Bleeding Ink

Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Dessa opened her eyes to the hearth in front of her, the fire nothing more than embers now as the early morning light filtered in through the windows. Elys was pressed up against her back, one arm under her head, their fingers intertwined. His other arm draped around her waist, fingers brushing along the smooth skin of her stomach to let her know he was awake. They were still naked, though the blanket covered them from the waist down. Luckily, her ward had stayed up throughout the night, which was a good thing since they'd made love two more times before sleep finally pulled them under. It dissipated as soon as she woke, though the locked door would still give them a little bit of privacy.

Privacy that was instantly shattered by the sound of the lock being undone with magic, then Milena's cheery voice shouting as she barged in. "Good morning, best friend! Now, get that cute butt out of bed and...oh, my gods!"

Cracking one eye open, Dessa lifted her head from Elys's arm. "Good morning...now, get out."

Milena was staring at them still tangled together, hands slapped over her mouth. "Oh, my gods!"

Elys wasn't making it any better, chuckling in Dessa's ear as his fingers dipped lower along her stomach. "Morning, Milena."

"You're not helping, idiot," she growled out, then reached above her head, hand curling around one of the pillows and hurled it at her. "Get out!"

The pillow to the face didn't even faze her. "I knew it! Eamon, you owe me five hundred gold coins! I'm so glad Kalla gave me that advice!" she called out as she rushed back out.

Milena all but slammed the door behind her, still yelling about a bet she'd won, as Dessa heaved a sigh. Elys chuckled again, kissing beneath her ear as his fingers trailed back up her stomach.

"She's going to be a nightmare now," Dessa groaned, covering her face with her hand.

"What happened to wanting to hear her say I told you so?"

"Not when she walked in on us!"

"We weren't doing anything."

"Your hand placement would say otherwise." That hand drifting down again before she stopped it. "Don't you dare."

Elys hummed in her ear. "You sure you don't want me to?"

Dessa wrapped her fingers around his wrist. "If we want to get going to Arloerin, then yes, I'm sure. Or else I'll lock you in these rooms with me for a few days."

He hummed again, kissing the side of her neck, fingertips still gliding along her skin. "Well, I certainly wouldn't mind it."

She shifted to look at him over her shoulder to see him smiling at her. Moving to lay on her back, her body was pleasantly sore. She reached up and brushed her fingers along the scruff of his jaw, smiling back. "Good morning, Seer."

Elys leaned forward, brushing a kiss against her cheek, tightening his hold on her again. "Good morning, Dessa Jai."

Dessa snuggled against Elys's chest again, head tucked against his shoulder as she trailed her hand along the tattoo of their family's names along his forearm. They stayed quiet, watching as she brushed against the blank space between Dessa's and Lenora's names.

"There's room for other names here," she finally whispered, leaning back to glance up at him. "Does that mean I'm getting a few more siblings in the future?"

"Maybe," Elys grinned. "It's not going to be for a little while, though. Your parents deserve a break after raising you and Lenora...especially since your next baby sister and baby brother are going to be hellions just as you two were. And they'll be born just two years apart. Lyv and Jai are going to be exhausted."