Page 88 of Wings of Shadow
Gods, I want more of her. All of her.
We lie entangled, our bodies still joined, our heartbeats slowly syncing. My lips find her temple, her cheek, finally capturing her mouth in a tender kiss that speaks volumes, more than words ever could.
“You have no idea what I’d do for you, Liebes…” I murmur against her lips. “And I pray you never find out.” It feels like a vow, etched into the very air around us.
She gazes up at me, her eyes gleaming in the flickering flash of lightning. A soft smile plays at the corners of her mouth, and I find myself captivated by the subtle curve of her lips.
“I love you, Kai,” she whispers, her voice filled with a warmth that seems to radiate through my entire being.
Kai.
It falls from her mouth so naturally, so sweetly, that for an instant, I forget to breathe. My heart stutters in my chest, a sensation both foreign and exhilarating.
I’ve been called many things in my life—Kaisner, Mr. Drachenstein, even ’sir’ by those who fear me. But never this. Never something so simple, so intimate.
I try to maintain my composure, but I sense a telltale heat rising in my neck. My fingers, usually so steady, tremble slightly as they card through her hair. I hope she doesn’t notice, but a knowing glint in her eye tells me she has.
“Say it again,” I murmur, my voice rougher than I intend, betraying the depth of my emotion.
Her smile widens, surprise and delight dancing in her eyes. “Kai,” she repeats, savoring the name, drawing it out as if it were the most precious thing.
The sound sends a shiver down my spine, igniting a warm and unfamiliar sensation in my chest. Not the usual fire of desire or the burning need for power. This is something softer, but no less intense. It leaves me vulnerable, yet complete.
I pull her closer, burying my face in the crook of her neck to hide the raw emotion I’m sure is written across my features. My hold tightens around her lithe frame, as if I could somehow merge us into one being, never to be separated.
In this moment, I know with bone-deep certainty that I’d do anything for her. Move heaven and earth, challenge fate itself. She has become my everything, my reason for existence.
The depth of my emotions for her is fathomless... unexpected. Inconvenient, even. Attachments in my world aren’t just liabilities—they’re weapons. Weaknesses waiting to be exploited. And Clarissa? She’s the sharpest of them all. She is not meant to be mine. She is meant to be a sacrifice.
It should be simple. Her blood is the final price, the key to awakening the dragon that sleeps within me. A ritual promised, a power long craved. I should be preparing her for the offering, laying her at the feet of the daemon as we agreed.
And yet… I hesitate.
The thought of surrendering her, of watching her lifeblood spill in service of my ambition, coils like a serpent in my gut. The daemon’s whispers haunt me, reminding me of what waits beyond sacrifice—limitless power, strength to crush my enemies, to shape the world beneath my will. My birthright. A crown forged in blood.
But not just any blood. It must be freely given. Willingly offered. The ultimate surrender, the deepest trust. Her trust. Only then will the ritual be sealed. Only then will the dragon wake.
And gods help me… I don’t know which would be worse. For her to refuse me—or to offer herself willingly, unaware of the price.
Either way, I will destroy her. One with my hand. The other with my betrayal.
But surely, there must be a way to have it all—Clarissa, power, respect. In the shadowed halls of my mind, a plan starts to form, intricate and daring. A high-stakes game, with Nikolaas’ recognition as the ultimate prize. Dangerous? Certainly. But I’ve built my empire on far riskier ventures. Risk is nothing new. The question is—what am I willing to wager?
I study Clarissa for a moment, weighing the cost of betrayal against the promise of strength. Her unwavering gaze meets mine, and in those depths, I see not just acceptance, but understanding. Trust. The very thing I myself cannot afford. It’s... intoxicating. Damning.
For the first time, I have no need to hide. With Clarissa, I can be my true self—all of me, the light and the dark. And maybe that’s the greatest danger of all.
I lean in, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. My voice comes out low, rough, layered with desire and something darker. “Baby girl,” I breathe, feeling her shudder against me. “I need something from you.”
“Anything,” she whispers, curling closer to me.
“I need…” The words burn my tongue, tasting of iron and ruin. “Your blood.”
37
KAISNER
“Kaisner?”
