Ember wouldn’t have existed, but her mother would have lived and been able to be happy with the two people she seemed to have loved more than anything else in the world.
Her eyes searched the small room, wondering if her mother had ever come in here. It was hard to imagine a life where her mother was just a teenager in love with a pirate instead of the serious woman she’d become once she got to Iron Kress. The woman in the portrait her father hung in his room had sad cold eyes. She wasn’t this happy free-spirited girl Sebastian or Queen Esmeralda described.
Her father had broken her mother’s spirit. Iron Kress had been her cage just like it was now hers. Liliana’s freedom had been ripped away from her in seconds. All because of Ember. If her mother hadn’t needed to wait for a chance to take her, if she could have just left without a look back? She would have lived. She and Klaus would have survived and would have been happy as they sailed the seas together.
“Her death was my fault. If she didn’t need to wait for the chance to take me? She would have gotten out with Klaus. She would have been free.” Ember said, tears swimming in her eyes as she made the realization.
Her eyes only lifted from the floor when Sebastian moved to stand in front of her, his knucklelifting her chin up. “You were a toddler, Ember. A baby. You didn’t kill your mother or force her to come back for you. She loved you. You were probably the only good thing that came out of her life at Iron Kress. Do not think otherwise.” He said, his voice firm with no hint of doubt or deceit.
Sebastian truly believed what he was saying, and she found herself believing him.
His thumb wiped away the traitor tears that had fallen down her cheeks. “It was never even a question that she’d bring you with her. It was never an option to leave you behind. If there was a chance that she wouldn’t have been able to bring you with her, she wouldn’t have agreed to even meet with Klaus. There was no world she could have lived in where you were not in her arms. Klaus knew that. He accepted it before he even left me in Owl’s Head.”
A sad smile spread across her face. A small nod followed when she couldn’t find the right words to say. It meant a lot to her, even if he didn’t have any hint of proof of what he was saying to her. Ember found she didn’t care. She just appreciated he was saying it.
His head rested against her own, their eyes closed as they stood so closely. Her hand reached up. Her fingers entwined with the one he had rested on her cheek before she held it against her chest. “Thank you,” She whispered, her eyes opening to meet his.
The two stood there in the silence for a moment, as if they were digesting everything that had just been shared over the past half hour.
Ember didn’t dare raise her eyes to meet his, fearing it would give him the invitation to turn this embrace into something more intimate. Part of her craved for that distraction, but a smaller part of her feared how much the idea of him kissing her thrilled her.
Instead, her eyes studied his hand entwined with her own. The burn scars were angry against her blank canvas skin. She hadn’t asked about his scars yet, both out of fear of knowing what other horrors he had been victim to and because she knewit’d be rude to ask. Their jokes about bartering a dance for the story aside, she knew if he wanted her to know? He’d tell her himself when he was ready.
“The story’s not as scary or heartbreaking as you’d think. The burns weren’t a result of being mistreated as a child or anything like that.” He said, his voice breaking the silence that had fallen over them.
Her gaze shifted up, curiousness filling them. “What happened?”
His hand that wasn’t holding hers reached up and brushed a fallen curl behind her ear, his eyes studying her face as he considered his words. “I could tell you it was doing something heroic, like saving some damsel from the flames of a fire some drunk started because he couldn’t take rejection well.” He said, his grin twitching as he considered the details of that story.
Her fingers squeezed his, a small smile playing on her lips. “But that wouldn’t be the real story, would it? I believe our deal was a first dance of the evening for the real story.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. His head shook slightly as he pressed his forehead against hers. “I suppose that was our deal, wasn’t it? I can’t seem to refuse you anything. I don’t know if that scares me more than anything else.”
Her thumb stroked the scarred skin of his hand causing his eyes to close as a sigh released from his lips.
“What is the real story then?” She asked.
She tried to ignore the butterflies his words had awoken as she settled her gaze on his hand.
A heavy sigh rattled through him as he prepared himself to answer. She wasn’t sure if that reaction made her want to know more, or if it made her regret ever asking him to share this story to begin with.
His eyes finally opened to meet hers. “What do you know about the twins?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. Her mind immediately returned to the story Ana had told her the night of the party. “Ana mentioned that Ari had been sold to some man, but she didn’t go into many details. She said Ari disappeared for a while before showing up again when their father was going to do the same to her.” She said, her gaze locked on the floor as she tried to remember the entire story.
Sebastian only pulled away enough so he could look at her without his eyes crossing, but his hand held against her chest never released hers. “I met Ari somewhere in between her wedding and her going back for Ana. She was a broken little thing trying to repair the cracks in her armor. We met and I told her of my life on the Obsidian. I could see she craved for the freedom it offered her. Her husband was rough with her. She said it was as if he wanted to see that fire leave her eyes, but she would never let him truly break her.”
Ember studied him as he spoke. The smile on his face was proud, as if he was remembering how strong his friend had been even back then. His story only made her admire Ari more. “What did she do?” She asked, urging him to go on.
