by Lily Archer
“Here!” Chastain rushes up, some sort of golden lever in his hands. “Push this into—there, that socket there—” He points to a spot between the spindle and the cog.
I reach out but can’t grip the lever, my hands too wrecked, the fingers bent and shredded. Parnon has the same problem, so Chastain climbs up next to me and jams it into place. With a little more of his magic, he forms the gold to press against the inner cylinder like a brake.
“I’ve got it. You can stand back.” He spins more gold, transforming a goblet from his sack into a bracket that fastens to the framework around the cog. “It’s secure. Same one I made on the other side, so it’ll keep us level.”
I stagger back and fall onto my ass, the burning sensation in my hands almost unbearable. They’re stripped down to the bone in several places, the rest a bloody pulp.
“Gareth!” Beth rushes over and drops to her knees. “Ancestors! Heal yourself!”
“Parnon, here.” I jerk my chin at him. “Everyone else that needs it, come.” I have an idea, one that’s been churning inside me ever since I healed Beth after the bazaar. When I’m with her, I seem to be more in control of my magic, and I also have more. I thought maybe it was because of my feral form, but the buzz she’s giving me from simply being close tells me I might be wrong. After all, I was able to shield her from my destruction at Granthos’s mansion. Maybe she’s the key to it all—not just my destructive ability, but my single drop of healing as well. Beth plus my feral could be the key to it all.
Half a dozen fighters surround me, their wounds almost as bad as mine. I close my eyes and summon my power. The ache stops, my body healing, and then I change. My feral form erupts. The power is like a streak of lightning coursing through my veins. When I flick my tail and wrap it around Beth, the magic intensifies, soaking my blood in wild, untamed ability. Can I heal them all? I don’t know. But I have to try.
I lower my head and summon that deep burst of energy, the single thread of healing that lives inside me via my mother’s line. I pull that thread until it wraps around me, echoing outward in waves of living green. The power is there and then gone, extinguished from complete use. With a breath, I look up, my feline eyes taking in the slaves and Parnon—all of them staring at their healed hands with wonder, then looking at me.
“You did it!” Beth wraps her arms around my neck as a wave of fatigue washes over me. I sink down and rest my face on my paws. “We’re safe.” She kisses my ear. She seems to like them because they’re so soft. “Rest now, my heart.” She strokes my fur, and though I fight slumber, I can’t keep my eyes open. Drained, I fall asleep in the arms of my beloved.
16
Beth
When we stop moving, I have to blink and look around. Are we really at the bottom? I stare at the neverending rock wall. It’s not changing anymore. We’re really stopped. The hard jolt and the sound of metal clanging onto stone tells me it’s real.
I cradle Gareth’s head in my lap, his kitty snores utterly adorable as he sleeps. But the movement—or lack thereof—wakes him too. In a flash, he’s back to his fae form, his pointy ear forming under my hand as I continue petting him.
“Hi.” I smile down at him.
“Hi.” He looks up at me. “Am I in the Glowing Lands with you, my beloved?”
“Nope.” I glance around. “We’re sort of in the opposite. Short of the Spires, this is definitely the worst place in all of Arin.”
He blinks a few times, as if his memory is coming back. Sitting up, he stares at the bloody cog with the golden brake. “We’re at the bottom?”
“Smells funny down here.” Iridiel follows one of the fighters off the platform and onto the stone floor. “Like rot and magic and evil.”
“Yeah?” Parnon stomps past him. “What does evil smell like?”
“Monogamy.” Iridiel snorts.
“That … makes no sense.” I roll my eyes.
“Does to me.” Iridiel walks into the gloom, the only light some sort of glowing lichen along the dark gray walls.
“There are slavers’ quarters down here, too.” Parnon’s voice bounces back and forth in the stone wilderness. “Best take advantage of them before the real journey begins.”
