Page 22 of Only Flames Remain

“I know mother doesn’t care for him,” Kallias said, nodding toward the ball of fluff that was now resting happily, “but I will miss him dearly. If for no other reason than he reminds me that you are always nearby. Being across the sea from each other will be unbearable.”

He grabbed my ankle from where I sat with Quinnick at the head of the bed and dragged me down, my body sprawling beneath his against the messed linens. He brought his hand to my cheek, gently stroking my soft skin.

He pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. “I will miss these eyes most of all.”

At the mention of them, I pressed them closed out of habit, but a tickle at my side had me springing them back open with laughter. He kissed beneath one eye, then the other.

“So unique,” he murmured against my skin. “One brown, one blue. I have never in my life seen a woman as beautiful as you, Aveline. I knew the moment I saw you…I had to have you.”

The feeling had been mutual.

“And you promise to wait for me?” I asked, my tone growing serious as I threaded my fingers through the buttons of his jacket. His brow furrowed, as if this were the most preposterous question he had ever heard.

“Of course, Aveline. You are to be my wife.”

He ran the hand not currently caressing my cheek through his mess of blond hair. It had grown long in these last weeks. It reached past his ears, curling against his growing beard.

I reached for the buttons on his navy jacket and began to pluck each one with agonizing slowness, the wisp of hair and soft skin visible beneath.

“If your mother is to be believed, Astryn Hunt is to be your wife. Not me,” I replied stiffly.

Kallias shook his head, clearly vexed. “I do not love Astryn Hunt. I love Aveline Drake. Nothing will change that.” He pressed a chaste kiss to my decolletage, directly above the beading of the aubergine gown that had lifted to pool around my waist.

I plucked the last few buttons greedily before peeling the jacket from his skin, leaving him bare from the waist up. The sensation of his warm skin against mine sent a shock of pleasure through me, my fingers skimming the muscles on his arms as I explored the canvas before me.

“A prince does not have the luxury of marrying for love,” I reminded him softly.

“This prince is different.” He spoke against my skin as he peeled the shoulder of the dress away to expose my collarbone. “This prince has the luxury of marrying for love because he is the only heir, and his parents do not want to estrange him.”

I laughed against him, knowing that was both true and not at the same time. While he was arguably the most important fae in the kingdom, a war was brewing in the realm. Alliances would be tested and forged, and they would likely be secured through political marriages. I had dreamed of marrying a prince as a little girl, but always knew that it was an impossibility, having been born of human blood. Having fallen for a prince and him loving me back in equal measure had been a dream I had never imagined feasible.

But it didn’t change the fact that I was a commoner. I could give Kallias heirs but being half fae and half human would likely make them weak. At least in the eyes of the royals and the rest of the court.

Astryn Hunt was Veytari.

It was entirely within the realm of possibilities that I could marry Kallias and give him heirs, living the remainder of my life here in Myros. Then Astryn could marry him after my death.

But we needed alliances now. Astryn wasn’t a princess, but she did have a powerful father with vast lands and holdings. He could provide the livestock Myros was in desperate need of at the moment.

“I’m not sure that will matter in the end, my sweet Prince. Such a pure heart.” I rested my hand over his beating heart and closed my eyes, memorizing the steady pulse beneath my fingertips.

I wanted nothing more from tonight than to feel Kallias’s warmth beside me. Come morning, I would be setting sail for Scaldrithor. I turned onto my side, pulling him with me so that he curled against my back. His bare chest pressed against me; his arm draped over my waist. I sighed deeply, and he pressed a leg between mine, further entwining us.

Quinnick gave a grunt of displeasure that we had invaded his space, but he settled back down with a reassuring pat from Kallias.

“I hadn’t even known you had an uncle in Emberfell. I thought Lavanya to be an only child,” he spoke against my hair.

I merely hummed in response.

“I will wait for you, Aveline. I will not allow my mother to rule my life in your absence. You will not be gone long enough for anything to change,” he whispered.

The fire had begun to fade, casting the room in shadows and silhouettes. I would miss these rumpled sheets that smelled of fresh lavender. The sheer canopy that draped elegantly over Kallias’s bed. The smell of his pillow, just like him.

Crisp and fresh.

The accommodations I would be provided in Gothryn as a servant would be…less than ideal. I had been spoiled these last few months, living in the castle with Kallias and going back and forth between here and my mother’s house. I wouldn’t even have time to say goodbye to her. Not unless I were afforded a quick stop at the apothecary before boarding the ship. Kallias had immediately sent for his soldiers to confirm her whereabouts and her safety when he left me alone with his mother. I was thankful that he thought of her, as if he could read my mind.

I made a mental note to grab a few herbs and poisons for the journey. I still had the tincture I had made earlier, but it would only last me two to three weeks, at most. I had a feeling this mission was going to take me longer than that. Much longer. I didn’t want to go through withdrawal, though there were several herbs that I doubted could be sourced in the kingdom across the sea.