Song of Shadows

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Azriel

My body glows with warmth and pleasure in the afternoon sun. Elain breathes out a soft sigh as she nestles her head deeper into the crook of my arm. I stroke her bare back, hardly daring to believe she is real and not another dream or hallucination. "It's hard to believe this isn't a dream."

I pull her closer to me, savoring the warmth of her breath on my skin. The scent of our mingled sweat hangs heavily over the clearing. "I missed you," I say quietly.

I feel the heavy bob of her throat as she swallows. "I missed you as well, Azriel. I... I thought I would never see you again."

The shadows shielding us writhe, sensing the wrath rising up in me. "I would never leave you with that... there. I would have torn that entire Court apart to get you back." She pulls my hand to her lips and kisses it.

"I know."

"You don't seem to mind as much as I thought you would."

"I would tear apart the world if you were taken from me. You are mine, Azriel, and I am yours." Determination burns in her blue eyes. "I am going to get stronger. Never again will I allow myself to be taken away from you or our family again."

Pride floods through me at these words. "Very well. We start at dawn." A look of distaste crosses her face.

"Fine."

"Now that we have that matter settled." I pull Elain on top of me. A mischievous grin quirks up the corners of her mouth before she kisses my mouth, my throat, my chest. "Elain, what are..." The words are lost in a soundless groan as Elain takes me into her own mouth.

My hands move towards her to pull her back, but she pins my wrists against my side. Fine. Two can play at that game. Tendrils of shadow begin to tease the most sensitive parts of her body. I hear a groan low in her throat that sends a wave of desire coursing through me. Elain begins to squirm against my ministrations, but shadows wrap around her ankles and wrists, holding her in place.

I let out a groan of my own as Elain dances her tongue along the growing hardness. "Elain." I feel her smile as she takes me deeper into her throat. "Elain." All at once, a cascade of pleasure rushes through me. The smell of her musk fills the air as she lets out a muffled scream. The shadows vanish, leaving both of us limp and pouring sweat.

I lift Elain so she is lying on my heaving chest. "I love you," she whispers.

"And I love you." We lay in each other's arms until the sun begins to set. When Elain shivers in the evening air, I pull our clothing towards us. As she is putting on the flying leathers, I say, "I have a... surprise for you, Elain." She takes my offered hand, and we fly back home. To Velaris.

⧪

At the entrance to the temple, Elain hesitates. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." The last rays of the sun bask her hair and jewel-colored gown with a warm light. I stroke a wisp of hair away from her eyes.

With a nod, she pushes open the heavy doors. The interior is serene with low-burning candles and the quiet praying of the priestesses. I approach one of them and tell her my request. The priestess looks at Elain then at me again. With a wide smile, she nods her assent. Leading us to a spectacular garden, we stop beneath a wide arch.

"Please, join hands," the priestess instructs us. She places her hand on top of ours and closes her eyes. "Mother, we ask you to look upon these children of yours and bless them. Their love is pure, their love is true. May they honor one another, may they stay true to one another, and may they always love one another."