by Anna Carven
As I return his kiss, he starts to become warm.
I taste his lips as he runs his hands over my hair, my neck, my back…
I flinch in pain as he touches my healing skin.
Kaim breaks away. “Amali, what…?” He trembles with anger. A cold storm swirls in his eyes. He shakes his head. “I knew exactly what I was doing when I took you from the palace, but I was selfish. I dragged you into my world and—”
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” I say fiercely, cutting off whatever self-recrimination he’s about to go into. I know him. He takes everything too seriously. “If you hadn’t taken me from the palace, I would be dead. You were right to claim your payment from the Inshadi, Kaim. You were right to want to carve out a part of the world for yourself. I don’t know where you’ve been or what battles you’ve fought since you left me, but you’re here now, and that’s all that matters.What you were saying before… I understand it now. If we’d tried to hide, they would have found us eventually.” A soft laugh escapes my lips. “How does one hide from a dragon, anyway?”
“One doesn’t.” His lips twist wryly. “One must find leverage over a dragon.”
“And did you in the end, or did you kill her?”
“I found a way to make her see my… perspective.”
“Of course you did.” Unable to help myself, I lean in and kiss him again.
Heat pools in my lower belly, spreading through my core, making my pussy ache with desperate need for him.
I need him inside me.
But not here. Not in this awful place that I never, ever want to see again.
Kaim breaks away, careful not to touch my back. “But what has happened, Amali?” His voice changes again, becoming deeper, resonating with dark power. It’s still unmistakably him, though. “You are hurt. What did they…” He shakes his head. “Who do I need to kill?”
I place my hand over his chest, feeling the frantic pounding of his heart. “Trise is already dead. I’m fine, Kaim. These cuts are already half healed. There is nothing more to do. Just take me away from here.”
The look in his eyes is something akin to pain. “Very well,” he whispers, his voice cracking.
I kiss him again, running my hands through his hair, down his neck, across his shoulders and his broad, powerful back.
This powerful, vengeful being is mine.
He’s all mine.
I don’t need any more death or brutal revenge.
I just want peace.
A sudden thought fills me with cold dread, making me pull away. “And what of my people, Kaim? Are they safe?”
He inclines his head, midnight darkness shifting in the depths of his eyes. “Let me check.”
Check?
For a moment, his gaze becomes distant. “Vyloren says they are getting on surprisingly well with the Horse People.”
“Vyloren?”
A slight smile curves his lips. “It seems we can communicate by mindspeech, even from this distance. I sent her to Kalabar as soon as she was strong enough to fly. It seems a Midrian battalion is no match for a dragon and her rider, even when they’re both still injured.”
Relief overwhelms me, and I start to tremble. Tears well in my eyes. A Midrian battalion was heading their way? I shudder to think at what could have been. “Gods, Kaim. In this life, I must be truly blessed.”
He pulls me close, drawing me into his powerful arms. He tips my head forward and plants a tender kiss on top of my head. “You are, Amali. You have no idea just how much you are blessed.”
“By the Gods themselves, no less,” I murmur.
“One, perhaps.” Kaim takes my hands into his, gently caressing my palms, drawing lazy swirls with his thumbs. “And then there is me, who is simply the man who loves you.”
Thirty-Nine
Amali
My heart is hammering like crazy as Kaim lifts me into his arms. I feel as light as a feather, and slightly giddy.
“Is it all right with you if I slow time now and take you away from here, my love?”
“More than all right,” I exclaim. “The sooner, the better. I don’t want to set foot in this cursed place ever again. I miss the forest, Kaim.”
“I know.” He leans in and kisses my forehead.
Then I gasp as the world becomes a blur…
The next thing I know, we’re standing in a grove of winter trees, with snow thick on the ground all around us. The morning sun shines through the bare branches, making the snow sparkle like glittering diamonds.
Instantly, I start to shiver, because it’s terribly cold, and I’m not dressed for the outdoors in winter, and Kaim is cold too, because he’s just frozen time and run through the entire city of Daimara to this place…
“Where are we?” I gasp, still tingling all over from the strangeness of it all… and from being so close to Kaim.
But even when he’s icy cold, he’s delicious.
I can’t wait to get him warm; properly warm, like he is after we...
“I didn’t forget, Amali,” he whispers, nodding once in the direction of the trees. “Look.”
I stare through the slender black tree trunks and see mist rising into the air.
Mist?
I blink, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. No, it isn’t mist.
It’s steam.
Steam that rises lazily off a pale, milky blue pool, which is surrounded by smooth dark grey boulders.
It’s a… hot spring?
“Why, that looks positively luxurious,” I say, my voice cracking slightly. Just the thought of being in that water with him…
A wicked tendril of desire snakes down between my legs, triggering a slow, aching throb.
“I didn’t forget, Amali. These are the finest hot springs I have come across in all my travels across the continent. Come now, you’re freezing, and in some part thanks to me.” He lets out a soft tsk of annoyance as he carries me across to the water’s edge. There, he sets me down on a smooth boulder that’s been warmed by the steaming water. It’s surreal to see this steaming pool, with its startling blue water, amidst all the snow.
