Page 26 of Elegy of Twilight
Ever so gently, he eased into me, taking his time, repeating the same action again and again until I was comfortable.
When he paused, we were both panting, and this time a sheen of sweat covered his skin.
“Now you’re ready,” he said, his pupils wide and dark, eyes hazy as his gaze raked over me.
Lying on his back, he pulled me on top and gave me a wicked grin, those sharp white teeth glowing in the low light. But nothing about him made me fear him, if anything the heat between us left me wantingto be skin to skin, just as we had when our magic conjoined.
Titus cupped my cheek, fingers brushing my lips. “Look at me. I want to see your soul as I bring you to pleasure. This will be like nothing you’ve experienced before.”
So I kept my gaze on him as we made love, slowly, reverently, tenderly. Afterward, Titus pulled the blanket over my shoulders and held me tight, his mouth against my ear.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered, “truly beautiful.”
Those were the last words I heard as I slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Heat kissed my face, and I opened my eyes, taking in the dancing motes of light created by the fire as Titus added more wood to the flames. I still lay on the floor in a nest of rugs and blankets. A glow of warmth cocooned around me, and I blinked sleepily at him.
My thoughts flitted to Edith, and suddenly Iunderstood why she and Captain Elroy did what they did. Perhaps it had been passion or friendship that had driven them into each other's arms, and now, they couldn’t stay away. The act in and of itself was beautiful.
I watched Titus work, his hair mussed, the lines of his muscles softened by the flickering light. I waited for shame to grip me with regret. But it did not come. Instead, a halo of happiness pierced my soul, and I sat up, bringing my knees up to my chin. The blanket slipped off one shoulder, and my hair fell around me.
Hearing my movements, Titus glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes lighting up. A smile, a real smile, not a smirk, covered his handsome face. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Is it morning?”
“No, slightly after midnight, but the storm has abated. It’s peaceful.”
“Do you ever sleep at all?” I asked.
His expression turned pensive, quiet. “Not at night, but I felt inclined to, with you. You’re soft and gentle, and I enjoy holding you while you sleep. Your runes glimmer in time with your breathing. It’s like watching starlight twinkle.”
My face flushed at the compliment. “Are you always this lyrical with your words?”
“Do you always ask this many questions?
He poked the fire one last time before joining me in the nest of blankets. Sliding a hand around my bare waist, he pulled me closer to him, bent his head, and kissed my shoulder. “I was angry with you earlier, but now I’m glad you’re here.”
I waited, wanting him to tell me everything yet not wanting to push him, to destroy the purity of the moment. It was odd how I sensed no evil, no malice in him, only a strong desire, and it made me wonder.
High Priestess Merci spoke of second chances, of living with deeds that hung like a noose around our neck, but knowing, if we were truly repentant, there was another path, a second chance waiting for us. I sensed Titus needed that life-giving second chance. He wasn’t a vampire, yet he spoke of a curse. He held magic, and other than his adherence to the night, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. What made him so different from myself?
As if reading my mind, Titus spoke. “I wasn’t always like this. I used to be normal, if it could be called that, like you.”
I straightened, deeply interested now that he was opening up to me. “Like me, what do you mean?”
“I’ve never been fully mortal, but I walked in the daylight, I ate actual food, and I didn’t have a lust for violence and blood.”
“What happened?”
He stiffened and his voice went hard. “Shehappened.”
She.I felt deflated. There was another woman.
“I swore to serve a sorceress as one of her knights, except I was unaware that she was dark and treacherous. A sorceress who was easily jealous and overly vicious with her punishments. Knights who displeased her or disobeyed her commanders were cursed and exiled to other realms. I’d never imagined that would be my fate, yet here I am.”
I listened, wide-eyed and anxious to hear more of his confession.
Titus blew out a breath and fixated on the fire. “I wasn’t blameless though. As a knight, I fought in her wars, and all that blood, death, and violence got in my head and made me mean and angry. Killing and brutality became a hobby, and I knew it was wrong. I knew I needed to change and escape her services. I plotted to run away, to find the entrance to the realm of the King of Hearts.”