“I feel like this has definitely been ‘real.’” I steal a glance at the bloody cog as Gareth pulls me to my feet. I stretch, my joints aching from hours of tension. I couldn’t rest, not when danger likely still lurked above us and definitely lurked below us. Besides, it was time for me to guard Gareth for a change. He seemed so peaceful, his soft fur and velvety paws warm as I stroked him and whispered to him.
“Thank you.” One of the fighters gives Gareth a low bow.
“It was nothing.”
The others who Gareth healed bow as well, then more join until all the former slaves are bent in gratitude.
Gareth clears his throat. “That, ah, that’s not necessary.”
I get up on my tiptoes and whisper in his ear. “Take a compliment, why don’t you?”
For the first time I can remember, his cheeks pink with embarrassment.
“No need.” He gives a stiff bow in return, then takes my elbow and leads me onto the solid stone floor.
Despite the fact that I’m leagues underground and surrounded by monsters, it’s rather nice to have solid ground beneath my feet.
“Come, let’s see about those slavers’ quarters.” He pulls me with him.
“Shouldn’t we help unload the—”
“We’ve got it. Get some rest before we begin.” Chastain turns and starts directing everyone on where to take the unicorns and how to handle the wagon.
Gareth doesn’t need permission. He’s practically dragging me toward some dwellings hewn into the rock. There is more lichen here, the ceilings aglow with life as we pass into one of the carved areas. Inside, there are several rooms with fluffy beds and bathing chambers. Water constantly pours into the basins from Spires-knows-where and creates a soothing sound that flows throughout the rather posh living suites. The slavers spare no expense on themselves, even this deep underground.
I eye the biggest basin and lean over to test the water. It’s surprisingly warm on my fingers. “Wow.”
Parnon stomps through, peering at the accommodations. “I like the slave quarters better.” He keeps walking, ignoring the plush beds. “I’m going to sleep. Might as well get some shut eye. We’ve reached the point of no return.”
“Wait.” I walk after him as Gareth checks the dressing area, always looking for enemies. “Did you say ‘point of no return’?”
Parnon cocks his head to the side. “Yes.”
“No going back?” I ask.
His head cocks even farther. “The machine is broken. Everyone we left behind is likely toes up. There is no going back.”
“And after the Abyss, we’re at the mines, right?”
He stomps away, clearly tired of answering my questions.
I dog his steps. “The mines are just south of the Abyss, right? No avoiding them?”
He throws up his hands and speeds his pace. “Yes, changeling. Yes. We can’t go back, only forward, and forward is to the mines.”
“Whee!” I twirl with my hands in the air, then rush back into the slavers’ quarters as Parnon grumbles away. With wild movements, I pull my clothes off and jump into the bathing basin. There’s blumerin soap, so I grab that and go to town washing my body. When Gareth emerges from the dressing room, he stops and goes slack-jawed.
“Beth.” The feral flashes in his eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Bathing.” I dunk my head under the water to rinse the soap.
When I surface Gareth is standing right next to me, his hands gripping the edges of the basin so tightly his knuckles go white. “You’re naked.” His eyes go to my breasts, then lower into the soapy water.
“I know.” I finish rinsing, then stand, water sluicing off me. “There’s no going back.”
He stands, suspicion crinkling next to his eyes. “What?”
>
“We are past the point of no return.” I step from the water and don’t bother with any of the not-so-fresh looking towels. “The Abyss leads to the mines. Either we die here, or we exit to the mines where we find Clotty. You couldn’t take me to the winter realm from here if you tried. Unless you have wings, of course. But I rather like your tiger tail better.”
He licks his lips, the intensity in his eyes almost burning me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I walk up to him, then reach down his pants and grab his thick, hard cock. “Yes.”
His growl reverberates throughout the stone rooms. “Oh, my beloved, I am going to make you scream.” With a rough movement he picks me up and carries me to the nearest bed.
Falling on top of me, he kisses my face, my cheeks, down to my chin and then my throat. Heat dances inside me, sizzling through my blood as I delight in every touch he gives me. With a yank, he pulls his shirt free and tosses it to the ground. His hot skin presses against mine, teasing me with its hardness. I arch into him, and he circles a nipple with his mouth as I run my fingers through his hair. His fangs prick at me, their length promising a bite that will mark me all the way to my soul. I shiver at the thought.
