A second was stretched into a million years as Caspian made love to me, over and over. My name settled on his lips as he kissed me, as if kissing me was his only chance at survival. Colors splashed before my very eyes as we surrendered to each other, body and soul, heart and mind.
I couldn’t get enough of all the love he had to give me. His lips tasted like honeysuckle and spices. His hot breath sent ripples through my skin. And I could feel everything he felt.
This is it.
Caspian stilled for a second, staring at me. I could see entire galaxies unfolding in his eyes. Fascination and adoration settled on his face as he caressed mine. “Harper, this is… this is incredible.”
“I can feel you.” I nodded slowly.
He frowned gently, clutching his chest. “I feel you. It hurts so good,” he whispered, his flushed lips stretching into a lascivious smile. “You’re simply unbelievable, my love.”
“We’re linked like this forever, Caspian,” I replied softly. “No one... nothing can tear us apart.”
We kissed once more. This time, we took our sweet time to enjoy all the new sensations that came from having our souls eternally bound to one another. The night was still young, the fire crackling, and our senses stretching across the whole world, somehow.
“I never thought I could experience something like this,” he said, holding me tight and rolling us over in bed.
“Making love to a sentry?” I breathed, winding up on top of him.
“No. Loving you. It’s… It’s indescribable,” he replied, his hands quietly moving up my thighs and settling on my hips.
It was my turn to take control. I kissed him, greedy and possessive, and I felt us both ignite once more. He parted his lips and welcomed me. My tongue worked his in languishing circles, until he grunted and flooded my senses with his. I was coming into my own as a sentry. Opening up to someone like this was truly a sublime experience.
“Love me like you do,” Caspian breathed.
I did. I loved him until we were both reduced to wisps of energy, two stars colliding in the vast universe. Tomorrow was still very far away, as we collapsed into each other, our souls and limbs entwined.
Inseparable and unbreakable.
Eternally existing as one.
Caia
Out of all the rooms in the inn, Blaze and I got the smallest one, with a double bed crammed against a wall. It was nice and cozy, but it left little room for actual movement. Of course, no one paid attention to room sizes when they were assigned. Frankly, even in that moment, it was the least of our worries.
“So, we’re sharing the bed, then,” I muttered, as I came out of the cramped bathroom after changing into a long cotton nightgown.
Blaze stilled at the foot of the bed, awkwardly clutching a pair of linen slacks over his chest. He nodded slowly, and I chuckled, moving aside so he could go into the bathroom and change as well.
My temperature was way up just from being in the same room with him. Sleeping together was going to be sweet torture. I climbed into bed and settled under the fluffy comforter. The pillows were fantastic. It had been a while since I’d experienced comfort. Not since the Broken Bow Inn, back in Azure Heights. It was literally one of the few good things I could count in that place.
“I think we’re luckier than Rush and Amina, though,” Blaze said from behind the bathroom door.
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, they’re sharing a room with Ryker and Laughlan. I think we have it easy,” Blaze replied.
“Yeah, nothing like two chatty Druids to spend the night with.” I giggled.
My heart skipped a beat when he came out. The linen slacks hung loosely around his beautifully sculpted waist, with every single muscle of his glorious torso in full view. My cheeks burned as I struggled to look away and failed miserably.
But there was something about his expression that felt… wrong. He was upset by something, and he was trying very hard to hide it. It had become impossible for him to keep anything from me. Ever since we’d come to Neraka, we’d rarely been apart. For Pete’s sake, we’d even been abducted together.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, frowning slightly as he stood in the middle of the room, staring at me.
He took a deep breath, then let it out as his muscular shoulders dropped.
Focus, Caia.
“I hate being vulnerable,” he replied.
“Where’s this coming from?”
I was a little confused. At the same time, I still had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that we were about to share a bed again. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus when we were so close to each other.
“We’re going into Mara territory tomorrow,” he said. “I don’t ever want to be mind-bent again, Caia. If we run into Rewa… If we’re discovered, you know she’ll want me to finish what I started the last time.”
It hit me then. He was in a lot of emotional pain, still. He’d just gotten over almost killing me the last time we’d confronted Rewa and the other Lords. He didn’t want to go through it again. My heart inflated like a balloon, realizing how deep his pain must’ve run. He’d never meant it, but he’d hurt me under Rewa’s influence, and it tormented him.
I tossed the covers aside and slid across the bed. He froze, a flurry of emotions swirling in his midnight-blue eyes. I gave him a soft smile, then caught his hand and pulled him closer.
Blaze didn’t know what to do, but he didn’t object to my gesture, either. As strong and as imposing as he could be, the dragon was incredibly soft on the inside—at least where I was concerned. I knew I was his weakness. And yes, it worried me too that the Rewa episode might happen again, but under no circumstances was I going to let Blaze falter because of that. We all took risks in this mission, some more than others.
“This is our challenge, Blaze,” I said, putting my arms around his waist.
He held his breath as I pulled him close. His frame was huge compared to my pixie size, and that somehow made my blood rush even faster. I had a lot of fire in me, but there was something about Blaze that made me feel tiny and vulnerable in his arms, in the weirdest, most wonderful way.
