Page 25 of Crown of Ashes and Desire

“Hakan,” she breathed, her words breaking on my name.

I pressed kisses to her inner thighs, taking my time, feeling her tremble beneath my mouth. When I finally tasted her, she arched off the bed with a cry that went straight to my cock. She was perfect—sweet and slick and mine.

I worshiped her with my mouth until she was gasping my name, her fingers twisted in my hair, her body taut as a bowstring. Only when she was on the edge, trembling and desperate, did I kiss my way back up her body.

“Please,” she whispered, her hands pulling at my shoulders, her legs wrapping around my hips. “I need you inside me.”

I kissed her deeply while I positioned myself at her entrance, swallowing her moan as I entered her slowly, reverently. Her light magic flared around us, dancing with my shadows in patterns of perfect harmony.

“Fuck, Ada,” I groaned against her mouth. I held myself still despite every instinct screaming at me to move. “You feel like heaven.”

She kissed me again, desperate and hungry, her tongue sliding along mine while her body adjusted to me. When she shifted her hips, silently asking for more, I responded with deliberate care—each thrust deep and measured, designed to worship rather than conquer.

Our mouths never stopped working together, kisses alternating between desperate hunger and tender devotion. Every gasp, every moan was swallowed by the other, creatingan intimacy so complete it felt like we were sharing the same breath.

"I love you," she gasped into my lips when I drove deeper, her light exploding around us in brilliant waves. "God, Hakan, I love you so much."

"And I love you," I replied fiercely. I meant it with everything I was. "My light. My everything. My fucking salvation."

The rhythm we found was perfect—desperate but controlled, passionate but tender. Every thrust was answered by her rising hips, every kiss by her eager mouth. We flowed together like we were made for this, like every moment of our lives had led to this perfect connection.

When her climax built, I could feel it through our bond—the way her magic flared brighter, the way her body tightened around me. I kissed her deeper, swallowing her cries while she shattered in my arms.

The sensation of her coming around me, combined with the taste of her pleasure on my tongue, sent me over the edge. I came with a groan that she caught with her mouth, our bodies locked together as we rode out the waves of release.

Afterward, we lay tangled together, still kissing softly, trading gentle touches and whispered endearments. I held her against my chest, certain that nothing could touch what we had built together.

"Sweet dreams, my love," Ada whispered, already half asleep, pressing one last kiss to my chest.

"Sweet dreams, my goddess." I held her close while shadows and light danced together in the darkness.

This was what forever felt like, I thought, as sleep claimed me. I believed then that our love could overcome any obstacle fate might place before us.

Ada

The waning crescent moon was approaching too slowly while time in this gilded prison crawled with excruciating lethargy. Each hour under Hakan’s roof felt like another shard of glass working its way deeper, tearingmy skin. My daughter was waiting. I didn’t want to sayourdaughter.

We were connected through our bonds—a magical tether that allowed Hakan to sense strong emotions and surface thoughts. But if we were to consummate the marriage, especially after the official ceremony, the binding would deepen beyond measure. The ancient shadow magic would forge connections that even light couldn’t sever, and he would discover everything—Kiraz, my plans, the sanctuary. I knew this was never going to happen; I would kill him before I let him touch me, but I was slowly driving myself crazy with anxiety, thinking that one night he would take me against my will.

I traced my finger along the secret passage map Melo had sketched. Tonight, during the Shadow Court’s monthly ritual ceremony, the eastern wing would be minimally guarded. The waning crescent moon would dim shadow powers just enough to give me an advantage. If I timed it perfectly—slipped away during the height of the ceremonies—I could reach the hidden exit before anyone noticed my absence.

“You’re certain this passageway leads beyond the estate grounds?” I asked, voice barely audible.

Melo’s ears twitched when she kept watch by the door. “It emerges near the old willow grove, half a mile from the boundary wards. From there, we’d have maybe an hour before they realize you’ve gone.”

An hour. Sixty precious minutes to put as much distance between myself and Hakan as possible. Between Kiraz and the father, who would use her as just another tool for power if he ever discovered her existence. He was a monster, and I could never trust him.

“I can’t wait for the waning crescent.” I folded the map and tucked it into my sleeve. “Not after yesterday.”

The memory of Yilmaz’s beheading flashed through my mind—the casual brutality, the blood spraying across marble floors. But worse was what came after: Hakan’s cruel words, the calculated public humiliation. Each syllable was a precision strike against my already wounded heart.

You were simply the most politically useful. Why else would I soil myself with light?

I kept my face impassive, swallowing the pain as if it were poison. But through our bond, I felt something else beneath his cruelty—a flicker of…regret? Pain? Whatever it was, it vanished so quickly I couldn't be certain it wasn't my imagination—just the same as the disturbing undercurrent I sensed when he killed for me.

"He's getting more dangerous and powerful." Melo interrupted my thoughts. "More unpredictable. The way he watches you when he thinks no one is looking…"

"I've noticed," I said, and repressed a shudder. "All the more reason to leave tonight."

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