Amid Clouds and Bones

by Ella Fields

“You poisoned me.” I widened my eyes and pressed my hand over my cleavage. It did as intended, drawing his gaze like a bird to the sky, as I breathed, “I do beg your pardon, Prince.” His teeth scraped his lower lip as he straightened from the wall. “The atrocious things I would do just to see you do that.” Unless I ran, there was little else to do but play along. “Do what?” “Beg,” he said,

His hold loosened. His thumb stroked my jumping pulse. “You enrage me.” “The feeling is mutual,” I crooned sweetly.

“What I usually do is none of your concern, dreaded Mildred.” “No more little thing?” “Certainly not with tits that huge.”

“What isn’t fair is your existence,” Atakan seethed, his mouth leaving my forehead and moving closer to mine. “The way you make me crave and loathe you in equal measure.”

But it softened the longer he looked down at me, and disappeared entirely when he murmured, “Enough to make me miss the creature I loathe the most.”

“I want you. I want you as much as I loathe you—so much, it feels like I can’t breathe.” His parted lips dragged across my cheek, his whisper scathing near my ear. “Give me back my fucking breath.”

His voice was a rough grumble. “Do you always sleep in a robe?” I’d wager he knew I didn’t. “I’m not exactly going to sleep naked, am I?” An intentional prod, but I couldn’t help myself. “You certainly could, and I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

Ugh Vane. Why why whyyyyyy did you do what you did

“Males are all the same. Unaware that love means more than an obsession with humping someone.” Unable to help it, I laughed. Cerwin licked his lips. “I’m sensing I should keep my mouth shut.” “Should you wish to hump me any time soon, then that would be wise.” Daylia set the decanter down.

I 🖤 Daylia

I smiled, unable to hide it when he tipped my chin and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. His gaze lowered to my chest, and his throat bobbed. “You’re almost too lovely to look at.”

“Cerwin and Daylia will be attending. I cannot leave you alone in this state, Mildred.” “You can.” “I won’t be able to focus on anything.” Strands of damp red hair escaped from behind his pointed ear. “Nothing but you.”

This was so fcked up after you learn the truth. I was so mad. I’m still so mad.

I whirled to the dancing willow tree behind me. He stood beyond reach of the scythe moon, leaning against the thick trunk. Cold warmth turned my bones to stone. “Atakan.” His teeth flashed bright in the falling night. “Hello, dread.” Meadow dangled from his fingers, hissing at the prince who held her by the scruff of her neck. His features were void of emotion. Iced apathy dripped from each word as he said without care for his volume, “Time to go.”

“Have you missed me, dread?” Lazily, I drawled, “So much that torture won’t be necessary, monster.” Atakan’s steps ceased. “Pity. I was looking forward to hearing you moan again.”

“Smelling much better.” I squinted at him, ready to remind him that it hadn’t been my fault I’d been trapped in a cell, but he stalked into his bedchamber ahead of me. “Less like something you’re not.” I frowned at his back. “Dirty? Compliments aren’t your usual—” “His.”

“Did he fuck you?” “That’s hardly relevant.” “Perhaps not, but it is imperative that I know.” “Why?” I taunted. “So I know which part of him to mutilate first.” Iced water dripped into my chest. He was utterly serious. I couldn’t let the trickle of fear keep me from playing. “I would start with his lips.” He growled. “Mildred.” “Then his tongue.” He pressed his nose against mine. “You’re doing a very poor job of bartering.” “Maybe his hands.” His glower suddenly turned into a grin, and he straightened. “You can stop now.” “I’m not done.” “You are.” I frowned. “You don’t know that.” “You said maybe.” He left to lay beside me. “He kissed you, and for that he will pay. But no matter…” He bit into his wrist as though it were fruit and not his own flesh. “You’ll soon forget you cared enough to let him.”

“I didn’t think halflings could find a mate.” “I’ve only heard of two.” She paused before saying, “It makes so much sense now. Atakan searched high and low for you for days, believing you’d somehow fled. He didn’t stop until we learned the Unseelie king had you, then…” Her voice quietened. “He just disappeared.” I shouldn’t have cared enough to ask, but I did. “For how long?” Pholly shrugged. “He’d return every few days and leave almost instantly. It didn’t cease until he brought you back.”

“I didn’t know he was my mate.” “But he knew you were his.”

Atakan gathered more blood from his goblet first. Delight brightened his eyes as he took his time decorating my lips. “Mothers above, witness and bless my love, as I bind myself to thee.” The word love sucked the air from my lungs and threatened to send heat climbing up my neck. I fought it, and smiled to feign nonchalance, as I dipped my finger into the goblet of my blood and painted his lips. “Mothers above, witness and bless my love, as I bind myself to thee.” “Seal it,” the priestess instructed. Against my mouth, Atakan whispered, “You have no right making that monstrosity of a dress look good.”

I pushed away first, but not without whispering, “I might need assistance to remove this monstrosity.” His hands squeezed my waist, mouth skimming my temple. “I might be able to assist you.”

His grin only became more devastating until he said, “You’re right. You’re not my lover. You’re now my wife, yet that doesn’t seem quite enough either.” I nearly swayed when I rose, and he went on. “What do you call the only creature you want to watch and touch endlessly?”

“You must put your mouth on mine and kiss me until I tell you to stop.” My foolish heart skipped. Still, I taunted, “But what if you never do?” “Trust me.” He dropped his forehead to mine. “I never fucking will.”

“I want your unyielding defiance, your mischievous curiosity, your ceaseless muttering in your sleep.” His eyes opened. “Your buttery hair in my hands.”

“I want you, Mildred. Always and incessantly, I’ve fucking wanted you.”

“But you stopped me.” Silence. “You stopped me,” I said again, harsher. “You took me into that garden shed, Atakan, and you—” He whirled as he growled, “And accepted that I couldn’t fucking do it.” His chest rose and fell sharply. He dragged a hand through his hair, held it there as he gazed up at the muraled ceiling. “You were mine.” His eyes returned to me, ablaze with the anger roughening his voice. “I knew then that I would rather remain trapped for eternity than let anyone think you’re theirs.”

She looked over from where she sat across the grounds against a tree. The same tree we’d stood under when we’d first met. I’d loathed her then. Almost as much as I loved her now.

“I might not care for much of anything outside of my desires, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely heartless.” Her hand settled on my hip, and my clinical tone roughened. “That doesn’t mean I cannot love you.” I clasped her chin, my head lowering. “That doesn’t mean I don’t need you to be as obsessively in love with me as I am with you.”

“For you, I would stay on my knees until they bled your name.”