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The sound of cascading water filled the bathroom as I allowed my gaze to soften and linger on the landscape before me. Basking in the bath, I relaxed, letting go of everything and simplybeingfor a moment. We were always so busy, so on the go, that moments like this were rare.
When my mind had enough of nothing, I lifted the book from its safe place on the edge of the tub and cracked its pages. I lost myself in the mystery until the water grew cold enough to warrant my attention, and only when I could stand it no longer did I blow out the dark flames surrounding me. The water sloshed as I reached for a towel to dry myself, and I wrapped it around me before I wandered our suite in search of my mate. I found him in the living area, bent over a pile of papers and scratching away. Leaning against the doorframe in nothing but a towel, I watched him work, loving the way the muscles rippled across his back.
Without looking up, he said, “In the back of the closet you’ll find some dresses for warmer weather.”
Of course, sneaking up on a mate was nearly impossible with the bond acting like a beacon to one another. “Thanks,” I replied, strolling to the closet in search of something fun to wear to Steel. If I’d learned anything in my time in the Iron Realm, it was that despite the cold, skin was the norm. And with the summer temperatures, I could only assume that meant clothing was nearing optional. After sliding through a row of dresses, Idecided on one that barely covered the tops of my thighs, with a very low dip in the back .
Ruslan’s words from before Béke drifted back to me, making me smile as I gazed upon the dress.
“Your scars are a signal that you are a fucking survivor, sprite, that you remain unbroken despite them, and that you can hold your own against the most seasoned of warriors. One day, you will tell me the story of each one, and when you’re through, we will end the life of every male who inflicted them upon you. You will get the vengeance you deserve, and in the meantime, you will flaunt those scars like the badges of honor they are.”
Because I was a survivor – of being chained, whipped, abused, raped, and any manner of horrors people could inflict on one another. I’d gotten the first part of my vengeance that night when Ruslan and I returned to Vasvain and tortured my former captors. The sounds of their screams still echoed in my mind, as delicious now as they were when I’d ripped their balls away from their bodies. Heat flooded my core as more memories from that night surfaced. After we’d killed them all, Ruslan and I had fucked covered in blood, and when we finished, I’d accepted our bond.
During Béke, I had realized I didn’t know what I wanted from life. To rule, originally, was Kazimir’s idea. After I made my choice of mate, my wants started to shift into fighting for the Félvér. But after waking and realizing what had happened at the end of Béke, and that Kazimir had tried to kill me, my desires had irrevocably shifted.
Sure, I still wanted to free the Félvér.
But now, I also wanted blood. While I may have been the one to fill the land with light, there was no denying the darkness that called to me, especially upon waking from the endless void of it. I wanted to embrace it, to savor it,use it. The thought should havefrightened me, and yet, somehow, it didn’t. Itthrilledme as the darkness flitted through my magic well and promised to fulfill my deepest desires.
And oh, did I plan on using it to my advantage.
Because what I wanted more than anything was Kazimir dead.
Liliana and Drazenwere already waiting for us as we appeared on the street in front of Steel. Blinking, I took in the building with the silvery climbing ivy covering its slate exterior, and the intricate front door carved with swirls and delicate lines depicting a story of love and loss that I’d come to expect from anything Ruslan designed. Liliana squealed and ran over to me, snatching me from Ruslan and linking her arm through mine.
“You look hot as fuck,” she commented, looking me up and down.
I laughed. “So do you.” And she truly did. Her chocolate brown locks were gently curled and tumbled to her waist, and she wore thick lines of black around her eyes, making the seafoam green color pop. Her dress clung to her every curve, cut out in places to reveal hints of her stomach, and with a corner cut out of the hem, pointing dangerously high.
“Why is it that the two of you always match?” Drazen asked, his voice warm with amusement.
Glancing down at myself, I realized, we truly did. From our dresses to our hairstyles and the way we’d painted our faces, we could have been twins if it weren’t for the height, hair, and eye color difference.
Ruslan’s smoky grays heated as they perused my form, resting hungrily on the place where the skin of my legsdisappeared beneath the black fabric. My core tightened immediately.“This night is about you, sprite. Whatever you want to do, whatever you do or do not feel comfortable with, I will support. If you get nervous or overwhelmed, I will take care of you.”
“I trust you,”I replied, offering my mate a small smile.
“Shall we?” Drazen asked, interrupting our mental exchange. He grasped the door handle and pulled it open, waiting for us to enter first. Liliana giggled in response and tugged me forward.
The interior was dim, and if it hadn’t been for the dusk outside, my eyes would have taken longer to adjust. At first, the Félvér club seemed empty, but I realized we were only on a landing, and beyond, a set of stairs descended into the earth. Even from here, the beat of the drum reverberated through my body. Drazen descended the stairs first, and Liliana dropped my arm and followed, shooting me an encouraging smile over her shoulder.
Ruslan’s large palm found my lower back and rested gently there, thumb stroking softly against the bare skin. “After you, sprite.”
My entire body tingled, whether from nerves or excitement, I did not know; perhaps it was a bit of both. When I smoked herbs during Béke, I hadn’t anticipated fucking Ruslan in front of the entire tent, and then watching others as they writhed together too. But now that we stood on the precipice of it again, my thighs dampened while my hands shook.
“It’s okay to be nervous,” Ruslan murmured in my ear, his hot breath fanning across it and making me shiver. “But say the word and we’ll leave. No questions, no hesitation. Whatever you need to feel comfortable, sprite.”
“It's not that. I just… don’t want to be trapped underground,” I said, exhaling a shaky breath. His hand found my hip and pulled me into him so that my back was flush against his front.
“When we’re down there, you won’t be thinking about where we are. The only thing your mind will be able to latch onto is the pleasure I am delivering you. You have me harder than a fucking diamond just standing here, your skin on display and your every curve promising to send me to hell. And I plan on dragging you there with me.” He ground his erection into my back to drive home his point.
Our bond flared, and I arched into him, need flooding through my veins. A low rumble emanated from his chest. “You’re going to look so fucking good riding my cock, your dress bunched up around your waist and your head thrown back in ecstasy. The Félvér are all going to wish it was them you were riding. And when their future empress falls apart, they’re going to hear you scream my name.”
“Oh, fuck,” I whimpered, my thighs growing slick.
“Are you ready to enter now?” Ruslan purred, his hands drifting over my stomach and up to cup my breasts.
I leaned into him, arching my back as I did so. “Not as much as I am for you to enter me.”
