Page 65 of The Shadow Prince's Ruin
Sylvan gasps, and his pupils dilate, but I feel it too.
The connection that was only a thread before, no thicker than a single strand of hair, barely noticeable, becomes a stream. Invisible, yet so clear. I am squeezing his hand over the rose, but I swear I can sense his heartbeat against my chest.
No. Inside me. That’s how close he is.
Sylvan’s lips tremble, and when his pulse quickens, I sense it under my skin. He drops the rose and it falls into what looks like a pit of darkness under our feet. It’s so black and endless my instincts scream for me to leap away to the carpet. But Sylvan is standing on this shadow too, so I stay.
He’s struggling to catch his breath, so I slide my arm around his waist to steady him.
“There’s… there’s just… somuchof it,” he utters in amazement, leaning into me.
I give a short laugh, even though I’m emotional as if someone has injected me with pure adrenaline. “So I’ve been told.”
Sylvan laughs louder than my joke deserves, but it’s the sweetest sound. So carefree and full of delight. His heart is racing as if he were on the verge of orgasm, and it’s kinda making me horny. Does this early bonding mean we get to have an early wedding night too?
He places a hand on my chest, fingers splayed, and when he pulls it away, thick black goo is stuck to it like chewing gum.
Sylvan glances up at me with a grin. “Hawk, I promise, I would have loved you regardless, butthisis amazing, and I’ve not even scratched the surface. The things I will do with this…” He arches up to kiss me like usual, but then, just as I’m about to pull him in my arms, the shadows under his feet grow and lift him so he can reach my lips with ease.
I suck in warm air straight from his mouth, elated and somehow even more in tune with his body. I sense sparks wherever we touch, and when he plays with my liquid shadow, twisting it in his fingers, it’s almost as if he were touching me onthe inside. Not physically, but somewhere beyond that. In my… soul.
It’s corny, yeah, but how else can I describe something so far beyond my experience?
My toes curl. My lips tremble, and as he stretches the black threads between his hands, I lean forward and capture his mouth in a kiss. I cannot take this strange contact-no contact moment where it’s my shadow being touched instead of my flesh, but he responds with a soft moan, and his knee slides up the side of my leg, as if he were trying to climb me.
Sylvan looks back at the door. “M-maybe we could…” He licks his lips, and I know exactly what he wants. I pick him up and carry him to one of the lush red couches with one thing on my mind.
Of course that’s the moment the door opens and Fenren steps in, closely followed by the tailor who worked on my clothes. “No! Why would you spoil the fun for yourselves and your guests?” he asks as if I or Sylvan had any reason to care about the opinions of random elves, who happened to stay at the same inn. But the moment of passion’s been disrupted, and when my man scrambles to his feet, I know fun time is over.
I’m guessing the King of Smugglers won’t be as easy to dismiss as the tailor was.
Sylvan clears his throat and spreads his arms. “It is hard to stay away from my beloved.”
“I have brought some grooming supplies,” the tailor says, while all I can focus on is Sylvan and the new, unfamiliar bond between us.
When myhusbandreaches the doorway, he turns, kisses his hand, then blows me that smooch in the form of a small heart formed from shadow. It floats my way like smoke until it lands on my cheek.
I have never felt so loved, and I cannot wait for everyone to witness our union.
Chapter 25
Sylvan
I’ve read about the magical bond entwining a shadow-wielder and their Dark Companion. In the past, I didn’t believe myself capable of forging one, and a part of me hoped the much-celebrated connection was being exaggerated. I have no more doubts. An unbreakable thread ties my soul to Hawk’s, and even when we’re apart, I sense his presence at the very center of me.
If either of us were lost, the other could find him.
If melancholy were to take hold, I could warm my heart with the glow of the love he feels for me. For he wants me the way I am, and I know I couldn’t have picked a better Companion even if Hawk’s shadow was as pale as mine.
If that one day means my downfall, then so be it.
Elves can lead long lives. An eternity, if we make that our goal, but our desires, our curiosity, or our fury are so intense they often lead us to a premature death. The old me would have called my current actions foolish, but while baring my soul to someone else is a great risk, I can’t regret it when I sense my lover’sprecious heart beating for me whenever I reach out to stroke the shadow thread that now connects us.
I thought I wanted power.
But while I have it now, it seems so insignificant in the face of Hawk’s vow. His love. His devotion to me.
A part of me wishes my family were here to witness our union, but what for when we get to celebrate with strangers who have already been much kinder than my blood ever was?