Blaze looked into my eyes, his arms slowly coming around in a possessive embrace. Celibacy oath or not, he clearly felt the same way about me. It was written all over his handsome, square-jawed face, despite his noble restraint.
“We’ll be invisible, and we’ll be careful,” I added. “Also, we won’t look directly at them. And we won’t give them the opportunity to mind-bend either of us. We’ll strike fast and hard if they catch us.”
He nodded, a smile briefly flickering over his lips.
“I don’t get why we can’t just kill them while we’re there,” Blaze replied, then let out a heavy sigh.
“Because killing them would be easy,” I said. “They deserve to be punished. They deserve to suffer for everything they did and everything else they’re going to do. Death would be the easy way out. If we have no other choice, then yes, of course, we’ll burn the assholes to a crisp. But otherwise, you and I both know that they’re looking at a world of pain once we restore Neraka’s freedom.”
He chuckled, shaking his head.
“Good grief, you are an evil mastermind,” he quipped.
“I think we’re both rotten to the core when it comes to defending each other,” I replied, my voice dropping. I was telling the truth, to my surprise. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep him safe. And I’d already seen what Blaze was willing to do to protect me. Daemons, Death Claws, Exiled Maras, and pit wolves had already perished in his flames.
“We are,” he muttered. “I’ve told you before, and I will say it again, Caia. I will burn this whole place down for you.”
“That’s just so… cruel when taken out of context. And yet so hot,” I replied, then gripped the back of his neck and pulled myself up so I could kiss him.
His lips crushed mine, his tongue demanded access, and I exhaled softly as he tightened h
is embrace, pressing me against his chest.
Blaze burned hot on the inside. We both did, for that matter. Our reactions to one another were deliciously similar. There was passion between us, and there was this awkward budding romance. I secretly hoped we could take things to another level, as I became more and more convinced that I’d truly fallen in love with him.
The one thing that motivated me to be so daring whenever we were alone, was knowing that he felt the same way. He’d gathered the courage to tell me how he felt, back in the library refuge, and I understood exactly how serious he was about us. I’d gotten to see sides of him that had convinced me of his seriousness where matters of the heart were involved. The fact that he’d been raised by Heath further added to my conviction. Blaze was a most noble creature and took his feelings seriously.
He wouldn’t have said a thing, had he not meant it. Especially since he was still very much under a celibacy oath. Dammit.
I relished the feel of his skin against my fingertips as our kiss threatened to get out of control. We were both aching for each other, but more than anything, I wanted to ease his mind regarding the Maras. It chipped away at his confidence, and I needed my dragon in full force tomorrow. Our lives depended on it.
“Blaze,” I breathed against his lips, suddenly illuminated. I had an idea. “Of course… Why didn’t I think about it before?”
Blaze panted, trying to regain his senses. We were both out of air, our hearts pounding and our bodies blazing, but we had to get hold of ourselves. I had a really good idea.
“What is it?” he asked, his gaze still clouded, catching a shade of indigo as he looked at me.
“I think I know how to fix that mind-bending problem. Hold on,” I replied, then jumped out of bed and rushed out of the room. “Wait there!”
I went straight to Rush and Amina’s room, then feverishly knocked on their door. I listened to the footsteps shuffling inside. Amina opened for me. She looked tired, stifling a yawn with her hand.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I woke you up,” I gasped.
“No, no. I doubt Rush and I will get much sleep tonight,” Amina muttered, then stepped aside to show me inside their room. She pointed at the window, where Ryker and Laughlan had taken over a small table, experimenting with various crystals and powders, igniting them in small stone bowls.
They were testing explosives in tiny quantities, with an occasional pop.
Rush sat on the edge of the bed, watching the Druids with a sullen expression.
“I take it you’re still adjusting to the four of you sharing the room, huh?” I muttered. “Can I come in?”
Amina nodded with a warm smile, then closed the door behind me. Ryker and Laughlan were so absorbed in their chemical formulations, they didn’t even notice me come in. Rush, however, stood and offered a curt bow, and I responded with a smile.
“I’m here to talk to you guys, actually,” I said, my gaze shifting between Rush and Amina.
They motioned for me to take a seat by the fire. I settled in one of the armchairs, facing them.
“Of course,” Amina replied. “How can we assist you?”
“Well, it’s a bit of a longshot, but you might actually have some idea, since you’re older than Jax and Heron. I’m hoping you might know more about mind-bending and how to prevent it. I don’t know, I guess I’m thinking you may have more experience in the subject. Jax and Heron have no solution to stopping Maras from mind-bending us.”
“Ah,” Rush replied, nodding. “I honestly don’t have a good answer, I’m afraid.”
“It’s all about eye contact,” Amina offered with a shrug. “You could do your best to look away. I hear Jax can do a lot more with his wards present, but he’s a chilling exception. The rest of us rely on looking into a person’s eyes in order to influence them.”
I felt a little deflated. “I see.”
“You know, I’ve always had a theory about mind-bending,” Laughlan interjected, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips, as if rummaging through his memory for that precious little snippet of information.
