Page 127 of The Sundered Realms

“Oh, I will marry you.” His gaze heated up; Liris’ breath quickened. “When we get through this, I will do more than that.”

When, not if. “Oh? And what comes after marriage?”

Vhannor grinned at her. “You’ll find out.”

Liris felt her skin warming even as she said, “I’m fairly certain we don’t have to wait for marriage for that.”

His grin widened. “Very true. However, rushed on the side of the road without even a bed is not what you deserve for that either.”

“This is very much a you thing again,” Liris said.

”I also deserve better than to have to rush through everything I’ve imagined with you.”

“Surely we both deserve a preview, at least,” Liris murmured. “Keeping morale up, you know.”

“I’ll see what I can do to raise your expectations,” Vhannor said.

“Not to put too fine a point on it, but I was raised in near-seclusion and don’t have any expectations for you to disappoint?”

Vhannor nodded. “I know. That’s part of what I mean. You deserve to have expectations. Of me, of the world. Of your life. I don’t think you’ll change your mind about me once we have sex—gods, I hope not—but nevertheless. You had so many years of so few options, I want you to know what you want and choose it for yourself. I want you to be happy, Liris.”

If she weren’t hurtling to her possible death right now, she wasn’t sure she could be happier.

“So,” she said, “that’s a no to in-case-we’re-about-to-die-and-never-get-another-chance sex, then?”

Liris was worried for a moment he’d take that the wrong way and think she was planning on dying again, but he murmured, “Still with such low expectations of me. You think you’d be satisfied with only the time we have left to the border?”

Liris blinked. “Oh, I had expected too little. I’d been thinking one night, not marathon traveling sex. You’re right, but also you’ve been holding out on the sex spells.”

Vhannor struggled not to laugh. “Yes. We’ll need all our strength for the battle ahead.”

Liris sighed. “Added incentives to live, then.”

He lost his battle and laughed out loud, and Liris joined him, and soon both of them were laughing too hard to continue flying for a little while.

When Vhannor kissed her again, Liris tried to hold onto this moment, focusing on every detail of sensation, trying not to think about how few she might have left.

She was with him, saving the world. That was everything she wanted.

But just a taste, and she’d grown greedy. She wanted everything without limit. Forever.

If she could grasp it.

Chapter 18

If Tellianghu is the position all ambassador candidates aspire to, Ormbtai is the one we all dread. But it’s the other one we are all trained for without fail, because no matter what, every Serenthuar ambassador must pass through Ormbtai.

Serenthuar no longer tries to alter the status quo here, because Ormbtai will take any opportunity to increase their oppression. Serenthuar ambassadors strive to maintain lest they lose more ground; gaining isn’t even on the table.

It’s no wonder they thought I could never be allowed to pass through.

The cheer Liris felt after a preview of a future with Vhannor faded rapidly when they crossed the border into Ormbtai and were promptly delivered into a holding cell.

Without their skimmers, which was to be expected, but the confiscation of Liris’ metaphorical wings by Ormbtai of all places had her itching to lash out, to break their attempt to confine her any way she could.

“You have a Serenthuar look about you,” a guard told Liris suspiciously.

“Met many then, have you?” Liris asked. “Or do you think all brown people are the same?”

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