Immortal Dreams (Immortal Realms Book 1)

by Jennifer Sage

  “I don’t know how much longer I can control myself around you, it gets worse each time you’re near. I’m on fire right now, and I’m being forced to practice a patience that has been tested for thousands of years of waiting. I don’t know how much restraint I have anymore, especially seeing you wounded. I don’t want to force you, but I can’t not touch you right now, either. I’m at a loss, Princess.”

  Didn’t she know it. He was sex in the flesh and every muscle in her body yearned for him. When he lay her on the bed and began his explorations with his mouth she cried out his name. His mouth grazed the underside of her arms, trailing along her sides and stomach and then paid particular interest to the spot where her hip bone made a ‘v’. Her hands fisted the sheets, her whole body aching and pulsing with his pleasure. The wetness between her legs was screaming to be tasted, to be touched, and when he got near it her body arched up in response, trembling uncontrollably.

  He paused and looked up into her eyes. “I really should stop this, but I’m insanely opposed to that at the moment, especially after you came in this time nearly dead to my arms. I think a lesson on the way a partnership works is better. This is brutal, all of it, but nothing will compare to seeing you bleeding and broken before me. My worst fear isn’t that you won’t know what’s right in time to end this damned curse…it’s something happening to you and I can’t get to you because this damned curse is in place still. You have no idea what that does to me. It’s emasculating on a level that is beyond anything I’ve ever dealt with. If anything happened to you…” he trailed off, the look of pain in his eyes causing a tear to fall from her own.

  When he looked at her again, his curly hair that reminded her of pure joy and innocence had been replaced by his white hair in a severe knot on top of his head that screamed warrior, and a fierce look in his eyes that only softened as his gaze brushed her lips.

  “You’ve missed me, haven’t you?” he asked gently.

  She gazed into his emerald abyss for a moment, seeing nothing there but honesty and a raging pain that she didn’t understand, just yet. But she had missed him, hadn’t she? That wouldn’t be a lie to tell him…not at all.

  “Yes, I have. And you?” she asked, watching his face for any hint of dishonesty and seeing nothing other than loss that was in his gaze currently. “Have you missed me, too? Really?”

  Without a moment of hesitation he responded, his fingertips twisting her curls around them. “No, I haven’t.”

  She wasn’t sure it was possible to have your heart ripped out of your chest and still live, but hers just had been. She hadn’t expected declarations of love, but that had been more painful than she would ever admit to, out loud. Maybe the waters in Albequen were the truth, after all? She’d held on some hope that it was all a lie, but hearing those words from his mouth was murderous to any hope that remained. Isabel’s eyes watered and she looked away, almost ready to utter the words that would send her back to her new hell. At least there she had a fighting chance. She’d never really had a chance here at all.

  A tear traced down her cheek and the warmth of Bodhe’s tongue was suddenly licking it. His large hand cupped her face and turned her eyes back to his.

  “No, Isabel, I haven’t missed you. Since the moment we were created and split into our individual selves we’ve been two parts of a whole energy. You’ve always been with me. You’re more than just your body that is with me now, that I absolutely rejoice in being able to hold and touch finally, but no, I don’t miss you. It’s impossible to miss someone who has been with me all my life, as part of my eternal soul. I will miss your body when I can’t touch it for very selfish reasons now that I have been able to, but no, I don’t miss you. You’ve always been part of me, and always will be. You can’t miss something that you have.”

  Isabel had nothing to add to that. She was speechless, dumbfounded, utterly in shock. When his lips touched hers this time, it was a cleansing kiss…a clearing the air and the realms of any doubts kiss…it was a hold on to hopes kiss. She needed to hold on to hope, it was a fickle thing lately. She felt another tear trickling down from her eyes, and the pad of his thumb wiping it away.

  God, he was good. But then, he hadn’t denied being practiced either. She wondered how many women he’d made cry, beg, and swoon like this before her, and then quickly shook the thoughts from her head.