“Oh? Pray tell!” I replied. “With Blaze and I going into Azure Heights tomorrow, I want us to be covered, in case anything goes wrong. Last time, they got hold of Blaze and I almost died, so… hoping to prevent that,” I added, wearing a flat grin.
Laughlan nodded. “Yes. Well, I was thinking about covering the eyes with something,” he said. “I’ve seen glass prohibiting a Mara from mind-bending another creature once, a very long time ago. It’s not a known fact, however. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Maras themselves weren’t aware. There are barely a handful of Eritopians who wear lenses to improve their eyesight, while the Maras tend to stay away from other societies, in general. So they haven’t had many opportunities to try it.”
“Okay, that could work out!” I said, scratching the back of my head. “But if we’re caught wearing any kind of glasses or lenses, they could very well remove them before they mind-bend us. I doubt that’ll help, unless…” My voice trailed off, as another idea made its way to the surface. “Lenses. Contact lenses. Yes.”
Laughlan and Ryker looked at each other, then frowned, shifting their focus back to me.
“What are contact lenses?” Ryker asked.
“Back on Earth, where I was born and raised, there are many humans with eyesight problems, especially as they grow older. They use glasses,” I explained, “but they also wear lenses. Tiny little things, made of a material called plastic, or even rigid gas. They’re soft and malleable, and don’t break like glass would. Thing is, they wear them over their eyes, literally,” I said, then pointed at my iris.
Both Druids stilled, their eyes wide with both surprise and realization.
Ryker shot to his feet, a grin splitting his face. “I know exactly what we can use for something like that,” he breathed, then rushed out of the room.
Laughlan opened his mouth to shout after him but gave up and gave me a warm smile instead. I felt hope blossoming in my chest. If the Druids could do this for Blaze and me, it would pretty much secure our safety against the Maras, going forward. And that was one hell of a game changer.
“Come back in the morning, little fae,” Laughlan said. “Ryker and I will work on something tonight. I imagine he’s out to fetch whatever material he saw that would be useful for these… contact lenses.”
“And Rush and I can run some tests with them,” Amina said.
“Yes, one of the Druids can wear them, and we can try to mind-bend him,” Rush added. “Make sure they work.”
I was overwhelmed with gratitude at this point. I hugged them all, one by one, unable to wipe the broad smile from my face.
“Thank you all so much,” I murmured. “I’ll see you in the morning then!”
I went back to our single room and found Blaze in bed. He wasn’t moving.
He’d already fallen asleep.
Caia
Blaze was exhausted—and who could blame him? He’d spent half the day in dragon form, fighting off daemons and Death Claws up on Ragnar Peak. He’d gotten shot with a giant arrow, and he’d had the scare of his life when the tower collapsed, thinking I’d died.
The memories of that battle came rushing back, and I suddenly felt the urge to cuddle him.
Light on my feet, I locked the door behind me and slipped under the covers. He had his back to me, his large frame poking through the comforter like a mountain. I gently put an arm around his waist and spooned him. I was so tiny by comparison, it made me grin.
I didn’t pay attention to his breathing until I got close, realizing that he wasn’t sleeping at all. His heart boomed in his chest, and he was very much awake. His hand covered mine as it settled on his abdomen.
“Are you going to tell me what that was about?” he muttered.
His voice was low and rough, making my spine tingle. Oh, this is going to be a long night.
“We may not have to worry about mind-bending,” I replied. “I gave the Druids an assignment. T
hey seem to love a good challenge so, you know, I figured it was worth a shot.”
He sighed, then abandoned my embrace and sat up.
“I think it’s best if I sleep downstairs,” he said. “I saw a sofa in the lounge area.”
“Really? There’s no need to punish your back when we can just share a bed,” I murmured. “I mean, we’ve done it before.”
Blaze gave me a sideways glance, and I felt my pulse stutter. His midnight blues were darker than ever, distant lights twinkling in there—resonating with my own desire for him. But I was selfish. I wanted to sleep in his arms before we made our way back into Azure Heights.
“Caia, I’m not… I’m still under a celibacy oath,” he breathed.
I frowned. “We’re just sleeping. I’m beyond respectful of your vows, Blaze. I know to keep my hands to myself.” I chuckled. “Come on, don’t be stubborn. We’re just sharing a bed. There’s no point in you sleeping downstairs when there’s some room up here.”
“I am not worried about you keeping your hands off me,” Blaze replied. “I’m worried about my ability to keep my hands off you. I’m afraid I’ll sabotage myself and break the oath. It’s a highly respected tradition among the members of my species.”
I sat up, suddenly irritated. “You know what? Maybe it’s a stupid tradition,” I said. “Maybe you should consider changing it. I mean, you’ve proven your strength and resilience over and over since we’ve been here. Everything you’ve been through over the past couple of days alone should be worth at least one celibacy vow.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that,” he grumbled.
“Okay,” I replied. “I actually have a solution I think you might appreciate,” I said, stifling a smirk.
He looked at me, his brow furrowed. “What might that be?”