Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Rook gave me a sad smile. I’m willing to do whatever you suggest. If you need to borrow my energy again, I’m fine with that. Just do whatever it takes to ensure we don’t fail.
The dragon courtyard came into view, hidden by strings of weeping wisteria. You’ll tell me if I take too much? If you can’t handle me draining you?
Yes.
My jaw locked so hard it hurt.
Was I really going to hurt her? Drain her? Do something that might end up killing her?
I trust you. She smiled with absolute love in her eyes. You won’t kill me.
Fuck, I hated this.
I fucking hated all of this.
It will be okay, Lucien.
Will it? I held her gaze, drowning in her affection and faith. I’m not so sure.
We stepped into the huge dragon courtyard with its carved pillars holding up the heavens, meandering koi ponds, half-moon bridges, and marble pavers.
Almost as if we couldn’t bear to go on, we stopped and Rook reached up to cup my cheek. It took you twenty years to get back home...you can’t let them take you again. Use me. Take whatever you need. I’ll be okay.
Unable to stop myself, I bent and pressed my lips to hers. I love you.
I know. She shivered as the kiss deepened just enough to taste each other. To taste the exhaustion and emptiness. The hope and fear that we might not survive.
The longer we kissed, the tighter our bond knotted. The faintest pulse of power weaved between us—
And then I pushed her away, strode toward the centre of the marble pavers—where I’d almost burned alive when I’d first returned home—and prepared to go to war to defend it.
Chapter Ten
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ASHFALL?” the leader barked, his boots planted on Whispering Dragon’s shoulders. He’d swapped his pistol for a rifle, and the shadows cast by the dragon’s horns striped him with shade from the sun. “The gate is right there.” He pointed his gun at the locked metal doors. “Just a few more steps. Come outside and no one else has to die.” He smirked at the corpse of a young man lying in the flower bed that I hadn’t noticed.
A gardener had died just because I’d returned home and brought these monsters with me.
Rook stayed behind me, opening her heart with so much trust and love, it drove daggers into my soul.
“Get.” The leader scowled when I stayed stiff and silent. “Move!”
Rook’s voice filled my head. I know you’re procrastinating because you’re afraid of hurting me, but I’m fine. Honestly. Do it.
Her generosity broke me because she was right. I was afraid. So fucking afraid of hurting her. You’ll tell me if it gets too much?
Yes. You already know I will. Do it.
Hesitantly, I reached for her with that disgustingly dangerous part of my power.
She hissed under her breath as the bond went taut. My stomach churned as her heart touched mine, icy and pure...wide open and mine for the taking.
I groaned and shook my head, pulling back. I can’t...
Yes. You can.
I sucked in a breath as she reached for me instead. Her entire essence wrapped around me, clouding my senses, intoxicating me with her delicious scent. Blinding lust crippled me.
I wanted her.
No.
I needed her.
It was getting to the point where I might literally die if I didn’t get inside her.
Then take me. She held my stare. Take whatever you need.
Her voice echoed like a siren, encouraging me to do terrible things.
I trust you... Her mind stroked mine and my need turned utterly feral. That instinctive part of me knew exactly what I needed. I didn’t need food or water or sleep. I just needed her.
Balling my hands, I followed the bridge linking our souls together and stepped into the centre of her existence. A full-body shiver ran through me as I touched her spirit.
I still couldn’t explain how or why, but her lifeforce rushed into me like quicksilver. It flooded my veins, eradicated the worst of my weakness, and steadied my failing body.
I pulled harder, drank deeper—
Rook gasped, but I barely heard her.
I kept tugging, coaxing, taking everything she would give me. If I couldn’t be inside her, then I’d drag her into me.
She whimpered—
Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind, I felt her suffering. I felt her limbs grow heavier, her breath come shallower, struggling to keep up with what I was stealing.
“Move, Ashfall!” the leader bellowed from above. “Stop fucking around or we’ll start shooting again!”
Another voice joined in. “Open the gate! Now!”
Rook’s energy tasted like winter starlight—clean and powerful and mine. It filled my hollow places until I vibrated with potential. I reached for more and more and more—
She staggered against me.
The fire ignited as if it’d been there all along—as if she was the perfect tinder. But then it coughed and spluttered out again. With a snarl, I sank into the world where the scritches of plant roots and flutters of avian hearts turned loud. The earth’s energy rose, soaking through my feet and taunting me to use it.