Page 19 of Stone Sentinels

The book follows me as I carry armfuls of vials, bottles, and pouches to the large pot that sits on the burning wood. An orange glow emits from the bottom of the hot steel as I pour the lithops extract.

A foul stench permeates the kitchen while I work to create potions and poisons to replace those I lost during our first fight with Anona when we encountered her on the road. Now that I can walk in the sunlight and I know how to utilize the old portals around the forest carefully, I fully intend to find out where Morrigan’s powers are and make sure she never gets them back. I don’t trust that sneaky witch, and I don’t plan to ally myself with her. She’s a snake in the grass, I know she is.

With everything the others have told me, Silvanus has to have Morrigan’s powers. If I can somehow get to his temple without running into Variant’s soldiers, I can sneak inside and destroy whatever artifact is holding the Midnight Queen’s power.

The throbbing in my head grows more and more intense as I work. Nightfall comes much sooner than I expect, and Noni shuffles into the kitchen to begin preparing supper. “Eilish,” I call. “Meet me in the apothecary closet as soon as possible.”

Only a few seconds later, I hear her footsteps echo down the corridor. Eilish leans against the doorframe with a teasing little smile on her lips. “Hmm, what did you need with me in the closet?” she asks.

I grab her around the waist and pull her to me, feeling the way her ample curves fit the contours of my body. She gasps and I slide my tongue into her mouth to claim it for myself. Eilish’s nails dig into my shoulders and I spin her around, slamming her against the wall beside the door. She arches into me, grinding against my erect cock as she searches for the perfect amount of pressure. I feel myself thicken fully and I want to bury my length within her dripping heat, but now isn’t the time.

“I need to feed,” I whisper huskily. It’s why my head’s been aching—I haven’t been giving my body the sustenance it requires.

Eilish’s eyes flash and I watch darkness pool in her gaze until nothing else remains. She licks her lips, and the scent of her seduction fills my lungs. I strike hard and fast with my fangs, piercing the succulent flesh of her neck as she trembles against me. Her hips move faster, riding my erection through the barrier of our clothes until she stiffens and soaks through the layers of fabric that separate us.

My hand dips inside of her leggings and my fingers stroke her tender flesh as I drink my fill of her blood. Eilish’s essence slides across my tongue and drips down the back of my throat. I swallow greedily, pulling at her vein until I’m sated. After licking the puncture wounds, I ravish her mouth once more. She pulls back, then licks her hand and shoves it down the front of my trousers.

Air explodes from my chest as she strokes me to completion. I collapse against her. Eilish’s free hand rubs up and down the length of my back as we struggle to catch our breath.

“Wow,” she gasps. “I should... ugh... I should feed you more often.”

I chuckle into the crook of her neck. I love the way she trembles at my touch and leans into me, seeking affection and comfort. But still, I pull away, not yet accustomed to such actions. She allows me this space, not demanding anything of me in return.

We exit the small closet; Eilish goes to clean up as I head to the kitchen. Noni takes one look at my appearance and blushes, snapping her fingers and removing the evidence of the tryst that happened in the apothecary closet. I thank the little brownie for cleaning me up and help her carry the platters and bowls of food to the dining table. Pyre quirks a brow at Eilish when she comes to dinner with wet hair, but the others don’t seem to notice.

Over the course of the evening, I find time to speak to each of my companions, aside from Cambion. He doesn’t seem interested in anything going on around him, which pisses me off. He’s here and he’s safe, with a belly full of food and a warm roof over his head... and yet, he refuses to help. I feel a blinding rage whenever I look at the elf. Only a prick of a king would sleep comfortably through the night while his own people suffer at the hands of Variant. I want to bury my foot in his ass.

I trust him about as much as I trust Morrigan.

CHAPTER EIGHT

CAMBION

Oronrel

The night grows quiet aside from the sounds of snores and the rustle of bedsheets. I unfold my long limbs from the confines of the linens and creep soundlessly through the sleeping quarters. The bag I prepared the night before waits for me in the bathing room. Beneath the guise of running water, I quickly change into clothing appropriate for hiking through the forest at night. Once the task is complete, I sneak out of the room and down the staircase.

There’s nothing and no one to stop me, yet I hesitate as my hand hovers above the doorknob. As much as I wonder if I’m making a huge mistake, one I will pay for later, I know I must do this.

The hesitation leaves me and I head out on my journey toward the portal. With Noni’s previous description guiding me, it’s not hard to find. Figuring out the runes, however, proves to be a very trying task, but I manage to open the portal to Oronrel without further issue.

As soon as I step through the portal and see Oronrel looming before me, a sense of familiarity hits me. And nostalgia. There was a time when I knew this palace almost as well as I knew my own.

I fish Pyre’s mirror out of my robes and use it to assess my brother’s position within the palace, scrying for a definite location. Once I receive it, I move forward. Because I’m dressed like a member of the Unseelie Court, none of the guards stop me for questioning. I’m able to walk into the palace and so far, my plan is working to perfection. The mirror takes me up the grand staircase and along several corridors.

Even though there’s a sense of familiarity about the place, it also feels different somehow. A labyrinth of rooms and hallways separate me from my brother, but I soon find him. He’s sitting alone in his throne room, on a stool in front of a large mirror—one that’s easily as tall as he is. And my brother is not a small man.

I open the door and close it behind me. He doesn’t turn to see who it is who has interrupted his solitude. I imagine he already knows.

“We need to talk, Brother,” I announce.

Theren’s unsettling gaze falls on me and I feel like an insect being pinned to a shadow box. “Yes, we do. I’m glad you’re here, Cambion. I’ve been trying to reach you within The Veil, but not even my magic can penetrate its warding.” Theren leaves his stool and comes to stand in front of me. I’m surprised at his lack of surprise. “I know you have questions.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Go on, then,” he invites. “Ask away.”

It’s funny. For years, I’ve practiced what I would say to my brother if we ever came face to face. And now that we are, I don’t know if I’ll be able to say the words as I practiced them so many times. “You... you turned your back on me and sided with Variant, who threw the Realms into chaos,” I begin. “And in the aftermath of my failure, you didn’t come to me.” I pause for a moment. “You never once visited me in my banishment.”

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