I’ve never seen anything like it.
I can’t even begin to guess how far we’ve travelled since Kaim stole me away from the palace, but I don’t care.
I’m here with him, and I’m safe now.
Kaim’s obsidian hand trembles slightly as he undoes the buttons at the back of my dress. “They hurt you,” he growls, and his voice is loaded with terrible tension, as if he could snap at any moment. But still, his touch is impossibly gentle. Slowly, carefully, he peels the rough fabric from my back, exposing my half-healed cuts to the cold morning air. They’re slightly painful, but not half as bad as compared to before.
As Kaim catches sight of the full extent of my wounds, he reacts with a sharp intake of breath. “I should have killed them all.” He’s actually shaking with anger. Is it just my imagination, or does the air around us grow a little colder?
Shadows spill from his eyes.
Time seems to slow down, just a little.
Is he even aware of what he looks like right now; a godlike being that could tear empires apart?
“You killed Trise.” My voice wavers as I try to imagine the man I detested so much facing Kaim’s wrath. An image of his face enters my mind; bloodless and bloated, on a stake high above the palace walls.
Nausea roils through me.
But do I feel any regret that Kaim killed him?
No, I don’t.
“But it’s enough,” I say after a long pause. “I’m tired of all this bloodshed. Don’t you ever get tired of it, Kaim?”
“Believe it or not, I am sick to death of it,” he murmurs as he gently slides my dress down over my shoulders, my breasts, my hips... “Pardon the terrible pun.” His voice thickens, becoming deep and resonant and inhuman.
The dress slides down over my legs, falling onto the smooth boulder. Kaim takes one of my braids into his hands and carefully u
nties the rough string that the attendants used to bind it. Then, he deftly unties the other one and unwraps my tight braids, running his fingers through my long hair to unravel them.
Instantly, I feel better. I did not realize how tightly they’d been bound, putting tension on my scalp, giving me a slight headache.
The heat from the rock seeps into my body, warming me from the toes up.
“That’s better,” Kaim rumbles, and the sound of his voice sends a toe-curling thrill through me. Slowly, gently, he spins me around, pausing to closely inspect the marks on my back. I stand naked in the warmth and rising steam as he hisses and growls in displeasure, then makes soft sounds of sympathy deep in his throat. “Oh Amali,” he whispers. “What have they done to you?”
For a moment, Kaim is silent, not allowing me to see his expression as he places his dark hands on my shoulders. He goes very still. His fingers are icy yet tender, carving gentle swirls across my skin.
He traces his fingers upwards. He lifts my hair and caresses the nape of my neck. He presses his cool lips against my skin, just behind the lobe of my ear, and plants the softest kiss there. “Come into the water. The spring contains salts and minerals that are good for your skin, for healing. Let me bathe you. It’s the least I can do.”
Least? I laugh in disbelief and wonder. “You are the last person who should be saying that.” Before he can say a word, I spin around. “Fine. But it’s my turn now.”
Dark eyes widen a fraction. His brow creases ever so slightly in surprise. Gods, it is priceless when he gets like this, because nothing ever really surprises Kaim.
I take a step forward and press my hands against his chest, marveling at his cool, smooth skin. He isn’t so different to the way he was before, only now he’s a little paler, a little more crystalline, a little more unearthly looking.
Not that I mind.
I run my hands down his chest, down his perfectly sculpted abdomen, down the taut muscles of his lower belly until I reach his waistband. There I quickly unfasten his belt and the buttons of his trousers.
The belt drops onto the smooth stone with a clatter.
His trousers fall.
Before he can protest, I drop to my knees and tug at his boots. Kaim helps me by kicking then off. Then he slips his hands into mine and pulls me to my feet in a single effortless movement, rendering me breathless.
Sometimes, I forget how strong he truly is.
“Finally,” I sigh. “Now I get to see you properly.” I take his obsidian hands into mine and study them closely, turning them over to inspect his long, graceful fingers and the slightly pointed nails at the end. “What happened to you, Kaim?”
“I was captured by the Ven,” he tells me, with not a single hint of bitterness or cynicism in his voice. His obsidian eyes are clear and open. He’s completely earnest. “They took me back to the Black Mountain and tried to hold me hostage so they could bargain with Lok. Some fool called Khelion Rel thought he trade my life for a drop of my father’s blood.”
I frown. “Why in the Rift would anyone want to do that?”
“Immortality, supposedly. It doesn’t matter. Khelion is dead now.”
“By your hand, I presume.” I tense as he pulls me close, his fingertips grazing over my bare ass and thighs.
“I tend to deal with those kinds of things rather swiftly.”
“Why did you spare Krogen? I thought he would have been first on your list.” It’s rather strange that I can talk so dispassionately about the possible slaying of an emperor, but this life has made me like that.
