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I pressed my lips together, debating revealing what he had been up to during each night since we’d arrived in the Iron Realm. Finally, I sighed. “He’s been going to Steel too, and participating.”
She nodded. “Well, I have been fucking Ruslan, so it’s not like I should expect him to stay celibate.”
I offered her another firm squeeze. “It’s okay if you feel hurt by his actions.”
She paused for a moment, the corners of her mouth momentarily dipping into a frown. “That’s the thing, I don’t. If I end up choosing him, we’ll be on equal standing, having both been with others since we parted. If I don’t choose him, there’s hope that he can move on with his life.” She swiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands, shaking her head and clearing it. “Thank you for listening.”
“It sounds like you needed to talk. I missed you so much,” I whispered to my friend. My hand rested on her shoulder and I gave it a light squeeze.
“Goddess, I did,” she sighed, shoulders slumping inward. “No matter what happens, will you promise to stay with me?” Her eyes pleaded with me to say yes.
“Absolutely. I can give males hell from anywhere on this continent,” I laughed, looping my arm through hers and then touching my temple to her shoulder. After a moment, I rose, pulling off the white robe and tossing it to the side, Izidora following my actions. We joined Domi and Immonen in the water, and I groaned as the heat enveloped me and chased away the chill of the Iron Realm. I brought along a menu to read from while the steam soaked into my every pore. I pointed out and explained the different options to Izidora while we sat, and eventually, Immonen insisted we get one of each type of treatment so Izidora could try them all. Once our decisions were made, Immonen rang the bell, and not a minute later, the female attendant reappeared. We relayed our choices, and she promised to return momentarily with supplies and body therapists to treat us.
“Okay, Liliana, you have to tell us what happened last night. I need a lighthearted topic,” Domi chuckled as we each settled on the tables in the water.
“It’s not quite a lighthearted topic so much as a long-dicked topic,” I sniggered, flipping onto my front as the female rubbing mud all over me worked her way down my back.
“I simply must hear this story,” she insisted, and we shared a laugh as I launched into the tale of Steel and the wildness of the previous nights. Many gasps and flushed faces filled the underground grotto as we were pampered, each passing moment pushing me into a deeper relaxation. Izidora, too, finally relaxed, and that was the happiest moment of them all.
14
Béke Day Four
The whip cut through the air, and my eyes slammed shut, then burst open as pain split my back, tearing a cry from my lips. All I saw was darkness, and as my nails scratched at the rough rock under them for something, anything, to hold on to, a flash caught my attention. Lightning rent the air, crackling in every direction and casting a flash of brightness over the world around me. I caught sight of my reflection in a mirror perched so close I could touch it. With a trembling hand, I reached for it, and the moment my fingers made contact with the cool surface, I was plunged into darkness once more. A heartbeat later, the whip sang again, followed by a cry of pain as my back bowed. Lightning flashed, and this time, I was ready to face my assailant. But the mirror offered nothing other than my tear-streaked face. I grasped at it helplessly, watching myself fade away as inky blackness blotted out the world once more. I knew what came next, and in a panicked rush, I leaped forward, trying to shatter the mirror with my head and arm myself with its shards. But the reflectivesurface did not crack; instead, I was falling, falling, falling, until I was afraid not of the lashes across my back but the impact that came with hitting the ground at full speed. “No!” I cried out–
The echo of my nightmare rang in my ears as I bolted upright, grasping for something to hold onto, to stop me from plummeting to my death. My chest heaved as I blinked, the bedroom at Ryza Citadel coming into focus around me. Soft light spilled beneath the heavy black curtains pulled across the wide windows, and a moment later, Ruslan burst through the door, a wild look in his eyes.
“Izidora, are you alright?” he asked, rushing to my side, his eyes raking across my naked, heaving chest and the sheets pooled at my waist, not with hunger, but with worry.
My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I nodded, blowing out what little breath I had. Ruslan clearly did not believe me, because he crawled into bed behind me and pulled me flush against him. His arms caged my torso, and his legs tucked against mine until there was no possible way for us to be more connected. “Nightmare?”
“Yeah,” I half-whispered, half-sobbed. “The whips…”
Ruslan’s arms dropped from my chest, instead coming to rest on my tense shoulders. Light circles of his thumbs there helped ease some of the lingering tension from my dream, and I leaned my head back, resting it against the steady rise and fall of his chest.
“How do you cope with them? You never wake me up screaming like I do to you,” I murmured, letting my eyes close again.
“Mine aren’t as bad as yours, not anymore at least.” He paused his strokes, then gingerly directed me to lie on my stomach in front of him. I followed his direction, turning my head to the side so I could see him as he began a slow massageof my legs. “It took years for them to come less frequently. Now I mostly have them when I am stressed.” He frowned, then shook his head and continued up toward my ass. “That’s what woke me up this morning. I tried not to disturb you. You were worn out last night, and I wanted you to rest.”
“Zuriel said that I might feel more emotionally raw and drained after what we did yesterday,” I sighed, nearly groaning as Ruslan dug into a particularly tough knot in my lower back. Despite the hour spent soaking in the grotto, mud wrap, and massage the previous day, I still couldn’t relax and let go of the tension lining every fiber of my being.
“But it helped?” he questioned, all serious as he took care of me.
I nodded, my cheek brushing against the soft blanket covering the bed. “It was incredible, feeling the terror just… melt away. I didn’t know how much it weighed me down until it was gone.”
Ruslan reached my upper back, and this time, I did moan at how amazing his fingers felt digging into the muscles there. “I have something for you,” he started, trailing off as he focused on my shoulder.
“Do you?” I asked, my voice tilting lighter.
“Something that will make you feel safe, strong, and powerful,” he promised, finishing his ministrations and shuffling us around. The bed dipped, then sighed in relief as his massive frame strode away from it and back into the living space. I pushed myself to a sitting position, then slid off the bed and pulled on a large tunic that belonged to Ruslan, the fabric kissing my mid-thigh. One sleeve was rolled halfway up my forearm when he returned, holding several velvet cases that reminded me of the one that contained Liliana’s bow.
He tsked when he noticed my attire. “As much as I love to see you drowning in me, sprite, I need you to put on something that actually fits you. Dress like you would to spar.”
I quirked a brow in his direction, but did as he bid, rifling through a few drawers and pulling on my favorite leather pants and a tight-fitting tunic that I wore beneath my training gear. “There,” I said, presenting myself with a sweep of my hands.
Ruslan placed the velvet boxes on the bed, then moved to open the largest one. Two snaps flipped open, and then the lid lifted of its own accord, revealing armor the color of the sides of the Agrenak Mountains when they weren’t covered in snow. My eyes widened as I took an involuntary step forward, drawn in by the exquisite craftsmanship. The metal was not thick and heavy like many of the Félvér wore, but rather made of tiny, overlapping pieces that reminded me of the hint of black scales that dusted Ruslan’s torso when he shifted into his Dragon form.
“I had these pieces made especially for you. The metal will protect you more than the traditional leather armor of the Night Realm, but it is just as light. No arrow will be able to pierce the metal, and it would take a significant strike to break the scales apart,” Ruslan explained, lifting the piece away from the cushioned interior and holding it out to me. “Arms up,” he ordered, and I lifted them overhead, allowing him to settle the new armor over me.
