Page 184 of Hidden Kingdoms

“Elodie.” Kaius’ whispered voice filtered through my sleep, and his finger skimmed down my cheek. As my eyes fluttered open, I found him standing next to the bed fully dressed.

“Put these on,” he said, pressing a bundle of clothes into my chest as I blinked in the darkness, trying to catch up with what was going on.

I pushed myself up, holding onto what he had given me, head craned back to look up at him as I rubbed sleep from my eyes.

When I hadn’t moved, he leaned down and pulled the cover from around me, before taking the bundle he had given me and shaking a black hoodie loose. Without warning, he pulled it over my head, and I automatically pushed my arms through the too-long sleeves, watching with sleep laden amusement as he rolled the ends so my fingers poked out. His earthy scent laden with cedar wrapped around me, and I knew he had given me one of his own jumpers to wear, though I was still none the wiser as towhy.

Next, he swept my legs from the bed, kneeling down in front of me as he placed each foot into the legs of a pair of black joggers that were nowhere near my size. I could feel the tremble of my magik as it sought out his, eager to reunite as it so recently had.

I squeezed my thighs together as even the smallest of touches from him sent heat racing through me and straight to my pussy, which was currently right in line with his face, apparently not done from our earlier time together.

“What are you thinking?” Kaius asked quietly, as his fingers grazed my skin as he slowly pulled up the trousers.

“That I could get used to this.”

“Get used to what?” he paused, the tops of my thighs still bare and so painfully close to his lips.

“You, on your knees before me.”

He smirked before leaning forward and pressing a kiss against the soft skin of my thighs. I released a small sigh as the contact set me on fire with want, and I could feel his smile against my skin as he placed another kiss just a little higher. Instead of directing him further like my body was aching for, I lifted my hips so he could slide the black fabric all the way up. Kaius stood as I got down from the bed, the trousers which I guessed were also his, almost falling down as I did.

“This isn’t going to work.” I lifted the jumper, and we both knew that rolling them wasn’t going to help here.

Kaius pursed his lip, considering the problem before pulling the band from his hair and reaching out to tie it around the excess material gathered at my hip.

“I look stupid.”

He tugged down the hem of the oversized hoodie. “You look hot.”

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed as I watched him vigorously shake the shoes he must have brought in from the other room, before placing them in front of me.

“You do, plus if my plan works, no one else is going to see you anyway.” Kaius reached for my hand and began leading me out of the room towards the main door.

“And do you want to enlighten me on that plan?”

“Not yet.”

65

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

ELODIE

Having moved quickly through the palace using passages that only someone—Kaius—with intimate knowledge of its layout could have navigated, I hadn’t had time to second-guess coming home.

We had been released from the magik Kaius used to get us here, right on the edge of where I knew my wards normally stopped.

Except as we waited in the shadows of the trees, I knew they were no longer in place. My home, open and exposed to all the unknown things I had protected it from. Only a thin, barely negligible shield I could feel emanating from the talismans hung around my house gave it any protection at all.

I didn’t know how that was possible, but I did know it was empty.

I hated the relief that had my shoulders sagging with the knowledge I wouldn’t have to face anyone.

We waited a moment, surveying the garden under the clear night sky, the moon unobscured and offering us enough light to see.

“Are you ready?” Kaius asked, his voice low and so close to my ear, goosebumps erupted across my skin.

“Not really,” I breathed, yet I broke from the cover of the trees all the same. Kaius’ presence a steady comfort beside me as we moved together, passing through the gate of the iron fence that bordered the front garden.

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