House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

He moved down deeper until his finger pressed against her most sensitive area. Her back arched against him. A soft moan escaped her lips, and he drowned it out with a swift kiss. Then, he was at her opening. He pressed one finger experimentally into her, a slow upward thrust that made her shiver from head to toe. He added a second finger as his lips became more insistent against hers.

She was consumed by him. There was nothing else in the entire world except his body flush against hers. The length of him hard against her hip. And those fingers… oh Gods, those fingers. He brushed this thumb against the small bead at the apex of her core and everything collapsed inward all at once.

He muffled her small whimpering cries with his mouth as she contracted around him. Her vision went in and out. Then, she slowly returned to earth and stared up at the incredible male before her.

A lazy self-satisfied smirk played on his too pretty lips, and the effects of the alcohol swirled through those big gray eyes. She reached up and ran a hand down the stubble of jawline. “What are you thinking?”

“I could devour you,” he said immediately, nipping at her bottom lip.

“Devour me,” she urged.

For a second, his grip tightened on her waist. She could feel the more insistent press of him as he shifted to try to release the tension. Yes, it had been a game, but it was a game no longer.

“Please,” she murmured against his lips.

His head fell to her shoulder, and he pressed a kiss there. “What is in this punch? It makes me want to throw caution to the wind.”

She laughed hoarsely, the spell broken. “Magic.” She already felt him withdrawing. “Is this all we’ll ever have?”

He didn’t answer. She saw the sorrow cross his face. They could have this. They could have the world. If only he’d let them. But he wouldn’t.

She pressed one more kiss to his swollen lips, adjusted the laces of her pants, and stood up out of the flowers. She returned to their friends, and he returned a few minutes later, after he was fully in control of himself once more. The game was forgotten as the others had discovered more recreational herbs.

It was for the better. She’d gotten the hardest consequence already.

37

The Holiday

“You are all excused from the remainder of lessons this week,” Alura announced. “You have been personally invited by the king and queen of Bryonica to come to Rosemont and partake in the winter holiday Season events for Geivhrea.”

Geivhrea was the ancient Fae winter holiday, celebrating the end of the night and the coming of spring. It was the biggest event of the year.

“You’ve been given accommodations within Belcourt Palace. It is a great honor, and I expect all of you to treat it as such. As always, you represent the Society while you are there. Anything that would look bad for us there will directly affect you here. Any questions?”

No one raised their hand. And then at the last second, Kerrigan put hers up.

Alura glared at her, but Kerrigan didn’t put it down. She might be a good little soldier, but there was one important question.

Alura blew out an exasperated huff. “What is it, Argon?”

Kerrigan sighed in relief. “How exactly will I be getting there?”

“Since classes are canceled, today is your final day of being grounded. You’ll leave tomorrow, and you are free to fly Tieran there.”

Kerrigan breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t have been happier. No more grounding. It had been a grueling month without him in the skies. They didn’t get along, but a part of her missed him like a giant ache in her chest. Maybe she was actually coming to like this sardonic dragon.

“You’ll resume training after the first of the year,” Alura continued, her gaze never leaving Kerrigan. “I expect you all to look exactly the same. No matter if you’ve had a break from training or not.”

Kerrigan gulped. Well, great. That was ten days. Ten days to make up for a month of training that the others had been given. And she had to attend Season events. How was she supposed to accomplish that?

But Alura just asked, “Any other questions?”

She kept her hand down. That wasn’t an invitation.

“Go pack and be ready to be in the skies by high noon,” Alura said. “Dismissed!”

Kerrigan jumped at her shout and hastened behind the others. They had a matter of hours to get ready. Audria gossiped the entire way about who was going to be there and what the Belcourt Palace would look like this year for Geivhrea. She forced herself not to think about it.

Kerrigan hadn’t been to Bryonica in twelve years, but she remembered her last night as if it were yesterday.

She’d gone out riding with her father, cutting through Corsica Forest, which made up the bulk of their lands. Kivrin was unusually quiet. He’d never been a taciturn kind of father like everyone else. He was fair, kind, buoyant. He was as interested in teaching her the intricacies of court to have her grow into a fair lady as he was to teach her the art of deception and warfare. The son he’d never had.