Page 508 of Kingdoms of Night

This was, somehow, the most mind-boggling part of this whole experience. “Are you saying that I usurped her?”

A moonlit grin almost dazzled my stress into submission. “That isexactlywhat I’m saying.”

“Are you sure? How can you be sure? What if you’re wrong and this is some infection that will slowly kill me? What if—” He cut off my anxious rambling with a firm kiss, and I fell back, hands desperate to unbind his hair.

“Stop doubting yourself.” He shushed me, positioning himself right at my entrance. “Let me put your mind at ease.”

I nodded, watching how the hues and brightness differed between my hand and his hair as I tucked it behind his pointed ear. “Do your worst.”

Tamuz let out a pleased growl and pushed inside, the sudden stretch barely having time to sink in before he began to move. I wrapped around him, holding on for dear life as he knocked every intrusive thought out of my head with each dizzying thrust of his hips, making me shout, gasp and moan as the pressure on my climactic nerves rose.

The heat that claimed me earlier returned in threefold, rushing through my body like a river of molten iron, rising in waves off my sweating skin.

His mouth was back at my throat, fangs leaving soft bites that made me shudder and tighten around him. He groaned in my ear and sped up, tempo desperate and uneven, hips slamming into mine, rattling maddening vibrations through me.

I pulled at his hair, sudden strength yanking his head back so hard he let out an obscene moan. Another tug brought him up on his hands, arching his back as his wings burst out, cast from silver, reflecting our combined light.

With each determined thrust I barreled further towards release, hands falling over my head to curl along with my toes as his mouth reached mine.

There was no holding on past that, I reached the end with a scream that tightened every muscle in my body, pulling him right after me and over the edge.

We collapsed into a boneless, heaving pile until the rush settled. Tamuz pulled off and dropped on his side by me, watching me with his head propped up in his hand. “You’ve gotten even brighter now.”

“What does it mean, for everything?” I asked between pants, blood humming with ease.

“It means we won’t need the other gods for anything.” He was way too pleased with his answer. “As we’ll not just be introducing a new God of the Moon, but one for the Evening Star as well.”

Hearing that fact confirmed finally put all the blurring feelings into focus, funneling them into one clear thought. “I love you, too. I just wish I could have said it earlier.”

“I don’t. Before now, any declaration wouldn’t have been for our sakes alone, but for what hung over our heads.” He pulled me into his arms, head on his chest, his hand in my hair. “Now, we are what hangs overhead, lighting up the night and each other’s lives on our own terms.”

I smoothed my hand down his chest, admiring the contrast between our hues.“You have such a way with words, always so wise and reasonable.”

“I wasn’t always this way, but I’ve had a long time to settle into my place in the universe, and you will, too.”

Disbelief may have lingered to dull my delight, but as he said, we’d have ages to shine until it became undeniable.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Amonth had passed since the Rebirth of the Moon, and its celebration fell on the full moon. In the meantime, Tamuz had caught up on his duties as the king and I was adjusting to my transformation, learning how to use my new power before I took on any of Ashtara’s duties. It helped that Sharar, her husband that shared her domain, had disappeared into the void, leaving my claim unchallenged.

That, and we did remember to tell Baltasar and Suzianna they were effectively married. Not that they had been subtle before, but now they were open with their affection, earning reactions that ranged from endearment to annoyance. I dared anyone to say anything out loud.

Along with our ascensions through the ranks, Baltasar was now head of the guard and Suzianna had been appointed my lady-in-waiting. They refused an official wedding, saying there was no point since we didn’t have one either.

Naturally, Tamuz organized for us to have a wedding ceremony at the start of our coronation.

Mirroring our first meeting, I was escorted by Baltasar and the rest of the royal guard atop Iltani, who slithered down the grand steps of the palace. Dressed in a metallic gown of green-gold, its accompanying sequined and beaded veil sheer, but not dulling any part of the view that surrounded us.

Hundreds of thousands ofnannurigreeted me with cheers, music, and waving flags, welcoming me as their savior whereas the humans had sent me off as a sacrifice.

I waved until my arms ached, floating on the rush of their combined excitement and staving off the rising tension in my chest. I didn’t even know why I felt this way, we were already married and I had weeks to come to terms with my new status. Still, I was being introduced to all eyes on here, and later back on Earth, as an official new goddess.

The many flights of stairs ended in the street, taking me through the towns with dozens running alongside us all the way to the grand temple, where Tamuz awaited me. The temples may have been for the people to worship both their head gods and others as they did in the world below, but they acted as places of law and order, and more importantly, where bonds were bound.

Tamuz appeared at the steps, his hair smoothed back, his wings folded, his kaftan deep-blue and worked with silver thread and pearls, a beautiful beacon of moonlight.

Baltasar and Suzianna dismounted from theirbashmuand came to the sides the second I leaped off Iltani. They escorted me all the way up til there was only a step between him and I.

---