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I had little faith in gods or men, but I believed in the fearsome dedication of Luther Corbois with every fiber of my being.
“Where is she?” I froze. I knew that voice. That low timbre, that rumbling pitch. The dark, lethal calm lacing power in every syllable. “You’ve only made the situation worse,” Cordellia said. “Where is my Queen?”
“Blessed Kindred, Queenie. You sure know how to put up a fight.”
“My Queen,” he murmured, the words rumbling against my lips. “Hello, Prince,” I gasped. “I missed you, too.”
Luther’s eyes connected with mine, and I knew he saw me breaking. His hand brushed against my arm and lingered, a simple gesture that offered so much.
“Don’t you dare mistake compassion for lack of courage,” he growled. “Anyone can slaughter their enemies. Hate is easy—it’s mercy that requires the greater strength. I’ll be damned if I let you believe that beautiful heart of yours is a weakness. Trust your instincts, my Queen—above all else, trust yourself.”
“Diem, when you and I finally get a night alone together, looking will be the least of what I do to you.”
As I turned to go check on Alixe, Taran grabbed my wrist, and our eyes met. “Thank you, Diem. I’m too selfish to say I wish you hadn’t done it. I hope you know I would have done it for you, too.” “Then prove it,” I said, a spark of challenge in my tone. “I faced death for you and lived.” I gestured to his wounds. “Time to return the favor.” His face gave way to a feral grin, that inveterate cheekiness I adored returning once more. “Anything for you, Queenie.”
“She is my Queen. She is a gift from the Blessed Mother herself. She is...” Luther swallowed and dipped his chin, and he was no longer talking to Zalaric. “I gave myself to her the moment I met her, and I have not regretted it for a second. I have laid my life at her feet, and I would do it again and again, a thousand times over. She has my faith, my loyalty, my vow... I believe in her with everything that I am. There is nothing I would not do to see her fulfill her destiny. No matter the cost.”
“I did not know what it was to need until I met you. One look from you—just the fucking sound of your voice—and my cock gets hard. One touch of your skin, and I can barely think beyond dragging you into the nearest bed. Every second I’m not inside you is another wasted moment of my miserable life.”
“It is not just my body that craves you, Diem. It is my heart.” He clutched at his chest. “My scarred, ruined scrap of a soul. Your smiles, your affection, the way you look at me, the way you see me... that is my lifeblood. I would sooner wither without food or water, sink into the sea until my lungs burst, abandon my magic and let my godhood burn me alive from within than endure one more day of life without you in it.”
“Desire?” He gave a dark, throaty laugh. “Desire is a pathetic word for what I feel for you. I require you. I am sustained by you. You are the flame that fuels my fire. Don’t you dare question that—not for a second.”
“You know I have faith in you. You, above all else. You are everything.”
“Happy reading, dear,” she chirped, strolling away. “And don’t forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place.” “Why is that?” “Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.”
“All of it,” Luther murmured. “I knew it. You can wield all the Kindred’s magic.”
“You are the greatest gift,” he murmured in my ear. “To everyone you meet, and to this continent and all its people.” He placed a kiss on my shoulder. “But especially to me.
Me. Luther had keyed his locks to me.
“For what it’s worth, I think I’ve been in love with you since I tried to stop you from running into a burning building and you threatened to cut off my ‘precious royal balls.’”
“I’ve never cared for anyone the way I care for you. When I think of something happening to you, I can barely breathe. It’s a constant war against my instincts to lock you up somewhere safe, where no one can ever hurt you. But a phoenix isn’t meant to be caged—it’s meant to fly.” He let out a long sigh. “I will never stop trying to protect you, but I know I can’t keep you from danger, either. All I ask is that you don’t do it alone. From now on, we face it together.”
“All the nights I ever have—they all belong to you.”
“I want there to be no part of you that you hide from me because you fear it’s a part I will not love. I treasure your darkness as much as your light.” He dropped his mouth a breath away from mine, his words a whisper on my lips. “Show me your worst, my darling, and I’ll show you how far my love can go.”
“My Crown,” I rasped. Luther tenderly cupped my face. “Your Majesty... you just became the Queen of Fortos.”
“I’ll stand by you through anything, Diem, even when I disagree. I hope you know that. Whatever consequences may come, we face them together.”
“Would you really do that for me? Leave everything behind?” “I would do anything for you. As long as I can do it with you.”
“Your daughter is everything to me, Auralie,” Luther said quietly. “All that I am, it belongs to her.”
“You and Father chose to leave your past and focus on your future—well, Luther is my future. And if you won’t accept him, you won’t be a part of it.”
“You are so much more to me than just my Queen.”
This was more than the gift of one night. This was months of reading material. I spun to face him. “This is my surprise?” He smiled faintly. “It is.”
“Diem Bellator, you are everything I’ve ever wanted. You are my joy and my salvation. You are perfect. And I promise you this—I will love you for as long as love exists.”
His shoulders slowly rose and fell. He turned to face me. Lifted his chin. Placed his fist over his chest, then sank to one knee.