“Ari wanted him dead. She wanted him to feel every pain he’d caused her. So, I helped her do it. Unfortunately, my hands were the price for my involvement in the deed. She set him on fire once he had fallen asleep. I thought it was almost poetic seeing as he wanted to put out her flame. I got burned on accident, but it was worth it to see the life return to her eyes. It still is worth it every time I see her laugh or smile with the crew.” He said, his proud smile growing smaller as his gaze shifted to his scarred hand entwined with hers.
Her other hand reached up, surprising him as she cupped his face. Her thumb stroked the small amount of scruff on his cheek affectionately. A smile just barely played on her lips as she raised her gaze to meet his. “I told you before, Sebastian. Your scars don’t scare me. Especially not when they were earned from helping a friend. They’re beautiful.” She said, her voice soft as she held his gaze.
Ember could see the cracks in his walls and wondered if he was finally going to let her in. His eyes watered, but she knew no tears would fall. His fingers squeezed around hers, his eyes searching for something. The intensity of his gaze sparked excitement inside of her. His tongue darted between his lips as his gaze settled on her lips. Swallowing the nerves that she felt, her lips parted in
anticipation.
Tilting his head, he found his mouth hovering over hers. His eyes flickered from her eyes to her parted lips again. It was as if he was asking her for permission before he closed the space between them. She didn’t dare move, let alone breathe, as she waited to see what he did. She wasn’t going to stop him this time and it only took him a moment to realize that.
When she didn’t push him away, he took that as his answer and closed the gap between their lips. A surge of life shot through her as his lips pressed against her own. His lips were surprisingly soft, almost gentle, against her own. He was hesitant, as if he was preparing himself if she changed her mind.
He separated his mouth from hers much too soon as he took the moment
to catch his breath. A whine slipped out, her eyes opening as she met his gaze. A hunger had awoken inside of her and it excited him to no end. Her lips were swollen from being kissed thoroughly, her chest rising with each deep breath. He studied her, watching for any signs to tell him this wasn’t what she wanted.
He found none.
Ember lifted her free hand from her side and settled on the back of his neck, pulling him back into their kiss. His arm wrapped around her waist, pressing her body against his. A sigh left her lips as he kissed a trail down her neck before he found a sweet spot in the crook between her neck and shoulder that made her toes curls in her boots.
“Sebastian,” She moaned, her eyes closing as her head tilted back to give him better access.
Her hand he’d been holding dropped to the desk, her nails digging in. His own had found itself tangled in her curls as his lips returned to hers. She felt like she was floating on clouds and she never wished to come back down again.
His hand on her waist slid lower, wanting to feel every curve of her before it stopped under her thigh. From the small tug, she knew what he wanted her to do. She let him lift her leg around his waist, his upper body leaning into her as their mouths battled for control.
The worry they’d end up falling to the floor was eased as he lifted her up onto the desk without any strain. She never thought a kiss could make her feel like this. It never occurred to her that
someone’s kiss could make her toes curl or could stir a hunger only they could satisfy inside of her.
His hand roamed her body, lingering as he reached her breast. It wasn’t long before she realized this kiss was growing too heated too quickly. If they didn’t stop now, she knew there’d be no stopping until the deed was done.
This kiss was nothing like the nervous awkward kiss under the stars with Asher, or even their second kiss on the steps of the secret
passageway where she didn’t know where to put her hands or how to actually kiss him.
With Sebastian, the nervousness she’d had when Asher gave her that sweet first kiss wasn’t even a thought. She had no worries because Sebastian knew what he was doing. His lips were as skilled as his hands seemed to be as they coaxed an almost primal sound out of her. It truly felt as if she and Sebastian were consumed with the pure desire of just wanting the other and she wasn’t sure if that feeling excited or scared her more.
Asher’s kiss hadn’t sparked this kind of hunger inside of her. His hands didn’t feel like a lifeline as his lips left a scorching trail of kisses over the top of her breast. Nothing about this kiss felt the same as her first kiss with the Prince.
And then, just as the thoughts of Asher filled her head, it felt as if a bucket of water had been poured over her head.
Pulling away from him felt like trying to remove a nail from a piece of wood. Even then, she was only free for a moment before he pulled her back. She didn’t fight him when he pulled her closer. It was as if he couldn’t handle not having her pressed against him. Ember found herself more than happy to continue to the kiss. It was addicting and she didn’t want to stop or smother the fire burning in her core.
A moan rumbled in her throat when he attacked her neck again, his teeth tugging on the lobe of her ear. The noise only seemed to excite him, urging him to continue with his assault of kisses against her skin. She didn’t want him to stop and she knew he didn’t either.
As his lips found hers again, his hands moved to the corset belt around her stomach. His fingers making quick work of undoing the strings.
Her fingers had threaded themselves into his hair as he caught her lip between his teeth. Her lips would be swollen from the roughness of his kiss, but she wasn’t worried in the slightest. She welcomed it if it meant he wouldn’t stop kissing her.
Her other hand laid flat against the desk to keep her from falling back. It wasn’t long before he’d gotten the black fabric off and tossed it aside. His hand slid underneath her red shirt, finding its way up to her breast.
