the two strong men took his breath away. “It wasn’t an act.” The words
sounded hollow and meaningless, even to him. “The king sent for me.”
“I get it,” she said sardonically. “Then the king must have
kept you away for all these years, preparing for the day he decided he wanted
me for himself. Do I have that right?”
“Something like that,” Kirel acknowledged.
“Holy Moon Gods, save me from lying men,” she muttered under
her breath. “What do you intend to do with me?”
His fingers clutched the backrest tighter. “Everything.”
Nelina sucked in a breath between her teeth, falling silent.
His erection raging out of control, Kirel kept his gaze fixed firmly on the
window, watching the sandstorm drown out the few glittering lights of the
farmhouses they passed.
Waldemar Castle was situated about two miles out of town. As
they approached, the storm began to quiet as though even the blowing gale
prepared for their arrival.
The carriage slipped between tall gates that opened for them
and circled into the shadowy gloom of the cliffside. The castle had been carved
into the stone of Tradition Mountain, the range with the highest peaks in all
of Aris. Flaming torches ensconced in the walls lit their passage as the driver
pulled up to the circular entranceway.
Kirel pushed the door open and jumped out first, Domenic on
his heels. As Kirel extended his hand inside the carriage and beckoned, the
wind died down completely. Nelina ignored his offer of assistance as she
descended, her spine rigid and her head held high. The white blouse she wore
stretched around her breasts, lifting the full mounds up like a divine
offering.
Swallowing back a groan, he averted his gaze and gestured
toward the entrance. “You can follow me or I can have Thor and Domenic carry
you. It’s your choice.”
“Both choices sound so tempting.” Nelina ran the tip of her
index finger over Domenic’s biceps. “How’s a girl to choose?”
Kirel scowled. He didn’t know what she was doing but he
didn’t like it. “Walk. Or I carry you.”
She tore her hand away and stormed past him toward the
entrance. “When you put it that way, the choice is much easier.”
He thought he heard Domenic chuckle behind him but he didn’t
hang around long enough to find out. Hurrying to catch up to Nelina, he touched
her elbow to steer her down the right-most passageway.
She jerked out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her
chest. “Don’t you need to ask my permission before touching me or something?”
For the first time that evening a smile tugged at his lips.
He leaned toward her to whisper in her ear. “Not at all. In fact, I’m
encouraged to do things…wild, carnal things…to you until you become queen. The
more I touch you, the greater the reward when you pass the Trials.”
He caught the abrupt stiffening of her spine and knew he’d
hit a nerve. When she spoke again, it was with a distinct tinge of panic and
arousal in her voice. “What about them?” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.
“Them too.”
She shot him a sardonic look. A heartbeat later, she’d
hastily lowered her head so her face was hidden, but not before he saw the
flicker of anxious interest glittering in her sapphire eyes.
“Stop,” he said when they came to the door leading to the
room that had been prepared for her.
He fished into his front pocket for the silver key Vida had
given him, which he then promptly inserted into the lock. It gave way easily,
the mechanism clicking as the lock snapped open.
He pushed the door aside and gestured into the darkness
beyond the threshold. “Go. Wait for me inside.”
Nelina gave a mocking bow and swept past him.
Thor and Domenic moved to follow but Kirel’s arm shot out,
blocking their path. “I need some time with her. Alone.”
Thor’s brows pulled together beneath the fabric of his tight
hood. “Not a chance. The Tradition demands—”
Kirel unleashed a stream of curses that would have
sounded hollow and meaningless, even to him. “The king sent for me.”
“I get it,” she said sardonically. “Then the king must have
kept you away for all these years, preparing for the day he decided he wanted
me for himself. Do I have that right?”
“Something like that,” Kirel acknowledged.
“Holy Moon Gods, save me from lying men,” she muttered under
her breath. “What do you intend to do with me?”
His fingers clutched the backrest tighter. “Everything.”
Nelina sucked in a breath between her teeth, falling silent.
His erection raging out of control, Kirel kept his gaze fixed firmly on the
window, watching the sandstorm drown out the few glittering lights of the
farmhouses they passed.
Waldemar Castle was situated about two miles out of town. As
they approached, the storm began to quiet as though even the blowing gale
prepared for their arrival.
The carriage slipped between tall gates that opened for them
and circled into the shadowy gloom of the cliffside. The castle had been carved
into the stone of Tradition Mountain, the range with the highest peaks in all
of Aris. Flaming torches ensconced in the walls lit their passage as the driver
pulled up to the circular entranceway.
Kirel pushed the door open and jumped out first, Domenic on
his heels. As Kirel extended his hand inside the carriage and beckoned, the
wind died down completely. Nelina ignored his offer of assistance as she
descended, her spine rigid and her head held high. The white blouse she wore
stretched around her breasts, lifting the full mounds up like a divine
offering.
Swallowing back a groan, he averted his gaze and gestured
toward the entrance. “You can follow me or I can have Thor and Domenic carry
you. It’s your choice.”
“Both choices sound so tempting.” Nelina ran the tip of her
index finger over Domenic’s biceps. “How’s a girl to choose?”
Kirel scowled. He didn’t know what she was doing but he
didn’t like it. “Walk. Or I carry you.”
She tore her hand away and stormed past him toward the
entrance. “When you put it that way, the choice is much easier.”
He thought he heard Domenic chuckle behind him but he didn’t
hang around long enough to find out. Hurrying to catch up to Nelina, he touched
her elbow to steer her down the right-most passageway.
She jerked out of his grasp and crossed her arms over her
chest. “Don’t you need to ask my permission before touching me or something?”
For the first time that evening a smile tugged at his lips.
He leaned toward her to whisper in her ear. “Not at all. In fact, I’m
encouraged to do things…wild, carnal things…to you until you become queen. The
more I touch you, the greater the reward when you pass the Trials.”
He caught the abrupt stiffening of her spine and knew he’d
hit a nerve. When she spoke again, it was with a distinct tinge of panic and
arousal in her voice. “What about them?” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.
“Them too.”
She shot him a sardonic look. A heartbeat later, she’d
hastily lowered her head so her face was hidden, but not before he saw the
flicker of anxious interest glittering in her sapphire eyes.
“Stop,” he said when they came to the door leading to the
room that had been prepared for her.
He fished into his front pocket for the silver key Vida had
given him, which he then promptly inserted into the lock. It gave way easily,
the mechanism clicking as the lock snapped open.
He pushed the door aside and gestured into the darkness
beyond the threshold. “Go. Wait for me inside.”
Nelina gave a mocking bow and swept past him.
Thor and Domenic moved to follow but Kirel’s arm shot out,
blocking their path. “I need some time with her. Alone.”
Thor’s brows pulled together beneath the fabric of his tight
hood. “Not a chance. The Tradition demands—”
Kirel unleashed a stream of curses that would have
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