Page 114 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
The words are quiet enough that only he, Caed, and I can hear them, and the Fomorian stiffens in response.
“Jaromir, get her cleaned up.” Drystan has already moved to douse the fire, inviting the autumn chill back into the small clearing. “Lorcan, I trust Kitarni gave you her approval, so shouldn’t you be getting on with that?”
Lore’s arms tense around me, and his smile grows wider.
“Your High Priestess has reclaimed the temple and declared the Grand Clerics apostates, so I’m free to collect Mervyn’s head and flay his tiny cock if you want it!”
“She did what?” I ask, confused.
“Banished them from the temple,” Jaro explains, snatching me from Lore’s arms. “It’s a good thing. This means we can count on the Temple Guard again.”
“Then why isn’t she here?” I ask, confused.
I can’t see Lore, but his hesitation speaks volumes.
“She didn’t want to come.” The realisation turns my tone flat, and Jaro squeezes me reassuringly.
I need her. I need someone calm and wise and with more knowledge about the fae realm. No one else seems to have a straight answer about Mervyn and?—
“He’s gone,” Jaro informs me. “Probably off to kill Mervyn. Don’t worry about it just… rest, for Goddess’s sake. You look like you went three rounds with an angry pixie.”
I’m carried carefully away from the camp. Jaro is growling under his breath, but I tune him out, content to wait for him to think through what just happened and talk when he’s ready. My body is still thrumming with afterglow, and the air is turning humid with a mineral scent I can’t place.
“You honestly liked that?” Jaro finally says. “The others can’t hear us now. You can tell me the truth.”
His sweetness hits me in the back of the throat, and I offer him a small smile. “I love when you make love to me.”
I love youlingers on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t say it. Those words don’t belong in the middle of an argument about another male.
“When we’re together, I feel so treasured and cared for,” I continue. “You give me that. Is it so hard for you to believe that he does the same for me in different ways?”
“He didn’t prepare you. You’re covered in scratches and bite marks?—”
“And I came so many times I lost count.”
My uncharacteristic bluntness shocks him to silence.
“I didn’t say that to compare you,” I rush to add. “I’m telling you that I liked what he did. I craved it. Just like I crave you. I don’t need protecting from Lore—or any of you.”
Jaro’s silence returns, and I turn my face away from his chest to look ahead. My wolf shifter has reached a break in the trees, surrounded by boulders. A short, surefooted descent later, we’re confronted with steaming cloudy waters.
“Hot springs.” He lowers me to my feet. “This part of Autumn is famous for them. It should help with any soreness.”
My heart flutters, and I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him even as Lore’s hat retreats, going from poncho to swim cap in a matter of seconds. I dip a toe in, then carefully lower the rest of me up to my chin with a sigh.
This is beautiful. There’s a soft current, barely noticeable, but enough to draw away the endless falling leaves from this part of the realm, leaving the dusk-lit surface clear of debris. Huge rocks scattered around the edge shield us from view, giving the spring a secret atmosphere that makes me lower my voice when I speak again.
“I suppose I can’t stay here forever, or Drystan will get mad.” With a soft sigh, I start brushing the dirt from my front.
“Let him.” Jaro hasn’t joined me, but he’s perched on a rock beside me, watching my movements with less of the tension that consumed him a second ago.
Impulsively, I lean forward. “Will you wash my wings? There’s dust everywhere and…”
The sound that comes out of him is inhuman, and I smile at the water. My guides told me that it was a huge gesture of trust to allow someone else to care for your wings.
Jaro needs that. His confidence has taken a huge hit since we came to Faerie, first with my kidnapping and then the loss of the outer wall. I want him to know I have absolute faith in him.
“I’ll keep talking to you the entire time,” he promises.
