Page 61 of The Stolen Throne

“My Princess.” He growls as he slams into me.

I manage to open my eyes just enough to meet his, and I reply, “You are mine. My Grumpy Man.”

With a roar, he slams into me one last time, and I feel the warmth of his seed fill me. He pants as he rests his forehead on my shoulder. His words are only loud enough for me to hear when he replies, “You can call me whatever you wish, so long as I am yours. Forever yours, Princess.”

32

Dax is still acting weird even after our sexy session in the shower. Huffing out a sigh, I finally blurt out, “Dax, what’s wrong?”

We are currently huddled up in my room. Which is nice, considering the mirror on his bedroom ceiling freaked me out a bit. Maybe I should ask about the mirror? Though that might be a random question to ask right now. Hum... question for another time, I suppose. My men are sporadically situated around the room; Ash and Kas are on the bed with me, while the others have pulled up chairs to sit around the bed. I think it may be time for a bigger bed soon, so all of us can lie in here together.

He rubs the back of his head, still avoiding my gaze. “I found a spell in one of the books in the library. I’m not sure if it will work, which is why I’m a bit hesitant to say anything.”

“I can tell that whatever it is weighs heavily on your mind. Just talk to me, Dax.”

He rubs a hand down his face and stands from his chair. He begins pacing in front of the bed and sputters out, “I found a spell that will allow you to speak to the dead. It will only work for a limited amount of time, though.” His eyes meet mine, and I realize why he searched for this spell.

I sit up and crawl to the end of the bed as I ask, “You wanted a spell in case I didn’t make it?”

He nods sharply as he continues to pace. “I know you were very close with your parents. That your father was lost at sea, and my father killed your mother.” He winces at that last part.

I frown, trying to understand why he would mention this now. Then it clicks, and my eyes widen as I jump up from the bed. “I can speak to them?”

He winces at my shout but says, “You can speak to only one. The spell is limited, and it requires a lot of magic, so you will not be able to speak to them again for a while.”

Who should I talk to? I can only choose one. One moment with a parent again. I bite my lip. “My mother. I wish to speak to my mother.”

“Are you sure, Little Raven? This may not work. I’ve never done a spell like this before.”

I nod as I tighten my robe. “Yes. I want to see my mother.”

He watches me for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll need some space.” He points at the chairs and says, “I’ll need this area cleared.” Pulling out a knife, he pricks his finger and kneels.

“Dax?”

He looks up at me with a soft smile. “This spell requires payment. Blood is all that is needed. Nothing more, I promise.”

I nod as I back away, giving him enough room to draw symbols on the floor. It’s a few moments later when he nods and looks back up at me. “I’ll need a strand of your hair.”

Running my hands through my hair, a few strands come loose. I’m careful of the symbols as I make my way over to him. Handing the strands over, he smiles and points to the edge of the circle. “You will need to stand there.”

I do as I’m told, moving over to the edge of the circle. Once I’m where he wants me, he begins to chant in another language, and the symbols start to give off a red glow. He places the strands of hair in the blood by his fingers as he ends the chant.

I wait on bated breath, then there’s a sharp crack and a flare of light. I squeeze my eyes shut against the onslaught of light. I blink open my eyes when it seems to have faded. I can’t help but gasp as a ghostly image of my mother stands in front of me. I can see Dax’s wide eyes through her body. I dare not breathe as I wait to see if this is real.

She looks around for a moment before her eyes land on me. They widen, and her voice comes through muffled. It’s almost too muted for me to catch. “Eira?”

My hands fly up to cover the sob that rips from my throat as my vision blurs. “Mom?”

She smiles softly and says, “My Little Snowflake. You have grown so much.”

I can’t stop the words as they fly out of my mouth, “I’m sorry, Mommy! I’m so sorry that I killed you! I’m so sorry! I couldn’t stop him! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Her eyes hold a ghostly shimmer as she says, “Oh, my darling. It wasn’t your fault. I should have taken your counsel more seriously.”

I shake my head as tears stream down my face. “I’m sorry.”

She reaches out as if to touch me but then realizes she’s not actually here. “Enough of that, Eira. You have grown so much. A beautiful woman. We only have so long to speak, I imagine.”

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