to the crux of it. "I need your help."
"Of course you do," she says. "You have that look about it. Always getting into some kind of mischief. It's part of why I adore you. It's never boring when you're around."
"The dead dragon body count would disagree," I say.
"Tragic, truly, but still not boring."
To Lilith, boring is the worst offense. I guess when you've lived that long, everything else is just shades of perspective.
I d
ecide to say this as bluntly as possible. "The world will end in less than two weeks, and I will die with it, unless we can defeat the Mother of the Dragons. Will you help me find a way to stop her?"
Lilith leans forward, putting her glass of blood down. "Oh my, this truly is the most excitement I've had in quite sometime. Amora is back is she? I had a fling with her once ages ago, but she is too racist for my taste."
"Is there anyone you haven't slept with?" I ask with a laugh.
She winks. "You, for one."
"Well, if we don't stop her soon, I won't be around as an option for much longer."
"Then I guess we're going to have to play chess with the most powerful being in all the worlds I know of," she says with a conniving smile. "And in this game, there is no king."
I take a sip of my wine before asking, "Where do we start? How do we get to her?" I tell her about the unicorn horn dagger I have, and her eyes widen.
"How did you come across one of those? I thought they'd all been destroyed during the war."
"War?" I ask. "I thought it was more like a slaughter?"
Lilith shrugs sipping her blood. "The unicorns killed off many dragons in other worlds before coming here. They had their horns set on the Council, but before that could happen, the Council got wise and had them killed off first. So, who's the villain in that story? It's impossible to say. War begets war begets war. It's the same with all races and species on all worlds."
That's news to me, and something Callia didn't share. I wonder why.
"Elijah says there's nothing in the world he can find that will kill a dragon like her," I say.
A mischievous sparkle lights up Lilith's eyes. "Then we'll need to look outside of this world."
"Earth," I ask, doubtfully.
She shakes her head. "Only the Dragon's own world will have the answers, I fear. But fortunately, I still have a secret way in, thanks to our long ago tryst. I'll go, do some digging, see what I can find, and come back. In the meantime, go prepare yourself for the battle ahead. This is going to be one hell of a ride, and we can't have you damaging that gorgeous face of yours."
I Am the Night (The Night Firm Book 3) Page 13