Page 27 of Cages and Crowns
“You aren’t going back to Noterra, Enzo. You’ll get yourself killed.” She murmurs with a sigh. I hear something drop to the floor and I glance back overto see the book she was reading laying haphazardly on the rug.
“We can’t just wait around forever, Scar. I need to do something.” She sighs and stretches, her feet ending up on my lap. I rest my hand on her ankle, squeezing it slightly.
An unlikely alliance, that’s what Nithe called us. I’m not going to pretend I don’t get more out of this arrangement than sex. She talks about Elaenor, tells me about her personality and how they grew up. How she was wild and stubborn, but loyal to her friends. How she would sneak away with Scarlett and explore areas where her father couldn’t find them. It’s almost like having Elaenor here.
Gods, that sounds terrible. Scarlett isn’t a replacement for her.
“If you go into the palace without thought, you aren’t going to be alive long enough to help anyone. Do you really think this will be easy? If you fly in there as a tiny little raven, how do you expect to leave with a full-grown woman?” She sits up and tries to pull her ankles from my lap, but I don’t let her. She scoots closer, her hand coming to cup my face. I look at her, her chestnut eyes ringed in gold. Her thumb slides across my lower lip and I lean forward. Her lips are soft as they press against mine and I sigh.Berries and sugar, that’s what she smells like. I inhale as her breath wraps around me.
“Promise me.” She whispers before kissing me again. “Promise me you won’t just fly in there.” She pulls back and I reach forward to brush a loose tendril of hair from her face.
“I promise.” She leans forward again to kiss me, and I reach over, gripping her hips and pulling her on top of me. Her thighs settle on either side of mine, my hands sliding up her back. She kisses me back with fervor, her tongue clashing with mine. Her hips grind against me, and I moan into her mouth. “What do you want?” I whisper before pulling her closer, my lips trailing along her jaw and down her neck. She moans as she shifts above me.
“You.” She responds, her voice deep and husky. It doesn’t take long for my breeches to be undone and her skirt to be pulled up. She slides down slowly,her mouth open and eyes shut. “Gods.” She moans as she settles into my lap.
I grab her lip with my teeth, pulling her back to me. I taste the tiniest hint of blood as her tongue finds mine. My fingers squeeze her hips roughly, forcing her to move against me. I relish the feel of her wrapped around me, warm and wet. I groan as she rises up on her knees, almost freeing me completely, before slamming back down. She does it again and I nearly come undone at the feel of it.Her breasts brush against my face as she rises and I yank her corset down, pulling her hardened nipple into my mouth. I bite down gently before sucking on it to ease the sting. She cries out and moves faster, her hands pulling my mouth back to hers.
“Fuck, Scarlett.” I moan into her lips before throwing my head back. She presses her lips to my throat as she rides me. Her teeth graze my skin and then she bites down. A yelp escapes my lips, but the sting shoots straight to my cock. I shake under her, and she cries out. I feel her core clench around me as she finds her release. I move her hips back and forth, letting her ride the wave of her orgasm, milking as much of her as I can. She pushes my hands away and greedily moves on her own, slamming into me over and over. I feel her legs beginning to shake again, her second release coming, and I press my thumb down on her clit.
“Enzo.” She cries, and I yell out as I come. My body shudders under her and she finds her second release a moment later.
We are left panting and sweaty, but she doesn’t move. Her hands are resting on my chest, her forehead pressed to my shoulder. I turn my head slightly, pressing my lips to her cheek. The sun is fading, with the only light coming from the roaring fireplace. It’s still cold out, which is strange for early summer, but it’s nice for moments like these. My arms wrap around her, holding her against me as she shakes with the aftershock. Her forehead presses against mine and I brush my lips against hers softly.
Scarlett has been on the herb that prevents pregnancy for a few weeks now, ever since that one day that changed our relationship, which I am grateful for. It means we can enjoy moments like this without fear of a child. Althoughpart of me wouldn’t be opposed to a child. Just not right now. War isn’t an ideal time. She sighs and I tighten my arms around her as she nuzzles into my neck.
“Can I stay here tonight?” She whispers, her breath tickling my throat. My pulse skips and I find myself questioning my reaction, questioning the excitement I feel at her request.
“What about Emery?”I respond, trying to play it off.
“I just want to stay here, like this.” She responds softly. I nod and she sighs again.
“Is she going to be mad?” Scarlett groans and I smile. I pull her head back and brush the messy tendrils away from her face. The movement sends a shudder through me again and I can feel her clench in response.
“I don’t care.” She whispers before her lips find mine again.
Chapter Fifteen
The Lost
1 Month Ago
I can hear him slamming things, throwing stuff around as he yells at something. I throw open his door, expecting to see him doing something other than losing his mind. The anger fades from my face as I see the tears streaming down his cheeks. He has a blade to his scalp, shaving his all-black hair. Blood is dripping from his hairline as he nicks his skin.
“Fuck!” He screams and throws the blade. He plants his hands on the vanity and looks down at the wood. His back is shaking from his rapid inhales, his fingers tensing as they dig into the table. “Fuck.” He whispers this time. I don’t know why I watch him in silence, why I intrude on his tantrum,but I can’t look away. He sighs and lifts his head, his eyes meeting mine. We both freeze, our eyes locked onto one another’s.
My chest rises in tune with my rapid pulse and my mouth dries. I can still see the tears dripping off his jaw as he stays unmoving. As he watches me watch him. I move first, walking towards him. I don’t know why I do it, but I grab the blade from the vanity and gesture for him to sit. His lips part as if he is going to speak before he reluctantly sits down.
I run my hand through his hair, relishing in the silky feel of it. My thumb wipes away a drop of blood heading for his eyebrows before I lift the blade. I hold it up against his scalp, waiting for his approval. I meet his eyes in the mirror, and he nods. It’s silent as I take the first swipe of the blade, cutting his inky strands down to the root. I don’t know if it’s silence he’s after, but I have to talk.
I need to talk.
“When I was six, my little brother and I were playing in the trees by the palace.” I start speaking, his eyes locked on mine as I work. “I had just finished at the palace, as I wasn’t permitted to stay on the grounds during the evening due to my age, and I was in my reckless stage. I liked to cause trouble.” I smile, but the knot in my throat cuts it short. I blink back the tears and slide the blade again. Strands of hair fall down his face, piling in his lap. “We were running around, getting lost. He was only four, so he really had no choice but to follow me.” I take a deep breath and adjust my hands for a better angle.
“He fell, smacking his head into the trunk of a tree. He didn’t cut his head open, thank god, but what he did do is get sap all over his hair.” I smile as I remember his chubby cheeks. “My mother was so angry. She tried for hours, long into the night, to get the sap out, but it wouldn’t budge. At the end of those few hours, she handed me a blade and told me it was my job to cut his hair since I was the one who ruined it.” I meet his eyes in the mirror, those green irises wide and round as he listens.
“She walked me through how to cut his hair properly. In the end, my brother was left with hair cropped close to his head. But instead of being upsetlike a normal four-year-old, he got excited that he had the same hair as our father. We laughed until the early hours of the morning before we finally fell asleep.” A single tear falls down my cheek and I wipe it away with the back of my hand.
“What happened to your brother?” He asks, his voice thick and hoarse.