  Refusing those thoughts in this moment that she felt so raw and vulnerable in, she rolled him over in one quick move. Thank you, Amele, for the training. She began some explorations of her own, instead. Kissing him first and letting her tongue linger on his, she let herself enjoy the sweetness of his mouth. She then moved down, nipping him with her teeth as she went further along his neck. His hand was tangled in her hair and she felt a gentle pull when she reached his nipples, flicking them with her tongue and feeling the pleasure spike in her own gut as she did. Groaning her name, she smiled with the small victory. She had a feeling she could learn what he liked quickly, since he was so responsive to her touch.

  As she traveled further, licking and biting the hard muscles that swelled on his torso she reached the top of his pants and the huge ripple of flesh beneath it. With one hand she touched, both of them gasping when she did. She was not well versed in male anatomy but she was sure he was definitely above average.

  “Isabel, you’re playing with fire. I’m having a very difficult time controlling myself with you today. Seeing you hurt, it gutted me on a level you cannot understand yet.”

  Even as he said it though his hips rocked up, urging her hand down his length. Slowly, she slid her hand up and down, cupping him, and watched as his eyes closed. How was her own pleasure increasing right now? She rubbed her wet core against his leg to release some pressure that was building as she untied the laces of his pants. She opened the top and peeled it down a little, his shaft glistening back at her.

  “Find a way to control it. I want to explore this with you. Please.”

  Spice and salt circled around in her mouth as she went down tentatively to taste him, releasing him completely from the bonds of his pants. She circled her palm around him and he gripped the bedside, groaning in pleasure.

  Responsive? Check.

  One hand circled around his girth, and she felt the lightning in her body again and nearly squealed. She moaned his name and looked at him, confused. “How is this possible? I feel like I’m touching myself right now, just from touching you.”

  “I told you, Isabel…shared pleasure,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Wow. You weren’t lying,” she moaned as she licked some more, loving the way the fire reached her as well, when she touched him. As if the pleasure wasn’t enough when he touched her…now she felt it when she touched him too.

  “I’ll never lie to you. I have no reason to,” he said, his eyes burning with desire for her.

  Isabel sucked in a breath and fell into the sensations that she felt as she ran her hands along him. It was so intense, and for every stroke of her hands she felt pleasure rip through her too. She let her own pleasure be the guide for touching him, and though she was completely out of her element, it somehow wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be to know what he liked.

  Faster and harder, she moved her hand, feeling the tsunami of an orgasm coming. It reached inside, deep, lingering, just on the brink before surfacing. They both moaned, and Isabel felt the wave come at her in a forced heat that consumed…obliterated everything she thought she knew. Her body combusted just as his did, both of them finding a freedom in this mostly harmless act.

  He roared as she held onto him, the brute force of his orgasm ripping her to little pieces of who she was before. Over and over again, the waves of bliss rolled through her, and she held him in her hand, as he held onto her hair and arms. Curiosity overcame her, and she bent down, licking some of the moisture from his stomach. It was like she was struck down by her own conjured storm at that moment, thrown overboard from the ship she’d been secure and safe on. Another un
related orgasm pummeled her then, making her question her sanity, and if she ever woke up here at all. She felt herself being lifted, but her body was shaking too hard to understand much more than the warm skin her head was now on, and the muscles that flexed beneath her as she rocked with the unending tides of pleasure. She closed her eyes and let it have her, surrendering completely to this moment, just for now.

  He pressed her against his chest, holding her tightly, and running his hand through her curls. When she had some wits about her again, she looked up to see joyful Bodhe with her once more, curls where the strict man-bun had been before. She loved the curls. They softened him in a way that was so beautiful. God, he was so beautiful it nearly hurt her eyes, especially when he was in this look.

  A fierce, protective instinct hit her like she’d never known before. She knew in that moment, looking into his bottomless eyes, that she believed everything he said to her. She knew what she wanted, and he was right here. Putting aside nonsense that she knew or didn’t know, she let herself just enjoy him, enjoy this moment…a monumental first for her. She sighed and smiled up at him, letting her own hand reach up and touch the softness that his hair had become, loose and free around his shoulders.

