Veins of Magic (The Otherworld, #2)

by Emma Hamm

She whimpered and wrapped herself around him once more. “Please, mo chroí. I want to hear your voice one last time. I love you.” At first, she didn’t notice that her lips were pressed against silken hair. Then she heard the cracking of crystal as his fingertips moved. Stumbling back, she landed on her behind and watched with wide eyes as the crystal shattered. It fell from his body in great shards, leaving behind warm caramel skin. He shook the stones from his shoulders, twisting away from her to rip off his armor and lift his hands to his face.

She couldn’t stop crying. Tears splattered onto his chest, mingling with the short hair there. Hair! Sorcha tugged on it. “Since when did you have chest hair?” “Eh?” He ran a hand down his chest, craning his neck to look down at himself. “I didn’t. Or I haven’t, for a very long time.” She sucked in a breath and traced a circle around a hole she hadn’t noticed before. A star shaped wound over his heart Tiny crystals scattered around it, hardly comparable to his previous crevices and cracks, but still there.

It would have to wait, as he said, but she wasn’t happy about it. “Shout for him then,” she grumbled. “I hadn’t thought to reintroduce you in our bedroom. But so be it.” Eamonn cleared his throat. “Cian! You mangy bastard open the door!” The gnome’s bellow echoed through the hall nearly as loud as the banging door which slammed off its hinges. There was so much hope in Cian’s eyes as he looked at them, wrapped up in the cream sheets with gossamer curtains all around them. And then rage so red it burned turned the gnome to stone. “So that’s how you’re repaying him?” he growled. “The master’s only been dead for three months and you crawl into bed with his brother?”

Lmao. OMG. This is great!

She rolled her eyes. “That’s more what I expected. Are you trying to distract me? We have a coronation to go to.” “And we’re the king and queen! We can make them wait.” He backed her towards the bed, tugging at the laces of her bodice. Sorcha laughed again, slapping at his hands. “Stop that! You’re only tangling them further!” “I’m helping.”

“Eamonn, I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while now, and I refuse to have a crown placed on my head without you knowing.” “You were married before you came here.” “What? No!” “You killed a man on the battlefield.” “No.” “You’ve been cursed to shout ‘toad’ whenever you see my twin?” She burst into laughter again. “No! You foolish man, none of that.” He palmed her hips and dragged her forward until she stood between his thighs. Pressing a kiss against her collarbone, he breathed, “Then what is it? It surely will not make me love you any less.” “No I suspect it will make you love me quite a bit more.”

“Oh, Papa! I didn’t think I would ever see you again!” “Neither did I, my sweet girl.” He held her close, laughing in her ear. “But your husband found me far too easily, and here I stand.”

Are you certain you’re up to this?” Eamonn asked. “Would you stop asking me that question today?” “It’s just in your delicate condition—” “If you say one more word about me being pregnant and fragile, I will set the drapes on fire.” “You wouldn’t dare.” Sorcha glared up at him. “I most certainly would.”

“Sorcha! I thought he was supposed to be beastly! That’s what all the stories say.” “Stories?” Sorcha blinked at them. “What stories?” “Well once we knew you went to Hy-brasil, we searched for any rumors! Everyone was talking about the ugly brute on the isle, but this man… Oh, he’s not ugly at all.” He wanted to remind them that he could hear them. But the ladies were enjoying themselves, and he hadn’t had a crowd of women admiring him for a very long time. What harm could find him from allowing himself to find peace? Sorcha’s eyes flashed with jealous anger.