Her hand froze, coming to my chest, right over the Bind. “I know,” she muttered, and I froze, too, removing my hand from between her legs. “But I want you that way, too. Like Barrett and Dax. I want all of you.”
My head fell to her shoulder, guilt wringing my heart. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” she said, still pressed against the wall.
But I was. I’d potentially fucked up our entire future by insisting on this Bind when I was only seventeen. I’d thought itwas the right thing back then, but damn, what a stupid kid I’d been.
“I promise, Mila. I am going to fix this.” I kissed her to seal that vow, and then whether it was the genuineness of my words or my tongue stroking hers, she was moaning into my mouth again. Her hips ground against me as she pulled me closer.
“For now,” she panted, “show me.”
“Spirits, I love you,” I said as she undid my belt, pulling my cock out. Her legs were still tight around my waist as she brushed a thumb over the tip, and I shivered, slamming a hand to the wall above her head.
“Fuck,” I said. “Are you trying to kill me?”
Mila laughed, lining me up with her entrance. I wasn’t sure there was a better sight on Ambrisk than that. Her hand around me, her ready to take me.
“What a way it would be to die,” she said sinfully.
Not taking my eyes off where we were joined, I sank forward slowly, catching every gasp and moan that rolled off her lips. And as we both gave ourselves over to wrecking the other, every touch and every kiss promised I would fix this. I was eternally hers, every damaged part of me, and she wasminein return.
Fuck.Mine.
I growled, pounding into her with enough force that she cried out again. I didn’t know I could love a word as much as I didmine.
“I promise,” I swore to her on a husky whisper. “I promise I am all yours. Now, tell me, Mila.” She knew that this time I wasn’t only asking what she wanted.
“All of my tomorrows, Warrior Prince. They’re all—” She gasped as I picked up my pace. “They’re all yours.”
“That’s fucking right, General.”
I didn’t know what had been in the air, if it was just the effect of witnessing a bond being struck or something deeper, but Ifelt like I’d die if I lost Mila. Like this desire ringing deep in my bones was my life force and she was the only thing that kept it pumping.
I kissed her, needing to taste her, and she clenched tighter around me.
“Please,” she begged, hands grappling against my tunic as she pulled it up over my head and pressed her lips to my chest.
“Angels, Mila,” I breathed as I rubbed tight circles against her clit. And we fell into absolute fucking ruins together, the water in the fountain not nearly drowning out the noise. Her hand pressed against my Bind, and I thought that touch alone would burn the thing away.
I held her against the wall as she stopped shaking and blood returned to my brain. Then, I set her on her feet, the moon through the skylight casting her features in a pale glow.
“So fucking beautiful,” I whispered, ducking to kiss her again, but Mila’s attention was over my shoulder.
“What is that?” she asked.
Still holding her chin, I followed her gaze.
“A mural?” I asked. Like the many throughout the city and capitol, the artwork portrayed Xenique, her powerful frame taking up much of the wall. With the fountain that was clearly supposed to be for making offerings to the Angel, I guessed I should have felt a little bad about fucking Mila in a sacred space, but I didn’t.
Mila ducked around me to approach it, and as I followed, I realized there was something different about this depiction.
“Where are her wings?” I asked.
Mila strayed closer, her fingers drifting over the artwork. It was a mosaic, I realized, crafted of the smallest, almost imperceptible chips of colored tile. “It’s not Xenique,” she whispered. “It’s Artale.”
A chill traveled down my spine.
“The Goddess of Death,” I breathed. Smaller figures knelt at her feet, one winged. “That must be Xenique, then,” I said, pointing to the clear Angel.