  “You know, that wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but Gods be damned if I didn’t love every second of it.”

  His hand ran down the length of her back and she grinned, completely sated. “That was so incredible Bodhe, I could feel everything I was doing to you. How is that even possible?”

  “Well, I keep trying to tell you, Princess…but you’re very stubborn and won’t listen to me,” he grinned, even as her hand landed playfully on his chest.

  “I was so worried when you came to me injured, Isabel. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you were mortally wounded. You were mortally wounded, actually. If my mother hadn’t been here…” he growled and squeezed her tighter, burying his face in her hair. “Sometimes I wonder if hiding you in a magical realm instead of the human one would’ve been better. At least then you would’ve been immortal the entire time.”

  Isabel stroked lazy circles on his chest. “Well, she had her reasons and hopefully one day soon she’ll be able to tell me what they were.”

  He stroked her hair softly and kissed the top of her head. She curled up against the soft yet muscled expanse of him. Tucked into his arms she felt so small and fragile, yet so completely safe at the same time. He felt so good. Laying on his chest, she could hear the pounding of his heart and realized that she could get very used to laying here like this. The vision came to her mind then, though, and she nearly cried. She could never keep him. Not and do the right thing. Well, so much for living in the moment, she thought.

  “So, sweetheart, would you care to see that closet yet?” He looked at her with his brows raised.

  She shook her thoughts away and nodded. “I suppose it can’t hurt.”

  “Then come and see your amazing wardrobe and chambers here in Loveryn. I hope you don’t mind, but they’re mine of course, as well.”

  She looked up at him and the hopeful part of her kicked reality away as it set in once again. What if there was a way? Maybe she could stay here? The fine print, of course! The future was subject to change, right?

  “Bodhe, I, I need you to take me to the sacred waters afterwards,” she said, her eyes averting his. He said nothing, he just looked at her curiously. “Don’t ask me to explain because I can’t, I just need to see if I can see anything.”

  “Didn’t Amele talk to you about the Sidhe partners?” He said as he sat up, nuzzling her shoulder gently.

  “Yes, she did, but there is something else that happened. I need to see the waters, Bodhe. Please,” she pleaded as she stood and wrapped the sheet a little tighter that he’d nearly torn off of her.

  He just nodded and wrapped his arms around her in the thin cloth, eyes glazing over as he stared off over the horizon. “Of course I’ll take you there. Anything you want, Isabel.”

  In silence he picked her up and flew her to a balcony on the other side of the castle, and she was shocked when she realized it was on the rooftop that they were headed and she could see the entire city glowing beneath them when they landed. She assumed his home was in the castle, but wasn’t expecting the castle penthouse! She gazed in awe at the city below them, seeing glowing lights everywhere across the city. Where the Elven city of Albequen was roaring with fires, Loveryn glowed with soft white lights, some brighter than others. When she realized why, she blushed, feeling as if she was a peeping Tom. She heard Bodhe chuckle and looked over at him.

  “There’s nothing to be embarrassed of. We’re not a people that are ashamed of love. When partners are found it is celebrated by a ‘Lerei nish dei’, and all the kingdom rejoices. No matter if you are a prince or tend to the gardens, the celebrations are equally grand.”

  “Day of Light,” she translated his words, “So that’s like your marriage here?” She looked out in wonder at the cascading hills, glowing for miles.

  He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Yes, Princess, that’s the equivalent of marriage, only our pledge is made from the heart before the celebration, and the bond is eternal. Once your partner is found, you don’t get another. When a partner is lost as your mother’s was, it can be very difficult and some choose to go to the Lake of Souls and have a physical death, so that they can be rejoined in the non physical body again.”

  “That’s heartbreaking, Bodhe. My poor mother.”

  “Shhh Isabel, she has you to look forward to. If she wished that, she would have done so long ago,” he said as he kissed her cheek gently.

