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She chewed her bottom lip, and I knew she worried about Kazimir seeking her out in the darkness.“Drazen has our guards keeping an eye on everything too. You’re safe.”
Her aquamarine eyes speared into mine, captivating me with their ethereal beauty. Clasping a hand around her upper arm, I tugged her toward me, sweeping her hair off her shoulders and capturing her lower back. She arched into me as I kissed her roughly, claiming her as mine in front of the Goddess and all onlookers.
Someone cleared their throat beside us, and I growled a warning before breaking our kiss to see who dared interrupt me. Liliana waited there, along with Anton and Slavian, who both looked like they had trouble planned for the night.
“We’ve got another bag of herbs,” Anton said as he produced a pouch from behind his back, “and you should smoke them with us, Ruslan. Like old times.” A wolfish grin spread across his face as he waited for my response.
“Why not? We are celebrating the Goddess after all. Follow me.” Izidora and Liliana linked arms and whispered conspiratorially as I directed us through the clearing toward a tent erected for my personal use at the far side. As we passed closer to the burning offering, the sticky sweet smoke thickened, and I checked on Izidora to ensure she was handling the herbs.It was her first time using them, and my mouth twitched up in anticipation of her reaction. We’d been fucking like crazy since accepting the bond, and the herbs would only enhance our sexual appetites tonight.
Dipping into the lavish tent, I fanned the flames burning in the braziers, casting more light into the space and heating it for my mate who tended to catch a chill.
“Thank you,”she whispered down our bond, and I squeezed her hand in response.
I pulled her onto my lap as we settled on a half-moon-shaped couch, and the two young High Lords of the Iron Realm wasted no time preparing the herbs for consumption.
“We’re going to have so much fun tonight, Izidora,” Liliana said as she lounged beside us. “You’ve never been to Béke before, but tonight is one of the best ones. In the Night Realm, they use a lot less herb, and there’s never any to go around freely after the burning begins. You’ll feel more connected to nature than ever before.”
“So what’s the purpose of the burning?” she asked.
My curious little sprite.
“The burning represents a new beginning, like wiping the slate clean for next year,” Liliana explained. “The herbs are supposed to help bring the realms together, forming new bonds and forgetting old grievances. And tomorrow night at the masquerade, we all get to pretend that we’re meeting for the first time. The days after that are filled with arts of all kinds, including a ceremony where we release floating lanterns into the sky holding our most fervent desires for the coming year. The end is the most beautiful part of Béke.”
“What did you wish for last year?” Izidora asked, snuggling into my embrace. I draped my arm around her, resting it against the back of the couch as I settled in.
Liliana blushed, and I had to press my lips together to suppress a smile. I’d never seen the fierce female be anything but unabashedly confident. “A friend.”
Izidora’s emotion flooded our bond, and she burst forward, leaving me forgotten so she could embrace her friend. I scented salty tears from both of them and decided to allow them some space, even though everything in me wanted to have her all to myself. But with the sanctity of our bond, I’d never have to worry about her permanently leaving me for anyone else.
Anton and Slavian had finished packing the herbs and Slavian lit the end with the tip of his finger, drawing a deep breath to fill his lungs with smoke. He passed the apparatus to me, coughing, and I repeated his action using my black fire. The rush from the herbs was almost immediate, and as I blew out rings, my connection to everything around me heightened, my senses simultaneously sharpening and dulling at the edges as if I were slipping into a dream.
My mate had sidled up to me again, an eagerness in her eyes that I was happy to oblige. Holding the herbs out to her, I instructed, “Go nice and slow so you don’t cough.”
Putting her lips to the end, I lit my finger, only allowing a tiny flicker to touch the herbs. She sucked in a breath, and I snatched the apparatus away from her a moment later, already seeing the inevitable choking. Izidora’s eyes watered as she coughed out a lungful of smoke, eliciting a laugh from Liliana and rubs on her back from me.
“Damn,” Izidora swore through wheezes. “You weren’t kidding about going slow.”
“It’s the only time I want you to go slow, sprite,” I purred, the herbs heating my blood in the most delicious way. The way Izidora’s long lashes fluttered against her blushing cheeks made me want to capture her mouth and claim it mine.
Anton and Slavian snickered, taking the herbs off my hands. “We need to get more people in here so it will be a real party,” Slavian commented as he lit the apparatus. He blew his smoke in Anton’s face as he exhaled. “Go find the females.”
Waving his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke, Anton shot back, “Why don’t you?”
“Ugh,” Liliana interrupted them. “I’ll do it. You two will only seek out females when what we really need is more dick.”
Izidora muffled a laugh beside me, and I turned my attention to her as Liliana brushed past the tent flap and into the night. Her pupils had darkened, and they only grew as she returned my gaze. “How are you feeling?” I murmured.
“Really, really good,” she breathed, seeming at ease, and a peaceful smile spread across her lips. All I wanted was for her to be happy, and not taking matters into my own hands was killing me. Izidora wanted to deal with Kazimir herself, and even though she had accepted the bond, my promise to redeem myself still stood.
I brushed my knuckles across her cheek and she sighed, leaning into my touch. Slavian tapped me on the shoulder and I accepted the herbs from him, taking another long drag, welcoming in the sensation of the world around us, and releasing my worries with the dissipating smoke. Outside the tent, the sound of revelers, clinking glasses, music, laughter, and merriment filled the air as Fae, Félvér, and Telivér celebrated together.
Liliana brought some of that joy with her when she returned with a few of the Night Fae and Félvér in tow. She knew better than to bring Kazimir, at least. Endre, along with Kaztar and Domi, ducked in behind her, the former making quick work of placing himself next to her, across from Anton and Slavian. The noble Félvér were a tight-knit group, though I’d always been on the outside of it. The rest of them scattered along the couch,and two familiar females forced their way between myself and Slavian.
“Natasha, Aliana, long time no see,” Liliana joked, and Izidora offered them a small wave.
The two smirked knowingly at me. “Your bride-to-be will look stunning on your wedding day, King Ruslan. We made sure of it,” Natasha said.
Izidora giggled beside me, her giddiness flowing down the bond. “So sexy, too. You’ll rip it to shreds the moment we’re alone.” Her floral arousal hit my nostrils, and I inhaled it more deeply than the herbs, wanting to get high on her already.
