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Aetos is a bitch that gives little dick energy
Oh Ridoc
Once again fuck Aetos
“If I find you in my bed, there’s no resting, trust me.”
“Knock me out? You’re usually the one begging for mercy a few orgasms in—” “Want to see begging? All I have to do is swirl my tongue around the tip of your—” Xaden coughs like he swallowed a nonexistent bug, and Garrick glances sideways at him.
“Oh gods, just stop flirting and fuck already,” Ridoc says. Every head slowly turns in his direction. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?” he asks me in a hushed whisper.
“His Royal Highness, Prince Halden.”
🤢🤮
“You’d have to own a heart to break it,” I immediately counter. “And the only hair I remember is your professor’s covering your face when I walked in on her riding you. It was auburn, right?”
“If you’re asking if I’m in love with him, then the answer is wholeheartedly yes.”
If you’re not with Riorson—” “I am in love with him.” I bristle. “I haven’t so much as thought about you in years. Don’t chase just because you like a challenge. You’ll lose.”
“Aimsir. It’s the right answer,” I say, mostly to myself. “My father’s world rotated on the axis of my mother, and they didn’t meet until their third year. Her first real love would have been Aimsir, and she was irreplaceable. Our entire family’s happiness rested on her health and survival.”
I flip the next page and suck in a sharp breath at the first words. Dear Violet,
If he follows in the footsteps of his father, you must find the strength to let go of your affection for him.
Trust only Mira. Love, Dad
“Holy shit.” My hands fall from his jacket. “You’re actually jealous.” “Yes, love, I’m jealous.”
“I’m jealous of the armor that holds you when I can’t, the sheets on your bed that caress your skin every night, and the blades that feel your hands.
“You’re Xaden Riorson.” I rise up on my toes and press a kiss to his chin. “Shadow wielder.” Another at his jaw. “Duke of Tyrrendor.” My mouth brushes just beneath his earlobe. “Love of my life. You have nothing to be jealous of.”
“Stop me if I cross the line.” That’s the only warning he gives before his mouth is on mine.
“The only rank that matters out here is cadet, so with all due respect, fuck off.”
“Get off me!” Aura bellows, shoving me aside as the figure stumbles forward into the moonlight and screams. I gasp, and for a millisecond, fear wins. Captain Grady is on fire.
“Take us both.” I grab Xaden’s hand. “Run with me.” Xaden’s brow furrows for a heartbeat, and then he nods. “I am not a horse,” Tairn fires back
“She knew we’d be there.” Well shit, there’s that, too.
“I just…need to go.” He looks away and grips the orange in both hands. “One of us needs to go with you. Ever since…” Pain flashes through his dark-brown eyes as he brings his gaze back to mine. “Ever since Athebyne, one of us has been by your side.”
“It really pisses me off when you guys act like my sense of humor somehow lessens my ability to show up for our squad.”
Aww Ridoc my heart
Only go to war with those you trust implicitly.
“This”—I toss the halves of the scroll at Halden, and he catches them with the same reflexes that make him lethal on the battlefield—“is not the plan, and they”—I gesture toward the seated riders—“are not my squad.”
“You don’t speak,” I snap, meeting his gaze for the first time in months. “Not to me. As far as I’m concerned, you have the credibility of a drunkard and the integrity of a rat. You dare complain about missing six years of information on Aretia when you’ve hidden centuries of our continent’s history from public knowledge?”
Go off queen
“If I wasn’t in love with you already, I would be now,” Xaden says, crossing his ankles.
“My father led a rebellion,” Xaden says without taking his eyes off me. “I took part in a revolution. There’s a difference in the words, from what I’m told.”
“You really had to prick his temper?” I ask as he reaches us. “No.” Xaden’s gaze flickers to my mouth. “I did that just for fun.”
“Clearly it was common sense that attracted you to the heir.” Sarcasm drips from Tairn’s tone. “I was eighteen and he was handsome. Give me a break.”
“Not a fucking professor—” “Just wanted to clear that up,” Xaden interrupts, then lifts me into his arms. “We’ll see you once we’re rested.”
“I’m done sleeping in a bed that doesn’t have you in it.”
It feels so right to be in his arms. “Because it is,” he says, holding me tighter. I blink and pull back to look at him. “I didn’t say that out loud.” His brow furrows. “Then you must have thought it down the bond, because I wasn’t pushing into your intentions.” My heart races for a different reason. No. But…maybe. “Or your signet is growing.”
For the first time since the night Tairn and Andarna channeled to me, I feel…small, naked even, stripped of the power that’s come to not only embolden me over the last year but define me.
“I can’t speak with Sgaeyl.” He clips out each word. “Or any of the others. Our communications have been severed.” I reach for the glittering onyx bond, but even though Tairn is still there, Xaden isn’t. We’re already cut off.
Something’s off with everyone. “I think we’re the only ones who can speak to one another.”
“There’s no magic here.” He tugs me against him. “No power. No lure. No taunting reminder that I can save everyone if I just reach for it and take what’s offered. It’s only…peace.” For the first time since fetching the luminary, I seriously debate Tecarus’s offer.
“Or it could just be that he loves Violet, so he’s not a dick to her,” Mira says,
“Good job, Aetos.” “Was that a compliment? What the fuck is going on?” Dain asks, his gaze flying to mine. “Did you give him something?”
“Do riders get nicknames once they earn their wings?” Drake questions Mira. “Because I’m pretty sure yours would be Killjoy.”
“You really shouldn’t raise a blade if you’re not prepared to receive one.”
“And you must be Asher Sorrengail’s daughter, here to collect the books he wrote for you.” My heart stops.
“I’m ninety-three, Leona, I’m not dead.” She waves her daughter off.
“What you call gods, we call science. What you call fate, we call coincidence. What you call the divine intervention of love, we call…” She flourishes her hand. “Alchemy.
How illogically, toxically romantic of you. Have to admit, that kind of confident violence isn’t what I pictured when Asher talked about you, but the brown hair, those…I guess they’re brown eyes, and how utterly smitten he predicted you two would eventually be for each other? Well, he described you almost perfectly, Dain Aetos.”
“The interrogation was recorded in the common tongue—” Dain’s eyes widen. “But the raiders spoke Krovlish, and descriptors follow nouns in Krovlish. They were hunting feathertails. Dragons.”
“You know your value,” Narelle says softly with a nod. “Your father would be proud. Get her the books.”
“Good,” he says against my ear, and I gasp with surprise as he grabs hold of my waist and turns me to face him. “Because I’m done being polite.” His mouth crashes into mine.
It doesn’t feel like it’s only been six weeks since I’ve had all of him above me, below me, within me—it seems like it’s been years.
