Page 75 of Shadows and Flames
There was another Folk, with skin a pale fuchsia and dressed in formfitting tunic and trousers who smiled widely at us, the first sign of animation since we’d arrived.
Their fangs were like ours. “Hello! Welcome, weary travelers! We have rooms prepared for you!” They gestured with a flourish, and more Folk appeared from a corridor, elegant hands extended to take our packs.
All of us but Blackwood politely declined.
The staff, all clothed in the cream colors of their uniform, led us up a winding stairwell. The floor, walls, and ceiling of the corridor were all constructed of wood, but the smoothness varied from a gleaming polish beneath our feet to a richly painted motif to our left and right. A grid of carvings hung above our heads.
“You may select as you wish,” the kind one stated with that same grin, “but we have one for each of you. Please come downstairs or use the chimes from your homeland should you need anything at all! We hope you enjoy your time with us!”
Blackwood thanked them, causing their ears to twitch and a hungry flush to take over their slender cheeks. And—there. A sharp, predatory shade took over their posture. Their delicate, long fingers, curled in, just a pulse, but it made me wonder how strong they were. We were still woefully unfamiliar and unprepared in dealing with these beings whose flavor of magic was so different than we were used to. Whether its presence itself or just the construction of their realm, the connection toourmagic was cut.
Our host quickly smoothed their expression, straightening to demureness. Was this or the hungry gleam their true form?
Our employer marched to the room at the end of the corridor, staff member with his packs following silently behind. The five of us remained in the corridor.
“I-I’ve noticed some things that bear conversing with you all. Perhaps we can wash and reconvene?”
My cousin agreed, as did the three males with us, and we separated. Meline and Elián took the first room, slowly pushing open the white door. Tomás took the one across from them, and Fenix hesitated before opening the door beside it. I swallowed and spared one last glance at the now-empty corridor before retreating into mine.
Chapter Thirty
ELIÁN
My skin was crawling.
This place… it did not feelright. The people, at first glance, were not unlike some of those in our world, but there was something about them—the way they carried themselves that was unsettling.
Not to mention thesmell. Too sweet, too flowery, too much. My irritation that would normally come with the churn of Flames was eerily quiet. There was little heat or power behind it, but I wanted to scream. Attack something.
“Is it later?” My queen asked simply. In this room sporting an opening in the wall that showed another fucking waterfall cascading from above.
The bed was grand, the pillows were overstuffed, and the sheets were a light, iridescent blue. What really had my attention, though, was Meline’s question. The promise in it.
“Yes,” I said. She was experiencing the same unease as me, cut off from her goddess and the endless well of power we were both gifted since birth. Perhaps she did not feel as I did, given she often saw her Death Wielding as curse. But the way she backed against the door showed that she understood regardless.
I was raised to embrace my Fire, reared by other Por’Noga to respect and revere Zoko’s blessing. Without it, I almost did not know who I was.
Meline wasted no time untying the front of my trousers, freeing my cock and giving it a stroke.
And I wasted no time flipping her around and pinning her to the wood with my hand on the back of her neck. She moaned as I hooked my fingers into the waist of her leather trousers and shoved them down. I crowded behind her and dipped my fingers inside her entrance. My queen craned her head back, onto my chest, while arching her spine, waiting for me.
So, I took her, fingers swirling and tapping as I fucked her brutally against the door. Amongst our preparation for entering this realm, I’d not been able to provide this relief to my queen, so in this wretched place, we took advantage of this moment.
My queen’s fingernails dug into the white wood and sent flakes raining to the floor as I thrusted and eventually spilled inside of her while her cunt tightened around me. Strangled groans of different pitches filled our room. Our muscles quaked.
I pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, below a perfect curl of her dark brown hair, and breathed through my nose. At least in this place, I still had the comfort of her scent.
“How are you feeling, El?”
My lips brushed against her skin with my response. “Angry. Disturbed.”
She paused, curling slightly into herself. “I’m sorry.”
There was sorrow in her voice, taking on the fault in this world as her doing, my discomfort as her burden to bear. “It is not your fault, my queen.” I wrapped my arm around her middle, pulling her further into me. My cock was still inside of her, feeling her heart beat around me, and I nuzzled the bone of my cheek against her ear.
“I’ll keep you safe, El.”
The promise and the conviction within it made me pause. “We will keep each other safe. You are not alone in this.”
