I snarled. “If you fucking drop her, I will rip out your insides and feed them down your fucking throat.”
A single bead of sweat dripped down his temple. “If I drop her, I’ll do it to my fucking self.”
I grunted at that. Fucking bastardwasindeed a savage. I glanced up at the fleeing wraiths. “She won’t get there in time, the closer they get to the deadlands the stronger they become. Pull the wraiths back towards her.”
His jaw clenched harder, his other arm thrusting out in front of him. “Yes, your majesty.”
I tilted my head and started to circle him again. “You sure you’re not a shifter, Dragoon?”
The air elemental smirked at that, still not looking at me. “I’ve learned from the best…and she’s not a shifter, your majesty.”
Then, as if conducting an orchestra, he snapped back his hands, pulling them to his chest tightly, and I looked up to see Remnant completely suspended in the night air. The wraiths swirling around her, trapped in Riley's fatal corralling winds.
She didn’t hesitate. She lashed out spinning, twirling, and slashing the score of wraiths with effective ease. There was no escaping as Riley delivered them towards her murderous blade.
Below her the shadows spiked up with hungry intent, swallowing wraiths in the infinite void, protecting her blind spots and preventing the cold blue fire from raining down on her.
I felt the others gathering around me, watching the bewitching vengeance Riley and Remnant created. An orchestra of death.
Xi shouldered past them and stepped around me without a passing glance—joining Riley's side and she rested a bloody hand on his shoulder.
He grunted in acknowledgement. “I need you.” He whispered. If it wasn’t for my shifter ears and being so close to him, I would have never heard his vulnerable confession.
“I know.” Xi murmured. “I got you Ri, stay steady.”
I stilled when I felt Xi’s power flow directly into her partner, feeding him more energy as he continued to fly Remnant through the night sky.
Remnant screamed and we all gasped when she ended the last three wraiths attempting to escape in Riley’s cyclone of air with one javelin-like lunge of her sword. They were skewered onto her blade and with a final battle cry she flung them downward straight into the mouth of the eternal abyss hovering below her.
Silence. Pure sweet silence.
I flung my head back and released a victorious roar that rattled the grasslands, my beast's power echoing in my celebration of triumph. My court joined me, the bellows traveling through the world, letting every fucking enemy know that death awaited them here should they dare to ever take a step into these lands.
I pounded the air elemental roughly on the back, grinning at him. “Well done Dragoon. You won’t be eviscerated…today.”
Riley swallowed hard but smiled back at me. “Thank you, your majesty.”
“Now bring her back to me in one piece before I change my mind.”
Dragoon barked out a short laugh. “Always, your majesty!”
Nodding to Xi, who smiled at him proudly, he weaved his hands with quick succession. Remnant shot back towards us, spinning, twirling, and tumbling in the star filled darkness before landing crouched in front of me. Slowly she stood, facing me with her chest heaving and her eyes bright with adrenaline.
Riley and Xi stepped quietly away as we continued to stare at one another.
A bright smile beamed across her face as she took in my enthralled stare. Completely covered in blood and her hair a disheveled mess around her, it was as if she stepped out of my dreams.
My hand snapped out, gripping the back of her neck before slamming my hungry lips to hers—need consuming me. I needed to taste that life within her, to feel that she was real, to bask in her glory, and her greatness.
She gave into my kiss, her desire and need matching my own as her fingers clawed into my skin and her hips pressed flush against mine. Lost in carnal hunger, she gasped in my mouth when I lifted her, wrapping her legs around my body, skimming the hemline of her shorts with my fingertips before cupping her ass tightly into me.
She moaned, arching in my arms when my lips trailed over her collar bone.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” I rasped, licking at her thundering pulse covered in blood.
“Emon.” She breathed, the complete rapture on her face highlighted by the stars was my undoing. Growling, I slanted my mouth over hers, claiming her thoroughly as mine—only mine.
A throat cleared behind me but I ignored it, whatever the world wanted from me it could fucking wait.
