Page 149 of The Oracle of Dusk

“This is nice,” she mumbled.

As he settled her at his side, and she drifted back to sleep, he had to admit that holding her, caring for her, and luxuriating in her presence was very nice indeed. He hoped that they could have this together for many years to come.

Chapter 25

WhenAurorawokenext,it was dark outside. She drank in the sound of Theron’s steady breathing, the scent of his soap and skin, the comforting warmth of his presence. Would that she could spend every day like this, her greatest challenge deciding which dress she wanted him to divest her of and in what way he would make love to her.

“Oh goddess…” she groaned, remembering all the things they’d done, shame scalding her.

Aurora couldn’t sit still. The memories of asking him to play out her deepest fantasies raced through her mind. She removed herself from his side and began pacing.

What if he’d only humoured her, and he didn’t truly enjoy what they’d done? What if he thought her strange, unnatural? It was a common-enough reaction to her peculiar tastes. Few people were interested in such things. What if he regretted their bond, now that he’d glimpsed inside the part of her she’d kept hidden away? She should have approached it slowly, tactfully, sounding him out first. What if she spent the rest of her days wishing she’d kept it all buried deep, where no one would know of her shame or use it to hurt her? What a mess she’d mired herself in.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor, Aurora. Come back to bed.” Theron beckoned her sleepily.

She walked mechanically to his side, her gut churning. Theron took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, looking up at her from the comfort of his pillow.

“What troubles you?”

“It’s just…I’ve never…never done that before. P-play, I mean.”

“Did you dislike it?”

“No! No, I…liked it.”

“Then what’s the problem?” he asked, amused.

“You’re not…put off by me, are you?”

He raised a brow. Oh goddess, it was just as she’d feared.

“W-we don’t have to do it again!” she reassured him, her heart in her throat. “If it’s not to your liking, I don’t want to force you to do anything that repels you. I didn’t mean to—”

He pressed a finger to her lips.

“Hush. That’s enough of that. Rest assured, I very much enjoyed what we shared, and I intend to indulge in our every fantasy—repeatedly, and at great length.”

Aurora released a shaky breath and a quiet, relieved laugh as he cupped her cheek and stroked her face with his thumb.

“Thank you,” she said, kissing his palm. “For everything.”

“It’s no easy thing to trust another with our most cherished desires. I’m grateful you proved worthy of that trust,” he said solemnly.

“And I you, Theron.”

“Now, are you coming back to bed? I want a few more hours of rest before we leave this thrice-damned city.”

Aurora shook her head. There was no going back to sleep now that her anxiety had woken her.

“I slept for a whole day already.”

“You ran yourself ragged, physically and emotionally, and that was before I brought you to the temple. You needed the rest. But if you can’t sleep, feel free to wander the temple halls. The paladins and my people are on guard for any of Flora’s minions. There’s a dress for you there, in the wardrobe. It was all that could be crafted on such short notice. I’ll have finer ones made as soon as possible.”

Aurora smiled and kissed him on his forehead, changing into the dress and slipping from the room, Theron already asleep once more. She found her way to the courtyard and decided to enjoy the pre-dawn cool, wiping away the morning dew from the bench. Where the courtyards of Knowledge’s temples were dedicated to rare and unusual plants meant for study, and Justice’s were utilitarian, minimalist spaces meant to help clear the mind, Passion’s were explosions of colour, scent and lush beauty.

Spices and florals mixed in the air. Even throughout millennia, some things remained the same. Though she couldn’t identify all the different plant species, the blend reminded her of home. She alone amongst her family had chosen Knowledge as her patroness, despite being born under Passion’s stars. Like most merchants, her family prayed most fervently to Passion. Her early childhood was filled with memories of incense and prayers in the ruby temple. Of racing through the halls and courtyard laughing and shrieking as she was chased by cheerful acolytes, and doted on by priestesses who pinched her chubby cheeks. Aspiring cooks would slip her confections when her parent’s gazes were turned while complimenting her on her long ears.

Home felt so very close in that moment, here in the same temple where she would one day spend her childhood. And yet, she may never return. The cycle of calamity, Drakon, kept her here by necessity, but she had more than one destiny. The thread that bound her to Theron was as unexpected as it was precious. Already she felt herself pulled in two—the desire to go home, and the desire to stay. With Theron, a part of her was already home.

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