My eyes turn and find hers, and she takes a slow step back like she’s scared of what she sees. But I know it’s just the beginnings of the moon, because I can feel it pulling at me.
“We’ll never laugh on that daisy bed,” I tell her again. “Because Slade made everyone in my family hate him. You saw everything I did. In another thousand lives, he was one of us. We’ll never laugh on that daisy bed because we’ll never be hanging out in my room like two carefree souls. He’s already changed the future. If the good things can change, so can the bad.”
Slowly, I stand.
“What are you going to do?”
“Right now?” I ask, taking a calming breath. “Right now I’m going to hurry through a magical shower and go see Slade, then chain myself up for the night.”
Chapter 30
SLADE
Ella appears in my cabin, and I jump to my feet, a growl already rumbling from my chest.
“What the hell have you been doing? I couldn’t see you for fucking ever, then I finally could see you, but couldn’t hear anything over the roaring fucking noise in my ears, and there were just ashes—”
Before I can finish my sentence, she’s shutting me up by jumping into my arms, kissing me so hard that I don’t even realize I’ve lost my balance until I crash down onto the bed.
My hands smooth up her back, even as her chest starts to vibrate with a telling growl of her own.
She groans as she breaks the kiss, but I drag her back down to me and kiss her again. She gyrates her hips on my lap, and I pull her closer, tasting her, needing to know she’s really here and safe.
She breaks the kiss and says, “I’m so sorry, but I have to go get chained.”
Reaching beside us, I grab the vial of blood and hand it to her. “Drink,” I tell her, and she does without even hesitating.
Far too trusting.
She chokes it down, grimacing, and my lips twitch when she gags. “That was possibly the foulest thing I’ve tasted in my life.”
“That’s because it’s not fresh. Dragon blood doesn’t keep.”
“Why’d I drink dragon blood?” she asks, then darts a gaze outside just as the red moon starts to rise.
“That’s why,” I tell her, pulling her down to me as I drop back on the bed.
“It keeps the beasts at bay? How?”
“Still magic to me. I haven’t dissected it myself, and the Aquarius never really cared about the why when they discovered that. It’s a well-guarded secret, since it actually didn’t further their personal agenda. Back then, the red moon gave them more targets.”
“The Aquarius learned this,” she repeats quietly.
Keeping the conversation quiet enough to escape prying ears, I answer, “When they controlled the rings, yes. None of the slaves imprisoned still exist from that time, aside from myself and Alton. I doubt he cares enough to repeat it, if his splintered mind even recalls it. You’re the only person I’ve told. It’s information you can determine the value of.”
“People would drain the dragons if this got out, and our people would be at constant war.”
“Most likely,” I agree.
My hand runs up her side.
“Where were you? I’ve been going out of my mind trying to see you,” I say a little calmer as she kisses the side of my neck, sliding over me, distracting me with that succubus power she’s never attempted to use on me before.
I grow hard under her just knowing she’s using it, because I’ve had this fantasy one too many times. The Royal Succubus Experience is what I titled said fantasy.
“I’ve never attempted this very much, since I didn’t want any results, so
—”