“Like what?” I asked, feeling my curiosity spike.
He slid from the horse, and looked back up at me expectantly. When I made no move to get down, Ryder smiled devilishly and easily plucked me from the horse. “Like don’t tempt the beast, because he likes a good game of cat and mouse.”
I swatted at his shoulder. “I’m serious.”
“So am I,” he said as he leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Come; I’ll bathe with you in the springs.”
I eyed the spring, and then eyed the beast in front of me. “I’m not getting naked in front of an army of men.”
“You think I would allow anyone to see what is mine?” Ryder asked, as he turned back to look at me, hiking his brow up until it wrinkled.
“Who says I’m yours?” I taunted him.
“I do,” he said to me. To Sevrin, who stood closest to us, he issued orders and the poor guy jumped to do it. I watched from where I stood, as they erected a cover around one of the springs that was surrounded by large oval rocks.
“They are heated, so it should help to heal the soreness of traveling,” Ryder said when he caught my curious look as the bubbles floated up disturbing the watery surface.
“Oh!” I said, surprised.
“You think the humans have the only natural hot springs?”
“No, but I honestly didn’t expect to find one here.” But I was thrilled that he had. The little cove with the blood-sucking flowers was interesting, but this place looked safer.
“Darynda,” Ryder called to the group of girls walking by. When Darynda came up to us, he told her what I would need, and where to put up the tent. When she ran off to secure the items from the many packs that were laden on the wagons, he turned and grinned at me mischievously.
“I’ve seen that look before, Fairy,” I replied, while trying to keep the grin from spreading across my lips. “It always ends up with us and a bed.”
“Does it?” he asked as he pulled me closer to him. “It also ends up with you screaming my name as I make you come for me.”
I shivered deliciously. He had a point there. “We’re surrounded by people,” I pointed out.
“So we are. I fail to see what that has to do with what I intend to do with you,” he replied with an intensity that made me squirm.
“If you make me scream, everyone will hear us,” I hissed, as his lips tipped higher in the corners. “I’m serious, Fairy! You may not care if everyone hears you getting off, but I do!”
“So you don’t want them to hear me scream your name with passion?” he asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
“No, I don’t want them to hear us doing it!” I replied hastily as Ristan walked up to us.
“Doing what?” the Demon asked with a devilish grin on his lips.
“Nothing!” I almost screamed, but caught it, and it came out more as a strangled growl.
“Oookay! Someone is a little hormonal today,” Ristan said with a wide smile. “Ryder, your oasis awaits you.” He executed a slight bow before he took off again.
“It’s this way.” Ryder laughed as he pulled me toward where black curtains had been set up.
When I entered the area, I gasped.
Partially because I knew they had done it all without magic. Cherry blossom petals floated above the welcoming water. A few candles had been set on the smooth surfaces of the rocks. I shook my head with wonder, before turning to catch Ryder smiling.
“We won’t be disturbed here,” Ryder assured me.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” I said, taking in everything. We even had a small basket that held something that smelled divine. “So I guess you expect to get some for this?” I lifted my eyes in time to watch him remove his shirt.
My eyes drifted over the thick cords of muscle and the magnificently molded abs, to the brands that pulsed on his bronzed skin. His pants hung low on his hips, revealing the thin dark patch of hair that led below the waistline.
He continued, working the button and then the zipper of his pants easily, efficiently. I pulled my eyes away as he let them drop and stepped into the inviting water. I heard a splash, and turned to see if he had slipped, and found him standing waist deep in water. He whipped his hair back, which had been doused in water, sending tendrils of water over my skin.
I slowly walked to the water’s edge, and sat on one of the many rocks. I silently removed my cloak, boots, and the silk socks from my feet. When I had finished, I placed them in the water and sighed happily. “This is heaven,” I whispered as I lifted my face to the sky. The skies in Faery were beautiful.
It was late afternoon and the most beautiful sunset was already spreading across the skies. Faery had two suns and two moons, as if a mirror had been placed against them. Like everything in Faery, beautiful yet deadly and still perfectly balanced. The greens of this world were bright, as if everywhere had water running beneath it. I’d yet to see a place in Faery that wasn’t beautiful.
“What are you thinking of, Synthia?” Ryder asked, as he pushed through the water until he was between my legs.
“I was thinking of how beautiful this place is,” I replied, enjoying the heat that his touch brought to my skin. He smiled and shook his head.
“This spot was picked out by Ristan,” he said, as if he wished he had picked it out.
“I was talking about this world,” I whispered as he got closer.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said. “You are a little over dressed, though.” He smiled mischievously.
“Don’t even think about it!” I screeched, but it was too late. He pulled me easily from the rock and into his arms.
I was soaking wet, but in his arms still. He took us down, until only our heads were above the water’s lusciously warm depths.
“I thought about it,” he said as he smiled against my cheek.
“Now my skirt is wet, and everything else,” I complained with a smile, unable to stop it from spreading across my lips.
