Page 107 of A Crown Without Mercy

The brothers studied his back and the red, swollen skin now appeared to be nothing more than a faded scar.

“Your blood—it has the ability to cure Faye wounds?” Riordan questioned.

“Holy shit,” Nicolai stated.

She draped her legs over the edge of the bed. “Why are you all looking at me like that? I had no idea.”

Kieran rushed to her and swept her into his arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around his body and he spun around. “This is the first time in over four hundred years I have felt no pain or discomfort.”

She kissed the crook of his neck. “I am so happy for you.”

He placed his forehead on hers and then pulled her head back, and there was a glint in his eyes she had never seen before. “I know I haven’t said it yet, but I love you.”

“I love you too.” She smiled.

He wound his fingers through her hair, and the passion in his kiss conveyed more than his words.

Once they finished, Riordan placed his hand on his shoulder and rubbed Sylvana’s back. “Not to interrupt, but we need to keep this to ourselves.”

“I won’t say anything, but should I be worried?” Sylvana asked.

“No. This is incredible.” Riordan smiled. “You have no idea what this could mean for our kind, so we need to handle this discretely. However, I struggle to find the words to express our gratitude.”

“There is no need to thank me.”

Kieran set her down, and the unexpected emotions wrapped within Riordan’s kiss took her breath away. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and patted her butt. “Go back to bed, darling. We have business to contend with. But I believe a celebration is in order when we return.”

“I don’t want to go back to bed. By the way, are the clothes I wore yesterday still in Nicolai’s chamber?”

Riordan motioned toward the window, and there was a pair of leather trousers and tunic neatly folded on the chair. “I brought another outfit over this morning.”

She walked over and pulled the cream colored trousers on and laced them up, and then pulled the dark gray tunic over her head and turned to Riordan and smiled. “Thank you. I need to go home.”

The brothers glanced at each other and then stared at Sylvana.

“What?” she asked.

“You need to stay here,” Riordan replied.

“Ineedto be going home.”

“I insist,” Riordan stated firmly.

Sylvana crossed her arms and cocked her head. “And Iinsiston heading home.”

Riordan stepped closer. “This is your home now.”

“I understand, but I need to see Calista.”

“We will take you to see them later. Until then, you are free to do whatever you want as long as you do it in our wing.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. We may be mated, but you will not control what I do or where I go.”

“We can and we will,” Riordan stated firmly.

“Is that so?”

“It is,” Riordan replied.

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