Four hours later, when dinner had come and gone—she’d asked one of the serving ladies to bring her a tray from the kitchens—and Maya was finally done. She looked at the clock on her mantlepiece. An hour past midnight. If she hurried, Luka might still be awake. She’d already handed off the armor to his page, all that remained was for her to explain it all to him, how each piece worked, and how it was meant to protect him.
Maya strode quickly down the dark corridors, her mind a thousand miles away, on the battlefields of Bigu with Luka. She’d almost passed his rooms before she realized, and turned around. There was no light coming from under the door, which meant Luka was asleep. He must have decided to have an early night, given that he would ride to battle tomorrow.
Damn.
She would have to sneak in, and leave him a note with all her instructions. A verydetailednote.
Pushing the door open, Maya slipped in. Luka was a dark shape in the middle of his bed, and she quietly shuffled to the desk. She placed the note on the desk and then remembered another last set of instructions. Biting her lip, she felt around on the table for a quill and paper. Stepping closer to the moonlit window, Maya scribbled quickly.
After she was finished, she stood looking at Luka, her thoughts in a whirl. Some force drew her to him, and Maya stood looking down at his sleeping form. She would’ve liked to have had the chance to say goodbye and good luck, but it was understandable that he chose to spend his last night at home with his mother and his younger sister.
She must have made some sound, because quite suddenly, Luka opened his eyes. He gave a start, and Maya winced.
“‘Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she muttered in a low voice. “I just snuck in here to leave the instructions for my secret project on your desk.” She shrugged. “It’s a set of mage-powered armor that I designed for you.” She huffed out a laugh. “Surprise! It’s what I’ve been working on this past month. I had to rush to get the last of it ready in time, but I managed to get the armor to your squire so it will be ready for you to take with you tomorrow. I’ve made sure he knows what to do.” She turned away. “I’ll just be going now; you need your rest—”
“Wait.”
Luka cleared his throat, then pushed the covers off and sat up. His chest was bare, and his hair unbound, hanging around his shoulders in long, blonde locks.
“Thank you, Maya.” He gave her a small smile. “I’m glad I got the chance to see you before I left, even if this is a little unusual for my taste.”
Maya pushed her hair behind her ears. “Yes, well, like I said, I’ve left you instructions and care guidelines on the desk. And remember, your armor is the only prototype I have, so try tocome back in one piece, you hear me?”
She had tried for the normal flippant tone she used when she spoke with Luka, but it came out wrong—hard, and serious, when she had meant to sound light and breezy.
Luka blinked, and Maya shifted uncomfortably. There was a tense silence, and finally, she confessed: “Volkov’s already at the frontlines. You’re all I have left, Luka.” She met his gaze. “So, promise me you’ll come back.”
She could see he was struck by the raw emotion in her voice; he raised his hand to her and nodded mutely. Their hands touched, and then—Maya didn’t know who made the first move, but suddenly their fingers were tangled together, and she was falling down into his bed—
She ended up in his lap, her legs on either side of his, their faces close together as they both stared at each other in shock. With the moonlight silvering everything and the castle sleeping all around them, the moment stretched between them, surreal and almost magical.
Ever so slowly, Luka reached up, and traced her lower lip with his thumb.
Maya shuddered, and his eyes gleamed as he pulled her down to meet her mouth with his.
She sighed against his skin at the movement and felt his answering shudder. His mouth nipped at hers, moving in and away, and it felt like she was being wound tighter and tighter. When Luka moved away again, she swooped in to follow him, her hips rocking against his, and he ground out a low groan, eyes fluttering shut. His hips bucked up in response, and it was Maya’s turn to gasp.
His ice grey eyes were nearly black when she met his gaze, and when he ran his tongue over his lower lip like he was savoring the taste of her—Maya couldn’t help it, she rocked her hips again, slowly and deliberately.
And Luka exploded.
His hands came up to wrap around her, his long, clever fingers moving over her form, caressing her curves and digging into her waist. Maya shivered as Luka ground against her in return, his movements fast and choppy, and so,sogood, his harsh pants the only sound in the still night air.
The long column of his throat, in sharp relief as he threw his head back, called to her, and Maya’s mouth latched onto Luka’s neck, tongue moving against his skin and teeth gripping his flesh as she tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled, grinding against him.
Luka arched nearly up off the bed, his hair tickling her cheek as she moved harder against him, her breath coming faster and faster.
She shook as Luka’s grip tightened, his frantic movements against her pushing her beyond the brink, and she felt herself falling, falling—
Maya’s teeth tightened in his flesh, as sparks burst to life behind her closed eyes. She felt her muscles seize up, and then it felt like her bones had turned to water. Luka went rigid, groaning low in his throat as he half turned away from her, and she slid off him to lie on her side, still facing him.
A moment later, he turned back to her, his hot breath washing over her as they both panted for breath in the aftermath.
The silence was broken by Luka’s voice.
“Maya?”
For the first time since they’d known each other, Luka sounded afraid, and unsure of himself.
