Page 38 of Crown of Flame

With each stroke of my hand and every thrust of his fingers, our bodies move in a perfect symphony of desire. He pushes deeper into me, and I respond in turn, increasing the speed of my strokes on his thickness. The heady mix of pleasure and pain is intoxicating, pushing me closer to the edge.

"More," he pleads softly in my ear, and his breath hitches as I tighten my grip around him. I nod slightly, biting back a moan as he continues his exquisite torment inside me.

I can feel it, that moment just before release. It is tantalizingly close, but not yet within grasp. I pick up the pace even more, desperate to send us both over the edge into an abyss of pleasure.

His grip tightens on mine as he thrusts up into my hand, a low groan escaping from his throat. He's close, too. I can tell from the way he briefly closes his eyes and grits his mouth before looking at me again.

His mouth descends onto mine in a desperate kiss filled with unspoken promises and hidden desires. His tongue explores every inch of my mouth while our bodies move against each other seeking release.

Our movements become frantic, desire clouding all sense of time and place as our bodies convulse with a desperation born from the need for release. His fingers plunge deeper into me with each thrust, while my hand on him becomes a blur of motion. The feel of his length pulsing in my grip pushes me further, the scent of our shared arousal permeating the air around us. It is an exotic perfume filled with lust and desire, intoxicating in its intensity.

Suddenly, through the foggy haze of pleasure, I feel him stiffen under my touch. A guttural groan ripples from deep within his chest, echoing in the silence around us. His eyes are hooded, the pupils dilated as he teeters on the edge of ecstasy.

"Serena, I’m…" he rasps, his voice strained as though he's holding onto his sanity by a thread. The plea in his eyes is enough to push me over. I am falling, plummeting into an abyss of pleasure. I feel my body tighten around his fingers as wave after wave of pure ecstasy washes over me.

His name escapes my lips in a breathless whimper as my grip on him tightens unconsciously. That seems to be all it takes for him. With one final, shuddering thrust, he also succumbs to his climax.

As our bodies ride out the waves of pleasure, time seems to stand still. Every gasp, every shudder imprints itself on my mind. It will forever be a reminder of this raw and intimate connection we have forged tonight.

Slowly, our bodies start to relax. The tension unraveling within us is replaced by a soothing tranquility. His fingers gently withdraw from me while mine loosen their grip on him.

And I can’t help but think…

I’m glad I’ve finally given him everything he wants.

14

CINIS

“You need to rest,” I instruct her.

Since our unexpected encounter, I’ve begun to notice wounds on Serena that I didn’t notice before. At first, they were not major and didn’t seem to be affecting her in any meaningful way. Plus, my familiarity with human vulnerabilities is not high.

But over time, they appear to have opened up significantly, and I can see them draining her.

“I’ll be fine,” she urges me as we walk around outside, her movement noticeably impacted by a heavy limp. “We have to go back.”

I pause for a moment, scrutinizing her.

“You could have perished on the way to the towers,” I remind her. “Maybe I’m powerful enough to survive those beasts, but you are not. Especially not in your current state.”

“What do you want me to do? Not bury my friends? Leave the remaining humans in the towers, possibly to be experimented on and mutilated?”

I shake my head.

“You didn’t tell me you needed to evacuate the other towers. If you’d just told me, maybe we could have dealt with them earlier.”

She laughs gently but with a cruel undertone.

“In the dead of night, in the middle of a freeze, after being attacked by unspeakable horrors? I don’t think so.”

I float forward more slowly, in the hopes that it will dissuade her and that I can talk her down before we get too close.

But she’s speeding ahead of me, even with her limp. I can see the pain she’s in, both emotionally and physically. It’s a scourge on her being.

“I would have done it for you,” I reassure her. “You were all I knew. You were my guide through this realm. What was I going to say?”

“Cinis, I barely knew you. I’m not even sure I really know you now, to be honest.”