“I did consider it,” Kaim admits, “many, many times. I imagined the thousand ways I could torture him before he died. But running through Midria in slowed-down time allowed me to think. You see, Krogen is the only heir to the Anskell throne. If I killed him, it would trigger infighting between the powerful noble families of the Midrian Court. The instability would spread to the northlands, and your people could suddenly find themselves under threat from some petty upstart lord who wants to claim land or start plundering vast tracts of the Komori for timber. Of course, I would protect them, but I can’t be everywhere at once. I can’t afford for the empire to fracture apart all at once. At least Krogen unites them. Most Midrians will only recognize an Anskell as the true emperor. So for now, it is better to leave him there, terrified that death will come for him at any given time should he set a foot wrong. Of course, I might change my mind if he displeases me.”
“You plan on controlling the new emperor of Midria?”
“Plan on? I already do, my Destined One.” He looks down, giving me the most brilliant smile.
Death is truly beautiful when he smiles at me like that.
“But enough of such dry topics.” His voice grows hoarse. “How can I talk about Midrian politics when I am finally holding the woman from my dreams in my arms?”
Suddenly, I become acutely aware of his erection pressing against my lower belly.
“Come, Amali.” Kaim slips me out of his embrace and takes my hand, leading me to the water’s edge. He enters first, gracefully sliding in until he’s waist high in the milky blue water. He holds out a hand and pulls me in, drawing me into his arms.
I let out a sigh of pleasure as the water surrounds me, immediately soothing my wounds. It’s the perfect temperature for this chilly winter morning, just pleasantly warm.
“You have certainly delivered on your promise,” I say teasingly as I grab his torso to anchor myself. I float and swirl about in the water, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness.
After the horrors of my captivity, this is pure heaven.
Kaim spins me around and I find my feet again. With the gentlest of touches, he starts to tend to my wounds, washing them with the warm mineral-infused water of the hot spring.
It’s incredibly soothing.
I close my eyes and let him do his thing, and all the while there’s this delicious thrumming awareness in the back of my mind that he’s exercising massive self-control, because I felt his arousal, and I’m sure he’s noticed mine.
But still, Kaim takes his time.
He bathes me tenderly, planting featherlight kisses on my shoulders and my neck, whispering sweetness and darkness in my ears.
He doesn’t rush.
He’s careful and patient and generous with his care.
With me, Kaim never rushes.
Why would he?
After all, we have time on our side, don’t we?
Forty
Amali
To my surprise, there’s a pile of soft woolen blankets on the opposite bank of the hot springs. I swim across with Kaim and he lifts me out, carrying me up a gentle shore until he reaches the blankets. There, he swiftly bundles me up in soft lambswool and carries me down a winding stone path that’s covered in snow.
I feel blissfully warm.
Kaim’s warm now, too. The hot spring has done its trick and infused delicious warmth into his body.
I chuckle softly. He’s a bit like a lizard.
I lean against Kaim’s chest, soaking in his presence, exulting in his nearness, which I have been dreaming of for so long.
Now he’s finally here with me, and I can’t get enough of him.
“Why is there a path here?” I ask as he carries me up a gentle slope that ends in a small flight of stone steps. “What is this place?”
“Some Midrian lord’s winter palace,” he replies, the words coming out tense and clipped.
Why is he so tense?
I think I have an idea…
He’s being awfully restrained about it.
“But is there nobody here? No servants, no caretakers, no gardeners?”
“Nobody is here. It looks like it’s been abandoned for at least an entire moon… perhaps since the time that Horghus was killed.”
I look up at him, trying to meet his eyes, but he stares straight ahead, hastening his steps. He’s strangely quiet now, holding me tightly as if I’m some kind of valuable prize.
> “What is—”
He plants a searing kiss on my lips, stealing away my words.
“Quiet, Amali. Don’t speak another word, because the sound of your voice makes me want to fuck you right this instant, and I still need to find a salve and dress your wounds.”
“You won’t have much luck making a poultice for my back. Nothing is growing at the moment.”
His expression becomes stern… and a little strained. “What did I just say, Amali?”
I smile sweetly. “Fine.” He’s so irresistible when he gets like this. I don’t know what he’s planning, but for now I am content to surrender control, because I trust him completely.
He carries me up even more steps until we reach a domed octagonal building with high glass windows and ornate stone arches. We pass through an open door, which swings shut behind us with a firm thud.
We’re in some sort of entrance room, complete with deep green velvet couches and vivid wallpaper depicting exotic birds and a fire crackling in the hearth.
It’s warm in here.
Did he… prepare this beforehand? Did he do this in suspended time, just before he came to the palace to rescue me?
What foresight. But then again, my brilliant ex-assassin has always been in the habit of planning ahead… well, mostly.
I glance out the window and see the pure white snow. It blankets everything, lying thick on the ground, collecting in the boughs of the trees.
The sunlight makes it shimmer and sparkle, and for a moment I’m entranced by the way the light dances across the perfect white surface.
It’s cold and beautiful, and I’m warm, and everything is so wonderful.
I glance up at Kaim. His face is like the winter too, but where the snow is cold, he’s all molten intensity wrapped up in a thin layer of ice.
He carries me across to a massive bed, bigger than any bed I’ve seen in my life. It’s draped with luxurious silks and soft woolen blankets that are perfectly arranged. Whoever owns this place seems to like the finest of everything.
Kaim gently deposits me on the bed, careful to lie me on my side. “Wait here,” he says.