Page 148 of Between Despair and Hope

And when we’d come together in the cavern, making love within the pool, it had mirrored our moment in the lake months ago. Had both moments been equally restorative? The cavern itself felt different than the last time. Em had mentioned it—her divinity wanted to rest here. I could sense the feeling, not nearly as much, in my own. Perhaps it was only the blessings from Aonara or Ciarden which wanted to rest here, and she had significantlymoreof that than I did. Either way, the cavern had helped in some way to heal us both. And because of it, I’d continue to allow us to heal—together.

I quietly pulled my breeches and boots on, grabbing my cloak and wrapping it around myself. When I rifted out, I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to see where the top of the cavern was, but I’d try. The rift I’d opened was beside the tree I’d pushed her up against in the fall. Where I’d shamelessly ground against her, showing her the evidence of what she fucking did to me. My cock jerked at the memory. The memory of when I’d told her that not only was I not her friend, but there was no moving on for me. Emma had written her name in blood on my soul.

Turning toward the mountainside, I blinked at what I saw before letting a laugh take over.

Irses popped his head out from under his wing, blinking at me with what I could only describe as a glare. He stood, stretching his wings, and smoke drifted into the sky behind him. He’d sat on top of the hole into the cavern, blocking it. Ryo launched into the air behind him, and I groaned. The two of them were so attached to her. Protective hounds—though how could I blame them? Ryo had grown quite a bit and was already larger than Hyše, and before he could crash into me to lick me—as he was wont to do—I opened a rift back into the cavern. Emma stirred at the sound. The winter sun streamed down from above, warming her soft pearlescent skin, and she rolled onto her back. Nipples pink in the sunlight hardened as I watched. She stretched both arms above her head, eyes closed. Gods, she was perfect. It hit me then how fucking lucky I was. To finally be reunited with her after all those years, to survive captivity with Declan, and then to be back beside her? Staying away to protect her felt like a waste, but I couldn’t regret it.

I’d just have to make the best of it. Beginning her morning with an orgasm felt like a good place to start. Bright blue eyes opened slowly and peered up at me as I approached.

“Why is it so smoky in here?”

“Long story,” I said, kneeling beside her and pulling the blanket down past her navel. “Well, short story, but I’ll tell it in a minute.”

I bent over and kissed her stomach.

“Where were you?” she asked, tucking her arms under her head and smiling.

“Investigating.” Kissing up her torso, I tugged her nipple into my mouth, and she hissed, arching.

“And what did you—”

An earth-trembling roar from an angry dragon interrupted her, and she sat straight up.

“Was that a dragon? Did they follow us?”

I groaned, flopping onto my back. “Irses and Ryo found us, yes.”

She jumped to her feet as a slightly quieter roar sounded. She was naked still, and I let my eyes caress her in all the ways my hands wanted to. That round and perfect swell of her backside jiggled as she took a few steps to her pack, and I was on my knees before I knew it. I grabbed her by the hips and nipped at her as she bent over.

“Do you really need clothes right now?”

“If I’m going to shut those two up, I ought to put some on, don’t you think?”

“Let them roar.”

She laughed as she ignored me, pulling on fresh underthings. “We’ll have them upsetting people if I don’t deal with them.” She tugged on her breeches and pulled thick woolen socks on, and I snagged her boots, holding them open for her to step into before lacing them. “Well, that was nice of you,” she said.

“I have my moments. You plan to take them with us to Ravemont?”

“I don’t know if I have much of a choice. I don’t even know how they found us.”

“They must have sensed you somehow. I’m surprised the ones we left at the Cascade haven’t made it over to Vesta.” Groaning, I pulled myself to my feet and dressed as well. “You know, you never told me which memory you used to create Ryo.”

Sheepishly, she glanced at me over her shoulder as she buttoned her shirt. “Remember when you tackled me and tore my cloak?” The echo of my own words to her from the fall, when she’d found the cloak I’d had made for her all those years ago, brought a smile to my face.

“Wait,” I started, my lip twitching as I fought back a smile. “Is that why he likes to knock me down and lick me?”

“I have no idea,” she said, but her own grin spread wide. She tidied her pack and then opened a rift, tossing the charred remnants of our fire through it. I couldn’t help my grin when I saw the rift she’d made led to the same tree mine had. She remembered it just as well as I did. Respectful of the gods-touched cavern, she removed every trace of us before peering into the pool in the center of the cave.

“They’re back.”

“How many do you think got eaten?” Her horrified look over her shoulder brought a smile to my face. “I’m teasing. I’m sure they’re all fine.”

“Oh, but what if they’re not? It’s not like we’ll ever know. Now I feel bad,” she whined.

“Come here,” I chuckled as I tossed my pack onto my shoulder. Taking hers as she neared, I brushed her hair out of my way and leaned in. Grasping her chin, I turned her head slightly, looking at the flowers climbing up her neck. “You’re beautiful. Your heart, your mind, all of it.” She smiled, soft and shy, and averted her eyes. “Look at me, Em. You are the only good in me.”

“That’s not true. You’re a good man, Rain.”

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