Page 85 of The Ember and the Emerald

He matched my rhythm now, his voice going lower, becoming more intimate. “Grants structure once the impurities are gone.”

I molded my curves against his hard planes. The air thickened, heavy with sandalwood and orchids, heat and want. “Breath of the north wind?”

His eyes darkened as he wrapped his arms around my waist, his claws tracing the hem of my tunic. “Instills vitality into the heart. Without it, the man is nothing but a husk.”

Rising on my tiptoes, I nuzzled my cheek against his. His stubble rasped my skin like sand against silk. “Tears of the first dawn?”

“Renewal. Growth.” He ducked his head, his breath grazing my neck. “Temptation.”

My pulse became wild and frenzied. “Pulsegold nectar?”

“Pure energy. Brings strength.” He slid his hands lower, those claws spreading across the small of my back.

My breath caught. “And the sanguine root?”

His lips brushed the corner of my mouth. “A potent source of life. Rich, sure…” His voice dropped to a growl. “…and hungry.”

Every nerve in me flared to life. He hovered at the edge of breaking. But so did I. “The potion’s effect was no instant miracle. Your heart still melts, burning the impurities. But they can be purged. If you dare. And what better place to turn up the heat than the Ring of Truth?”

A flicker of the future, a vision gone before I could catch it. My mouth lifted slow and sure. “You will say yes,” I murmured. “I see it.”

The air shifted. He moved, a blaze of motion. Suddenly my back struck the wall, his body pressed flush against mine. My lips parted on a gasp. His scent surrounded me, filled me. We stared, trading breath for breath. His pupils had yet to retract, only a razor-thin ring of light rimming the darkness.

“I will enter the Ring with you,” he said, voice scraped raw. “You’re right about that. I’ll even remove the cuffs.” He tipped his head in quiet challenge. “In exchange, you must answer a question before we leave.”

“Agreed,” I whispered, shocked that he’d offered this unexpected boon.

“Do it, then. Shed the chains.”

The metal clicked and fell, striking stone with a hollow clang. My wrists tingled, the absence of weight as startling as the ribbon of warmth curling low in my belly. He was trusting me not to run.

And I could have, but the Ring waited, and I was done retreating.

“Thank you.” I pressed a soft, sweet kiss into his lips. “Ask your question.”

Tracing his thumbs along my cheeks, both gentle and rough, he murmured, “Do you think we’re doomed?”

I softened and warmed, even as an ache bloomed. “I think…our fate can still be decided. What we do next matters.”

He studied me. A moment rife with longing, dread, and heat. When he released me, I missed his touch as I would miss a limb.

“Create a waterway to the palace.” He motioned to the tub with a clipped wave. “Let’s get this done.”

26

HONEY, I’M HOME

Istood before the tub, trying everything in my power to open a waterway. Despite my desire to return to the palace, I failed.

“I don’t understand. Why can’t I do it?” I wanted it more than air.

Didn’t I?

Of course I did.

“A hike it is, then.”

Did Jasher sound relieved?