“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this.” He takes the other nipple and tortures me with his tongue. “This perfect body wrapped around my cock, my seed spilling inside you as you come.”
My toes curl, and I want more. More of him, his filthy mouth, and definitely more of the hard length pressing against my thigh as he works his way down my body. My stomach jumps and shivers as he kisses lower, and without warning, he fastens his mouth to my pussy, his tongue delving between the folds and teasing my clit.
I yelp his name, and he laughs against my skin, his hands gripping my ass as he lifts me to his mouth. With long licks, he tastes every inch of me. When he spreads me even more and licks lower, I grip the bed. No one’s ever touched me there before. Not like this. His tongue on my ass is a heady, erotic drug. And I can’t control my sounds, the moans and gasps shaking out of me as he tongues me in forbidden places.
“All mine.” He kisses my core, then nibbles at my clit. “This body. I’m going to fill it with my seed.” The feral in his eyes is utterly golden, and his tongue takes on a touch of feline roughness as he licks me. Possession. That’s what this is. I’m his to play with, to own, to do with as he pleases. And, Spires, I want everything he has. This game of waiting and denial hasn’t doused my need for him; it’s multiplied it.
He licks and nibbles, drawing me to the edge of release only to pull back.
“Gareth!” I grip his hair and pull the strands. “Please!”
“Oh, my darling one. You have earned this.” He licks me long and slow, then delves his tongue inside me, those golden eyes holding my own. When he returns to my clit, I’m almost ready to fall into my bliss, but then he stops again.
I groan and yank his hair, trying to force him to give me what I need. He laughs low and erotic, then kisses me softly.
Crawling back up my body, he shucks his pants, and I gasp as his thick erection presses against me. Rocking his hips, he sends tingles of lust exploding into my mind, and I dig my nails into his shoulders. I need to come. If I don’t, I’m pretty sure I’m going to die right here before the Abyss monsters even have a run at me.
“Remember when you teased me?” He thrusts against me, his cock a weapon, one that I want to fucking shatter me. “Remember when you denied me, my filthy Xalana?”
I moan as he devours me with those golden eyes. “Yes,” I whisper.
“I told you then, didn’t I? I told you I’d make you pay.” He thrusts again and again, his cock perfectly aligned against my clit as I spread my legs wider. “You want that, don’t you?” His voice is low, gravelly. He is all my carnal desires wrapped into one perfect package. “You want me to punish this delicious body, don’t you?” He reaches up and grabs my wrists, holding me down with ease as he relentlessly strokes my clit.
“Yes,” I moan. “Please, yes.”
“I’m going to give it to you, my beloved. Every inch. Every bit of pleasure and pain you deserve.” His fangs glint deadly as he bends to my neck.
I may combust. I may light the entire Abyss with a ball of flame, one that Gareth has created deep inside me.
“Tell me you want it, my beloved. Tell me you want it hard and deep. Tell me you want all of me.” He nibbles at my ear. “Tell me you want it forever.”
I’ve fought it for so long, this need for him. And it’s all been for nothing. Because here I am beneath him, the way I’ve wanted to be since he first rescued me from that dungeon. I can’t deny him anymore. I can’t deny myself. “I want you. Forever.”
He roars as he plunges deep inside me, his cock filling me as I scream his name and claw his back. Pleasure rockets across my senses, and then his mouth is on mine, taking my breath as he claims my body. His strong back flexes as he pulls out and slams home again, the slapping sound of our bodies joining ricocheting off the walls. His rhythm is vicious, his tongue more so as he strokes mine. I can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t do anything except spread my legs as far as I can and rock my hips to his rhythm. Each impact sends a spark of arousal through me, each of them adding to the coil of tension in my center. I could come from this, just from these impacts and the thickness of his cock inside me. Have I ever been so utterly taken? Never.
