Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
My fingers pressed into his sides as I felt the thick, hard length of him against my belly. “How am I not behaving?”
Cas’s nose brushed mine. “I can taste how wet you are for me,” he said, nipping my lower lip. “And, sadly, we do not have time for that.”
The flush that hit my cheeks had nothing to do with shame and everything to do with red-hot lust. And…just like in the tub, a little relief. He still desired me as fiercely as he had before learning about Sotoria. And while he’d told me exactly that, showing me had a far greater impact. “Later?”
“You should already know the answer to that, my Queen.” His fingers threaded through my hair. “But in case you truly do not, rest assured, there will be a later. And when it comes, I will fuck you until the word later has been erased from your memory.”
A throbbing pulse of desire followed those words, already causing me to lose my ability to speak.
And Casteel knew it.
His laugh was low, dark, and full of smoke and shadows. “Everyone is at the Temple.” His entire tone shifted. “Including Attes.”
I pressed my lips together. “You really shouldn’t dislike him. He’s your family, and you don’t even know him.”
“I know enough.”
“You—”
“He said he was friends with Sotoria, yet he still breathes.”
All the wonderful heat vanished from my body.
“And he still breathes because he clearly didn’t intervene on Sotoria’s behalf.” His eyes searched mine. “You can’t tell me that hasn’t crossed your mind.”
Obviously, it had. I had just been thinking about it. “There has to be more to it.”
“I’m sure there is.” He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “And I probably won’t like that either.”
“Cas,” I repeated. “Can you just try to get along with him? He is helping us—he has helped us. That is all that matters right now.”
His jaw flexed. “Would it make you happy?”
“Yes.”
“Then…I will try.”
“Promise?”
He sighed and briefly closed his eyes. “Promise.”
My head cocked. “Why did promising that sound like you just suffered a mortal wound.”
“Because it felt like I did.”
A laugh escaped me. “You’re ridiculous.”
An eyebrow rose. “Ridiculously—”
“No.” I placed my fingers over his lips. “Don’t finish that.”
Chuckling, he nipped at my fingertip. “I’ll be nicer. For you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I wonder if he has spoken to Valyn. Or talked to Malik.”
“They were talking when I saw them—Valyn and Attes. Malik just showed up as I left. Hopefully, Father spoke to him last night. If not, well…”
It would be awkward.
And talk about timing. If Valyn hadn’t returned yesterday?
“You ready?” he asked.
I nodded.
Casteel straightened, dropping his hand to mine. He took the lead, seeming to know my mind wasn’t in the right place. I felt a rise of eather—
“Wait!” I shouted.
Casteel slowly turned his head toward me. “I think I just lost an eardrum.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, you didn’t.”
He arched a brow.
I kept forgetting to talk to him about the future of the kingdoms—about who should rule them. It had just resurfaced, but…was now the right time to discuss it? When everyone, including nearly the entire capital, was waiting on us? We needed more than a handful of minutes to talk about it.
Cas waited, his gaze expectant. “Did you have something to say?”
“Just that I…love you.” I gave him a big smile.
He blinked those ridiculously long lashes. “That’s why you burst my eardrum?”
“Your eardrum is fine.” I sighed.
“I don’t think you realize how loud you are,” he replied, the corners of his lips twitching. “But the temporary loss of hearing was worth it to hear those words.”
Now, my smile was as genuine as it was big.
One side of his lips curled up. “You ready now?”
I nodded.
“You sure? I don’t want to lose the other—”
“For fuck’s sake, I am going to burst your eardrum in a minute.”
Cas chuckled deeply, his golden eyes warming. “You are so incredibly…violent.”
Which was one of the many, many reasons we needed to discuss the future of the kingdoms.
Stretching up, I kissed him. “I’m ready. No more shouting.”
Cas shadowstepped us to the Sun Temple with both eardrums intact.
When the silver light faded, it took me a moment to recognize my surroundings. The last time I’d been in the Temple was as a young child, but I quickly recalled the vast cella—the Temple’s main chamber.
The day was overcast, but that didn’t dampen the radiance of the space. The gold veins in the ivory floors shimmered, and the diamonds encrusting the tall limestone pillars framing the steps leading to the pews and the alcove circling the cella captured what light there was, casting fractured beams of warmth across the wide chamber. As Casteel turned, my gaze swept over the raised dais and the golden throne, its back carved into the shape of a sun. It shimmered with an almost otherworldly light.
Had Seraphena ever sat upon that throne while the Temple was empty?