Page 53 of Kingdom of Spirits
“Fine.” She looked up at Marius and an ache spread across his chest. Reaching out her unscathed fingers, she said, “Should we try again? Skin to skin?”
Marius drew away, heart tapping madly. “Absolutely not. Are you a fool?”
“A fool for you.” Tahlia smiled, a twinkle in her beautiful eyes.
Trevain shrugged. “I don’t think you would suffer any foul consequences. Although, I will say, you two are using my traumatic memory realm for your selfish purposes. I can’t say that I appreciate it.”
“I don’t give a whit what you appreciate, spirit,” Marius spat out. “We must understand what rules to follow to beat Ophelia and her monster at their game.”
“Well, I suppose that does make sense,” Trevain said.
Tahlia was suddenly gripping Marius’s hand. He glared down at her, fear stabbing him repeatedly and making his eyes hot.
Please don’t take her from me, Old Ones. If you ever cared for this rider, please refrain.
“Are you, how do you, Tahlia, I…”
Tahlia grinned again and the stabbing terror halted. “I’m great!”
Marius crushed her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers. The feel of her soft mouth on his and the curve of her against him nearly had him throwing her to the ground to ravish her properly.
“Still here,” Trevain said.
“Still don’t care,” Marius said, taking a second away from Tahlia’s lower lip.
Tahlia laughed against his mouth and drew her tongue across his. His body jolted with a desire stronger than anything he’dfelt in his entire life. He wanted to shelter this female, to destroy anyone who dared to threaten her, to join with her in every physical and spiritual way possible.
He smoothed a hand across her cheek and delighted in the way she shut her eyes and sighed.
“Tahlia, you are not my knight right now. You are you. I am me.”
Tahlia jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. He let out a surprised“Oof,”but he caught her neatly and secured her in his arms.Her warmth made him growl with want.Mine, mine, mine. His heart beat out the truth. She could be his mate if they both chose that path.
He kissed her hard, claiming her even though he wasn’t ready to ask her out loud about their future. He was cursed. Until they solved that problem, no future existed for them. Tahlia returned the kiss, her sweet tongue curling over his and her fingers digging into his upper arms, where the vest ended and his softer tunic began. She rolled her hips against him and he gritted his teeth as longing flowed through him, deep and sure and wild.
But the wind rushed around them. The memory world’s green forests and haze of long ago slipped away.
They were thrust back into the current world. An invisible force blasted Tahlia away from him. Marius tumbled, nearly ramming into Ragewing’s front talons. He sat up to see Tahlia on the ground beside Fara, Tahlia’s face slack with shock.
The memory world was gone and they had returned to the current state of things. Marius shook his head to clear it and adjusted his trousers. Tahlia seemed alive and well. Gods, he worried she’d be hurt. They never should have risked touching.
“I’m fine, Marius,” Tahlia said, standing up and brushing herself off.
Trevain was shouting nonsense and pointing.
“Gods, what is it, spirit? Must you shriek like a frightened hen?” Marius got to his feet.
“I saved Tahlia just now, so you can offer thanks, High Captain,” Trevain snapped. “Now, look to the East!”
Katk, the plague monster, walked across the old road, smashing trees and driving boulders into the earth.
Chapter 22
Tahlia
The giant stalked across the landscape with varjuline curling around his legs like scary little shadow puppies. Tahlia shivered, then stood, brushing herself off.
“Marius?” Tahlia looked him up and down, watching for signs of the curse’s control.