Page 42 of Black Wing and Shadows
♥?
Five o’clock arrived too fast, and I couldn’t sleep anymore. My restless thoughts before sleep definitely didn't help. My roommates were still sleeping peacefully, so I quietly and carefully left my room. Instead of heading to the courtyard, I chose to go to level three, cross over, and then descend to level one.
The hall was lit with candles that seemed dimmer than during the day, which I took as a sign of magic. I found his room, quietly opened the door, and walked inside. I hadn’t noticed it yesterday, but I definitely felt like I walked through some kind of shield. My dad had similar shields at our various homes while we were growing up.
Zane lay on his bed, sleeping on his side in only undershorts. I paused to take in the scene. Unlike before, his wings were visible. They were close to his body but not tucked in tightly. They looked just as stunning as the day he first showed them to me. I used to fear males with wings because it reminded me of that day.
When I looked at him, I did not feel fear. My stomach tingled, and my heart thumped faster. I smiled as I watched him breathe in and out. His blonde hair appeared darker in the dimly lit room. Like Blaze, he bore a striking tribal tattoo that descended his back and wrapped around his wings. I wondered if he used magic to fill in the intricate details while masking them.
I approached the side where he faced outward, walking softly. I knelt beside him, pressed my nose gently against his, and gave him a tender kiss on his lips. His eyes fluttered open as he stirred, and he pulled me onto thebed with him, both of us lying on our sides, facing each other. He returned my kiss with the same gentle tenderness.
“What if I were coming in here to assassinate you?” I smirked at him.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I mean, if I were someone else, you would've slept through me coming in.”
“Well, it would be foolish for someone to try to kill me. But most importantly, my room is warded, and only I can grant entry. I spent some time working on it yesterday so you can come whenever you want.”
He kissed me again and pulled me closer until my head rested against his chest. His heartbeat thudded steady beneath my ear, warm and grounding. One arm stayed caught between us, but with the other I reached for his wing. My fingertips brushed the edge, and he flinched—not in anger, but in surprise, almost tender.
I pulled my hand back fast, pulse stumbling. His wing shifted, uncertain, like he didn’t know if he wanted me to retreat or try again.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “Am I not allowed to touch?”
“Well, there aren’t strict rules,” he said, his tone careful. “But most of us don’t let others near our wings. Those who try usually don’t live to tell about it. Drusearons are territorial over them, much like dragon kind.”
“Oh…” My stomach dropped. Shit. I’d broken some unspoken law.
“But,” his voice softened, “in a trusted, committed relationship, we allow it. Wings are sensitive. Painfully so. I’ve never let anyone touch mine. Still—I’ve heard there are… places. Erogenous spots.”
“Are we in a trusted, committed relationship?”
“I thought that’s what we agreed to yesterday?” He pulled back a little, giving me a confused look.
“I mean, I said I wanted us to be exclusive, but you never really said anything. I can be insecure about relationships and where I stand with people.”
“I want you, and only you. You are a part of me. I know you said you didn’t want to label it, so you can call it whatever makes your heart happy.Honestly, I would go to a priestess to have our mating bond confirmed today. Hell, I’d marry you and shout it to the world.”
This time, I pulled back and looked up at him. Wow. I didn’t realize he felt so strongly about this, about us, about me. Wait, what did he mean by a priestess? My mom mentioned one too.
“What does a priestess have to do with it?” I asked him.
“Priestesses have special abilities with mating bonds. They can detect a bond and confirm it. Having it confirmed means they wouldn’t be able to separate either of us from each other—"
“Because our powers become diminished.” I completed his sentence.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Yeah… How did you know that?”
“My mom—how did you know?”
“In one of the courses we took, it was briefly discussed. It’s a small section, and honestly, most people might not even pay attention or believe it. Your mom, huh?”
“Yeah… she wrote me a letter, and she’s known I’ve had a mate destined for me since I was weeks old…” I pulled the letter out of my pocket and handed it to him. He sat up to open the letter and began reading it. I studied him, watching his face change from curious to a look of shock. He had to be on thedon’t trust your father section. Not that he did.
“That’s a lot to take in…” he said, looking down at it before handing it back to me.
“Tell me about it.” I shoved the letter back in my pocket.
