Page 77 of Vanquished Gods
He tugged down the top of my dress a little more, easing down the other side, and the cool castle air kissed my breasts. I felt as if they were growing heavier, aching to be kissed the way he was kissing my throat.
As his tongue continued to lave my neck, he pulled down the top of my dress completely, and my skin prickled in the brisk air, nipples tightening, aching to be caressed. The world dimmed, disappearing around us, and all I could think about was the feel of his mouth, his hands on me.
He reached down, scooping me up into his arms, and carried me, half-naked, to the bed. The air felt charged, sultry, as he pulled my dress all the way off, leaving me in just my underwear. And as his gaze raked over my body, he let out a low growl from deep in his chest that reverberated over my bare skin. The firelight wavered over the finely carved lines of his chest, his abs. I licked my lips.
As I reached for him again, he lowered his mouth to the crook of my throat, leaving searing kisses over my skin until hefinally reached my breasts. He closed his mouth over one nipple, tongue swirling, and I let out a quiet moan, tangling my fingers in his hair.
He seemed eager to draw this out into a slow, sensual torment. My hips rolled against him, and he lifted his face to look at me. “Is there something you need from me, Elowen?”
He moved lower on my body, leaving trails of kisses on the way down. I tried to form the words, but his shadowy magic was licking at me, carrying on its ministrations as he waited for me to answer, and I could hardly think straight.
He lowered his mouth, kissing my inner thigh, his tongue moving in slow circles over my skin. My hips bucked as I silently begged for more. I wanted that tongue of his between my thighs, kissing me deeply.
He again lifted his face to me, gold flaring in those dark eyes. “Divine, right? Godlike?”
“No talking,” I whispered.
He reached for my underwear and pulled it off me, stripping me naked, spreading my thighs. His delicious magic stroked over my body, licking at the apex of my thighs, teasing me where I was wet.
He stared at me for a moment, looking awestruck by the sight of me naked and turned on, spread out before him.
I reached out, wild with need, and unbuttoned his trousers so fast, I popped the button off. As I freed him, I stared at the enormous, hard length of him. My thighs moved to clench, but he spread them wider, positioning himself between them. Time seemed to slow for a moment, and achingly slowly—torturously—he started to slide into me, stretching me. Filling me completely. He choked out a low groan as he eased into me, so painfully slowly, until he seemed to lose the grip he held on his restraint. He thrust deeper, fully seating himself, and I wrapped my arms around him as our bodies moved together.His mouth found mine again, kissing me deeply. Savoring me. As he did, I remembered a night together a decade ago, when we’d sipped wine by the river, deep in the forest by the manor. He’d fascinated me, and I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off him. I remember feeling like he’d wanted to look after me, to take me away…
My fingers pressed into his muscled back, and I released my magic into him, feeling it charge our bodies. As his pace quickened, stroking faster, I moaned, my thoughts fracturing. Pleasure swelled deep within me, and I called out his name in a half-broken groan.
As he drove deeper into me, my climax hit me like a storm wave, crashing through me. My body shuddered with waves of pleasure, my thoughts splintering.
His release followed just a breath later, my name a reverent whisper on his lips.
As aftershocks of pleasure rippled through me, he collapsed by my side, pulling me into him. I felt my body glow as his magic caressed me. He wrapped me in his arms so closely that there was no space between us.
“Elowen,” he whispered, “you belong with me, you know. And I belong with you. I will keep you safe.”
I looked into his eyes, where the gold blended back into the darkness like the rising sun. “I’m the Underworld Queen. How about you let me keep you safe?”
CHAPTER 36
The sea was alive with the dawn light, and the dark silhouettes of ships loomed on the horizon, their sails smudges in the mist. We waited at the top of the hill a thousand feet from the shoreline, watching the Order approach. There weren’t many of us standing out in front of the castle—just a small phalanx of vampires with shadow magic, Percival, and a few more witches with fire magic. Most of us were armed simply with wands and shields. Maelor waited for us in the forest, ready to lead the attack there.
I stood barefoot, feeling the cool soil beneath my feet. Ready to channel my magic.
Sion and Percival flanked me as the briny wind whipped over us. Percival flexed his fists, looking like he was about to puke from his nerves. I touched his shoulder. “Thanks for risking this.”
He nodded, his lips pressed into a hard line. “I’ve been willing to die for this for a while, Elowen.”
He was at risk from two threats that morning—my magic and the enemy coming to slaughter us. “Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen, shall we? After you use your magic, I want you and theother fire witches to go back to the castle. You’re much easier to kill than we are.”
His eyebrows flicked up. “I’m just a delicate thing compared to you, am I? You sound like Sion. And as a reminder, I just said I’m prepared to die for this.”
I clenched my jaw, trying to think of a way to get him out of there. I raised my voice. “All the witches with fire magic must get up to the parapets before the battle starts. We need you there. All the vampires without pendants are in there, ready to defend it from inside. But you need to help protect them. If the Luminari try to storm the castle, light them on fire.”
He nodded. “Fine.”
Dread tightened my chest as the slips glided closer over the dawn-kissed sea, their sails swollen in the wind.
I clung to my wand, dread hanging over me like a dark cloud. The wind whipped at Sion’s hair. “Wait,” he murmured.
I nodded, exhaling slowly as I glanced at the forest in the distance. With my heightened vision, I had a glimpse of the shadowy forms of vampires, waiting for us between the trees. A human would never be able to spot them.