Page 42 of Wings of Snow
Nish snickered while Sandus and Ryder simply crossed their arms and fell a respectful distance away.
Norivun gave Nish a side-eye before snapping his wings out to hide us from their view. “Do you sense Drachu at all?” he asked quietly as he continued to do those embarrassingly pleasurable kisses along my throat.
“No.” And thankfully, not only did I not sense him, but I no longer felt the urge to go to the fae king and be near him. Perhaps it was only in Drachu’s immediate presence that I craved those things.
“Good.” A low growl rumbled through his chest. “We’ll figure out a way to release you from him. You won’t stay tethered to him forever.”
I nodded and had to suppress a moan when he pressed more kisses against my skin and ran his tongue near my ear.
“But right now, I want to take you to my bed.”
My entire body shivered at that possessive declaration, and as if on cue, Haxil sauntered up to the group and held out keys. “Three rooms secured, two to a room. Food shall be delivered shortly. Nori, we’ll take turns standing watch so you and Ilara can rest easy.”
“Thank you.” Norivun inclined his head before the six of us ventured into the inn, using the back door so as not to draw attention to ourselves.
The rooms were all on the second floor, and we had to climb narrow, creaky steps to get to them. Similar to Liss Lodge, the main floor of the small inn held a dining area, and given the hum of voices and boisterous laughs that carried through the walls, I guessed it served alcohol as well.
“Who stays here?” I asked. It didn’t seem like a likely place to establish an inn given the village’s tiny size.
“Mostly fae crossing the border for illegal trade,” Norivun replied as Haxil waved us to the end of the hall. The guards hung back to decide who would be taking which shifts during the night. “It’s a convenient area for Nolus and Solis fae to meet without the Nolus having to venture that far into our territory or vice versa. It’s like Elsfairdasvee—on the Nolus side—in that aspect. There’s also an inn in Elsfairdasvee for Solis who find themselves on that side of the mountain range.”
She arched an eyebrow, her expression curious. “The illegal trade doesn’t bother you?”
I shrugged. “It’s only illegal because my father doesn’t like us having anything to do with other fae. The actual trading of goods isn’t hurting anyone.”
Her curious expression morphed into a darker one. “And, if it were up to your father, Elsfairdasvee would belong to the Solis along with this mountain range and the entirety of the Derian Forest.”
“And all the way down to the Nolus capital and Adriastic Sea, possibly even farther.” Norivun placed the key in the lock, then opened the door.
Unlike Liss Lodge, no protection ward hummed against my skin when we crossed the threshold, and the lodging wasn’t nearly as luxurious. Dim light from the setting sun dipped the room into shadows. Neither of us bothered to find a fairy light.
Norivun closed the door behind us, and then cupped the back of his neck. “You deserve better. I’m sorry that I couldn’t think of another option.”
I circled my arms around his waist and rested my chin against his chest. “This is far nicer than anything I stayed in during my childhood. We never traveled much when I was young. Only twice, and never farther than Coolisbar. Trust me, this is perfect.”
And it was. To me, this room felt quaint and cozy even though the bed was barely big enough for two adult fae, the fireplace was small, and the chest of drawers was so narrow it was a far cry from palace life, but I was with my mate. Nothing could be better.
“You’re sure?” he asked gruffly.
“More than sure.”
Warmth immediately bloomed around me, soaking into my skin from his hard form. He was always so warm even though he didn’t carry a fire elemental affinity. I wondered if his inner dragon had anything to do with that.
“Besides,” I whispered. “Nobody knows we’re here, and we’re alone. How many times has that happened?”
The crown prince pulled me tighter against him until my entire focus became his chest and scent.
The bond hummed inside me, unfurling along my limbs until sheer contentment washed through me. Having him hold me was like coming home, to a home I’d never known I’d lost and had no idea I’d been searching for.
“What is it?” he asked softly and pushed back a lock of my hair when I shuddered against him.
“I was just thinking about how right this feels, and how all of these months, I hadn’t even realized that you were all I needed.”
His arms tightened, and I could have sworn his breath hitched. Then his lips found mine, and my hands were tangling in his hair as I was swept out to sea in the powerful tide that was my mate’s presence.
Both of us were breathing hard, our bodies taut with unquenched tension when a knock came at the door.
“Youdy-who!” a female called from the hall. “Sup’s gonna get cold if ya leave it out here. Best bring it into ya room.”