  “But what if she doesn’t wake up? What if I make the wrong choice? And where is she being kept?” She turned and looked at him, a tear falling down her face.

  “I’ll take you there if you wish, after you visit the waters. Maybe you’ll be able to see something that will calm you.”

  She nodded and glanced once more over the golden lights of Loveryn and walked into the large chamber from the rooftop balcony they’d landed on.

  Wow. Her jaw nearly hit the floor when she passed through the hanging white silk of the entrance. One side of the enormous room had a fireplace she could do ballroom dancing in, and an entire wall of the room was bookshelves that were carved right into the white stone of the walls—completely full of course. Two oversized and very comfortable looking chairs were in front of the fireplace and a writing desk sat off to the side. There were all kinds of things on it that she had never seen that she was sure were for writing but that would have to wait, even though she was nearly coming out of her skin to touch it all. A huge four poster bed with carved ivy running around the wood and white silks blowing softly from the top enchanted her. She looked over at him and he just smiled. If there was such a thing as paradise outside of his arms, she’d just stepped into it.

  “I’ve kept it simple. You may, of course, do whatever you wish with it. We have more than the bedroom, this whole floor of the castle is ours and we will build a new home at some point. But we’ll be here in this room a lot, for a while.” He grinned.

  She opened her mouth to say something but the words got caught in her throat. She scanned the bedroom and saw that there were four doors inside. Curiosity was killing her.

  He laughed when he saw her struggle. “Go ahead, explore,” and he gestured to her with his hand.

  She nearly ran to the first one and opened it up. Yep, this one was definitely his closet. Clothes hung neatly in no apparent pattern and his shoes were all lined up against the back wall. Swords and weapons of all kinds were hanging against one side and there were two chests beneath the hanging clothes. She was curious what was in them since he didn’t wear undergarments it seemed, but she decided that could wait. She closed the door and ran to the next one and opened it, seeing that it was the exit. Nope, didn’t want that one! Giggling she ran to the next and opened it up.

  Holy. Shit.

  Gowns hung by color and style, goin
g from casual to princess in a beautiful succession along one wall. Shoes of all kinds were on raised platforms going around the entire small room—not that it was small at all, probably the size of her old bedroom at home—and some garments similar to that of which Amele wore to battle were also hanging in perfection. There was also a beautiful white, jewel encrusted sword that had an inscription on the sheath hanging on one wall. Her fingers passed over the foreign language and beautiful sheath and she felt it buzzing with life.

  “I hope you like it. I took a guess that with your father’s blood there would be some warrior in you. It’s been spelled with a powerful magic that will shield you from immortal attacks. It can’t prevent you from dying, but this sword will find its mark each time you swing it, even against the Shadow Demons while not in form. Speaking of, we haven’t discussed what happened tonight before you came here,” he said as he looked at her from the doorway with his hands crossed over his chest.

  “Oh, yeah. Tonight was a bit crazy. I’m fine though, see?” She bit her lower lip, not caring to include the Demons or the Uglies, this very moment. ”But wow, this is just…it’s so beautiful, Bodhe. I can’t even tell you how much I love it. I can feel its power…it vibrates through me. What does the inscription say?”

  He just smiled. “I can’t tell you yet, my dear, but I promise I will in time. Now, there’s something in the first chest that I would like you to see, as well. Please, open it. It’s not much, but I made it myself and would very much like if you wore it when you’re here.”

  She looked at him curiously and walked over to the first chest. As in his closet, she had two. She opened the top and peered inside with a small gasp. Laying on top of some fabric was a circlet like the one he wore today, but hers had a small pearl-like stone that dipped down from the center. It was formed from woven silver threads that cascaded into a ‘v’ in the front. “W-What is this?”

  He walked over and placed in on her head, not surprisingly, it fit perfectly. “This, Isabel, is a samuril. And the stone that falls from the center on yours is the most sacred stone of the Sidhe. You will learn about it soon enough, but now is not the time. The name of it is toriel though. That much we can go into.”