Releasing my wrists, he takes a handful of my wet hair and pulls my head back, then latches onto my neck. He kisses and sucks every sensitive spot I have, then returns to my breasts, his mouth so perfect on me that I writhe beneath him. With one hand, he grips my ass, pulling me up to meet his strokes and grinding against me with each impact. He’s so thick and long that I can feel every inch of contact stretching me, pleasing me, stoking my desire.
I moan and dig my nails into his sides as he moves to the other breast. A sting tells me he’s drawn blood, and the resulting growl tells me he likes it. He licks at me, that scratchy tongue sending my arousal even higher as he pounds into me.
“Mine. My perfect mate.” The feral and Gareth are one, their claim on me tied to my soul.
I run my hands down his chest, feeling him as he works me, his cock sliding in and out, my wetness coating him as I angle my hips so he can go even deeper.
His jaw clenches as he stares down at me, his gaze on my face, my breasts, and then on the spot where we’re joined. Licking his thumb, he presses it against my clit, swirling as he thrusts.
I gasp, my body going taut, my hips stilling. “Gareth, I can’t—” My words are cut off by an orgasm that obliterates everything that ever happened before. I moan low and long, my body locked into a rolling cycle of pleasure that doesn’t want to let go.
“I can feel you, my beloved, trying to milk my seed.” His growl at my ear sends me deeper, my body tightening as the coil inside me snaps with each burst of delicious release. “And I’ll let you have it.” He thrusts harder, prolonging each perfect wave. “When you’re ready.”
“I want it,” I gasp as an aftershock trembles through me. “I want it, Gareth. Please.”
“Soon.” He grins, the look in his feral eyes dark and dominant.
Leaning back, he pulls my hips to him again, then leans over and kisses me hard, his fangs nipping at my lip as he pumps inside me. I’ll have his handmarks on my hips, but I don’t care. I want him to mark me all over, to make me his. The thought of his claiming bite ramps up my arousal again and I start grinding against him, each bit of friction teasing me toward release.
“Come again for me, my beloved.” He twists my nipple hard, and I arch into him, wanting more. “I know what you like, my filthy Xalana.” His voice in my ear sends chills down my spine. “I know you want my cock in your mouth, in your ass, in your tight little cunt. And you shall have it.” He pushes harder. “Because you’re mine. And I am yours.”
I dig my heels into his thighs, my body following his lead as we both chase release.
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
“I am yours.”
He growls deep and takes my mouth. “Say it again.”
“I’m yours.” It’s so easy to say it, because it’s true.
He kisses me again, joining us in every way that matters. I wrap my arms around his neck as my release builds. Pulling my knees back, I open myself fully to him, the contact with my clit setting me off until I’m screaming his name as I come. He thrusts himself hard and deep, his cock hardening even more as he shatters. When he buries his fangs in my shoulder, the pain sends me into another level of ecstasy, my core rolling like the tide and spitting sparks like a newborn star. I moan as he fills me, his cock kicking with the strength of his release. His bite is deep, the mark permanent as he bears down, claiming me.
The bond snaps tight between us, and I feel him. Not just lust and pleasure, but love. It pulses through him and into me. My own meets his, and our love weds like two golden strings spinning into each other. Perfect, unbreakable, and forever.
With one more thrust, he stills, his fangs slowly retracting from me as he pulls back. The feline tongue licks out and soothes the bite, but I don’t feel the healing energy. Not for this. I want to bear his mark with pride.
He murmurs in the old language, but sprinkles in words of praise and fondness that soften my already-pliant heart.
Returning to my face, he kisses me softly. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” I kiss him back leisurely, enjoying the feel of him inside me. “You claimed me.”
“No male will mistake my mark.” He grins with masculine pride.
“Next time.” I bite his throat lightly. “I’m marking you.”
“It would be an honor.” He slides a hand down to my breast and squeezes. “And next time will be sooner than you think.”
I bite my lip as he thumbs my nipple. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve waited thousands of years for you. You think one round will do?” He pulls back and thrusts, his cock coming back to life right along with my desire.