A gasp left her lips before she closed her mouth, her teeth biting on her bottom lip as he continued his attack. After all those teasing conversations, all those moments they were tempted to cross a line, they had finally made the leap across. Ember had to admit, the risk was well worth it. She never wanted this feeling of heat inside the pit of her stomach to stop.
They were so caught up in their kiss they hadn’t heard the door opening or the multiple pairs of feet shuffling in the doorway.
It wasn’t until Ari’s chuckle erupted in the room; did they realize they were no longer alone. “Well, I’d say they made up, Ana. Seems we didn’t need to worry he’d killed her after all.”
An annoyed sigh broke through Sebastian’s lips as he pulled away from Ember, his hand quickly removing itself from her shirt. “You have amazing timing as usual, Ari. What do you want?” He all but growled at his second.
Ember felt mortified as she tried to straighten her clothes. Her hair was a lost cause from his fingers running through her curls, but at least she could pretend she wasn’t a complete mess. She wasn’t sure what was more mortifying, the fact the twins had caught them, or that she’d let herself become so unraveled by his kisses.
When she tried to unwrap her legs from his waist, Sebastian placed a hand on her thigh and gave her a gentle squeeze. It was his way of telling her he wasn’t finished with her yet. Much to his disappointment, she now had enough sense in her to know their moment was definitely finished. The kiss had gone on much longer than it should have.
Pulling his hand off her thigh, she
unwrapped herself from him and slipped off the desk.
“Well, I’m relieved I didn’t need anything from my desk. Seeing as you’d deemed it your bed for the night. Though, it wouldn’t last long given the storm that’s coming our way.” Ari said, giving him a look that reminded him there wasn’t time for this kind of activity.
As Ember collected her belt, she noticed the way Sebastian’s body had tensed. Her gaze shifted to the door for the first time since they’d been interrupted and felt her entire body freeze. Ari wasn’t alone and it wasn’t only Ana that was with her.
Asher stood beside the taller twin. A murderous glare blazed inside his green eyes.
It wasn’t the fact Asher was among the group that had made Sebastian tense though. No, it was the storm Ari had made a point of mentioning. Ember doubted Asher walking in on them bothered the Captain much at all. If anything, he felt ready to gloat over the fact he’d seemed to have won their competition.
The guilt she now felt as she saw the look of betrayal on Asher’s face belonged to her and her alone. She knew she wouldn’t regret her kiss with Sebastian. The two had been dancing around their attraction since the night under the stars, but her guilt was more over the hurt she knew she’d done to Asher. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel any pain because of something she had done.
“How bad is the storm? Why am I just now hearing about it?” He asked as he crossed the room, his role of pirate captain returning with no issue.
Ari didn’t bother with a glance in her direction, though Ana’s lingered on Ember as she quickly tied the strings of her belt again. “The winds changed too quick to give us any kind of warning. It just appeared out of nowhere.”
Sebastian didn’t even glance in her direction as he pushed through the trio in the doorway and left. His actions were like they hadn’t just been on the verge of crossing another line that seemed to tease her. The way he didn’t even look over at her before he left, it was like the kiss had never happened.
Ember wasn’t sure how to feel about any of what just happened. She wasn’t sure if their kiss was just a desire they’d been tiptoeing around, or if it was because they held real feelings for the other.
On one hand, she knew he was preoccupied with the current issue of the storm, but, on the other hand, he still could have spared her a glance. Now wasn't the time for her to act as if she was a silly girl with a crush, she realized as sh
e took in the seriousness on the twins faces.
Ari was quick to follow him back to the top deck. Ana only lingered for a moment. There seemed to be a question burning to be asked on her tongue, but she kept it to herself as she followed her sister. Only Asher remained, the betrayal clear in his eyes.
Ember opened her mouth to explain, but no words came out.
She didn’t know what she could say to make the betrayal he felt lessen, but she still had to try. She owed it to him and their history to at least do that.
“Asher, it wasn’t-”
His scoff silenced her. “Don’t even try to insult me with that sentence. We both know it was exactly what it looked like.”
Embarrassment heated her face, her eyes lowering from his accusations. She didn’t know how to explain to him the kiss he’d witness wasn’t planned or the fact it hadn’t happened before. An apology wouldn’t fix the wound she’d caused him, but she had to try.
“I’m sorry, Asher. It wasn’t-”
Again, he cut her off before she could explain.
“I don’t want to hear your damn excuses, Ember. You don’t think I didn’t know you had feelings for him? I saw how you looked at him when you danced with him. I saw how he looked back at you.” He said, the hurt cracking his voice.
Her heart broke when she saw the pain behind his green eyes. A silence fell over them, but their stare said everything their words could not. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better and there was no way he could forgive her for what he saw as a betrayal.
Before either could say another word, the entire ship shook as if it’d been hit. Ember stumbled, grabbing onto the closest piece of furniture to keep herself from falling. “What the hell kind of storm is this?” She gasped.
Asher grabbed the door frame as the Obsidian rocked, his eyes widened as he realized what had happened. “That was no storm. That was cannon fire.”
Fear shot through her body as soon as the words left his mouth. The idea of another ship attacking them hadn’t once crossed her mind.
The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1) Page 21
