Page 133 of Of Realms and Chaos

After another few minutes, her smile faded entirely, and I saw the rage boil in her eyes when he put his arm on the back of her chair. My grip on the table threatened to snap the wood, the sound of it splintering too quiet to be heard over the voices in the crowded tavern. Apparently, this city was full of day-drinkers, and I could not blame them. Everyone knew war was coming, and that was enough to push creatures of all kinds towards paths they might not have wished to walk along before.

Fed up with sitting still, I called to my shadows, summoning the pencil and paper that I had left back at the inn. They appeared in my hand, and I quickly unrolled the paper, scribbling a quick note to Asher.

Need any help?

When the paper landed in her lap, unbeknownst to the man, I saw her shoulders sag in relief. Her hands adjusted near her knee, drawing the man’s attention. As if he thought it an invitation, he smirked and grabbed her upper thigh. I shot up, Henry’s hand gripping my tunic and attempting to hold me back. Wrath hissed beside her, looking as if he were prepared to tear out the man’s throat.

But in the end, Asher did not need anyone’s help.

She smiled wide, earning a blush from the man beside her. Her magic flooded the air, tasting like vanilla and pressing into my skin like a reckoning. Then she grabbed his wrist, smacked his palm onto the table, and shoved my pencil through his hand. He howled in agony, the pain on his face bringing a smile to my own. Asher, too, seemed pleased by the tears that streamed down his cheeks as he desperately attempted to wrestle out of her grip. But she did not let go, instead twisting the pencil further into his flesh. When she leaned forward, whispering into his ear like a lover, he silenced himself and let his head lull back.

The moment she ripped the pencil from his flesh, he slumped to the side, his body hitting the ground. All the while, no one in the tavern but Henry, Wrath, and I seemed to take notice of the scene, like they could not see or hear it. Our eyes locked then, and I laughed as she winked, tipping back the man’s untouched mead—which she quickly followed with her own. Wrath’s venomous chuckles could be heard from across the room, wicked delight in his yellow eyes as he stared at the man on the ground.

“Never tell her I said this, but life is so much more fun with her in it.” Henry’s amusement left me smiling like a fool, because all I could have asked for was my family to love her like I did. Luckily, it was hard not to. Especially as she snapped her fingers and three people stood, walking towards the stage in the far right corner where they picked up instruments and began to play. A woman walked over to Asher, handing her another mug. My love, my Princess, my future handed her a gold coin in return, whispering softly to her. The woman blushed and nodded vehemently before walking back behind the bar.

Then Asher was up, her hips swaying tantalizingly to the beat—the mead in her mug sloshing over the edge as she sped up. My eyes remained glued to her, obsessed with every minute movement. Others joined in, making their way to the center of the tavern where space had been dedicated for dancing. And dance she did. Once more, she topped off her drink, and I knew she would regret not pacing herself later. But, for now, she flashed her white teeth, those full lips perfectly framing them. Setting her mug down on a nearby table, she grabbed the woman from earlier, latching onto her waist and spinning them in a circle.

Giggles came from her as Asher tugged her into a messy dance, the two of them moving to the beat with no real rhyme or reason to the sway of their bodies. Henry stood, stealing a drink from the table in front of us before he joined in. I remained where I was, my eyes never leaving Ash. Captivating did not begin to describe her.

A barmaid offered me a drink, which I accepted with a nod despite my eyes remaining trained onto the dancing princess before us. By the time she let the woman go back to work, a shine coating her face from the heat of the bodies beside her and the constant moving, I had already consumed a cup of wine and two of mead.

We locked gazes once more, and I knew that I was in trouble by the way she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and undid her cloak. My cock twitched in my pants when she leisurely made her way towards me, her hands roaming over her body and her hips rotating. Again, I felt the pulse of her magic, this time watching as every set of eyes looked away from us like we did not exist.

Immediately, I discovered why she was affording us privacy. Her fingers met the laces that secured the front of her dress, gently undoing them as she walked. My breathing halted—like if I so much as took in air, I would miss this moment. When the green dress was fully open, exposing the black band of fabric that supported her breasts, she let her fingers run lazily between them, tracing a teasing line down her torso.

A desperate groan left my lips as her hands tugged the fabric off her shoulders, letting the garment hang by her elbows. She continued to sway, now only ten feet away from me. Her feet stilled, and as she let her head fall back, I stood, ready to damn it all and take her on the floor.

Stay there, Elemental.

Her words were an order, though the sultry tone made the command erotic. Like always, my mental shields slipped when the temptation of her affection was nearby. Without looking forward, Asher let her dress fall, wearing only her black tights, undergarments, and boots. My moans were loud now, my hand dipping into my trousers and gripping my cock. I pumped myself to the sway of her body, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she watched me.

Do you want me, Bellamy?

I nodded vehemently, groaning at the memory of her on top of me. She flashed a wicked smile as one of her fingers hooked onto the fabric hiding her breasts from me.

What would you do to get what you want? Would you kill? Lie? Beg?

Again, I nodded, this time trying to fight against the order to stay where I was, my body stuck despite my efforts. So, I took a note from her words, and I begged.

Please, Asher. Please, let me have you.

Her laugh was whimsical, breathtaking in the same way her body was. I hissed out another plea, this time aloud. My hand was stroking in jerky movements now, my cock not pleased by my own touch when hers was so near.

I told you I would love you the way you deserved, and I will. But first, crawl to me, Bellamy.

And, though she did not order it with her magic, I immediately fell to my knees and crawled to her.

The moment I was within reach of her, I latched onto her ankle and summoned my shadows, portaling us back to the inn. She gasped when we appeared in our now-dark room, a snow storm growing outside and stealing the light of the day. I kissed my way up her body, stopping only when we heard a scream of fright from behind us.

I turned, shielding Asher and finding two men in our bed. No, not our bed. This room was shades of violet, with heavy winter wear scattered about. It was their room. Asher began apologizing, her slurred speech not doing much to assuage the fear in the mortal men’s eyes. I, too, profusely apologized. Then I grabbed onto her tighter and willed us into the correct room. We both looked around, verifying we were where we belonged this time.

While I knew she would be embarrassed and livid in the morning, Asher only laughed as we stood there like fools. So, I kissed her, my tongue darting into her mouth with a fervor that I always seemed to have in her presence. The moment she moaned my name against my lips, I lost all control. With a growl of desperation, I separated from her and promptly stripped us until we were both completely bare.

Lifting her up, I shoved her back into the wall, lost in the addiction of the taste and feel of her. My lips and teeth and tongue consumed her neck, my fingers digging into her ass as I rubbed my now-throbbing cock against her.

“You wanted me to beg? I will beg all damn day, Asher. Please, let me fuck you. Let me worship the ground you walk on. Tell me I can have you, Princess. That is the way I want to be loved.” As if my words were all it took, Asher groaned in ecstasy, her head smacking into the wall as she writhed against my cock.

“Yes,” she whispered through clenched teeth, her eyes squeezing tight in preparation for what was to come. And as I took her there against the wall, watching her come undone, I knew nothing would ever be quite as stunning as Asher.

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