“That’s not the only thing that is going to be wet,” he growled as his mouth found mine, and kissed me deeply, until I threw away my inhibitions and wrapped my body around his. I felt his hands skimming my back, caressing my flesh as he ravished my mouth.
When he pulled away, I groaned from the loss of his heat. He helped me pull off my sweater and skirt and threw them with wet splats on the rocks, and then moved with me in his arms until I felt the smooth surface of the rock behind my back and his sleek muscles against my chest. He pushed one leg down, and then the other.
I watched in wonder as he slid slowly down my body, until his head was submerged in water. I felt his hands pulling against my undies, and sliding them from me. I tried to control my breathing, as he followed the path of my underwear. His hand slid down, with his fingers caressing my skin like silk until he lifted one foot, and then the other.
He didn’t come up for air, and right when I started to get worried, I felt his mouth press against my naked sex. Kissing and nipping at the swollen flesh, and then slowly moving up, kissing me until he popped out of the water. His eyes were now glowing like two hungry orbs of fire. My breath hitched in my lungs as I felt my body approve, and my brands as they moved in rhythm with his.
“Ryder,” I said, worried that something was wrong. I’d never felt my brands with so much life on my skin before. Well, there was the one time when I was wrapped in his wings during my presentation, but I thought that was him doing it.
“It’s Faery, Synthia. She’s giving us permission. She approves of our union,” he whispered as he pulled me against himself, and cupped my ass from where it no longer was hidden beneath the silk panties.
“That’s good,” I replied.
That’s good!?
“Yes, that’s good,” Ryder replied as his hands wrapped around me. His mouth crushed against mine, as he entered me in a skilled move. He captured the moan that exploded from my lungs, holding it within his mouth to keep it from being heard.
When he pulled away, he smiled and moved h
is hips. I bit my lip to keep from making any loud noises, but it was futile. He drove himself in, and pulled out until the water was sloshing over the rocks. I let my head roll back on my shoulders, even as his mouth lowered and found my throat, licking across the vein silkily.
“This is heaven, Synthia. Inside of you is my heaven,” he whispered, so softly that I wasn’t even sure he had said it.
I rocked myself, as he pumped and pushed inside of me, until the world faded away and with it, my self-consciousness. I wanted him to know how he made me feel, I wanted him to hear it in every noise I made, and every breathless moan that escaped. I exploded around him, milking him as I shattered into a million pieces.
His mouth found mine, and captured it hungrily. His hips began moving in a fevered pitch, as he rode my body. I clung to him, and held on as the water continued to rush from the pool as he fucked me. When he exploded, the air around us grew heavy, and rain loosened from the sky to pelt us relentlessly. He fed us deeply, until I felt as if I would explode from the fullness he’d created inside of me.
We stood in the water, motionless as the rain continued to fall. We labored to catch our breath, as the world came rushing back to us. He pulled out slowly, and set me back on the rock, which he had plucked me from.
“Grab my cloak, and cover yourself, Pet. We have company.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
We had company, but it came in the form of wolves from the Shifter’s pack. Silas had sent out a call to those he commanded for help. Help to track the ones who were hunting us. They didn’t ride with the group. Instead, they tracked the woods around the caravan. They had heightened senses that came from being one with the animal within them. It came in handy when hunting an invisible foe.
I had been wondering about Ryder and his pissy attitude toward Silas, and when I asked about it, all he would say is that he didn’t trust them because of some things that had happened in the past, but they were a necessary evil right now.
It took us seven days after leaving the Gnarled Forest, to reach the base of the Willow Mountains. Everything in Faery had a name, and you knew the moment you left one place and entered the next. The air would grow dense and the surroundings changed without further warning.
By the time we stopped, I was exhausted from riding on the horse. My bones jarred with each sure footed step the war horse took. I hated to admit it, but I needed rest, and a bed sounded like heaven right now.
It left a foul taste in my mouth, but I caved and asked Ryder to make camp on the last day. We would sleep like the dead tonight, bone-weary and exhausted. I didn’t wait for Ryder to finish his check of the surrounding areas before I sat on an old log.
I was still sitting there when Ristan came over and sat beside me. He held out a flask and winked at me. “It’s water. Drink some. You look like you could use it.”
“How much longer before we reach the beginning of the labyrinth?” I asked, and Ristan shook his head.
“Not quite sure, Flower. It can move as all lands inside of Faery do. Kier gave Adam general instructions on how to locate it, but part of the trial is the actual search.”
“Great, so we could be chasing our tails?”
“Didn’t know you had a tail, but I’m game to examine it,” he replied with a serious look on his ageless face.
“Buddy, the only tail you are going to see is your own, when I kick your ass.”
“That’s my girl. Your tent is ready. Let me walk you to it. You need to rest and be ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
I stood and accepted his help up. He took me to Darynda, who smiled as she welcomed me, even though she looked as tired as I was. “I’m to wait with you until the king returns.”
“Fine, but I won’t be good company. I’m so tired I could face plant a rock and sleep for a week.”
“Me too, so you will find no issue there,” she said even as she yawned.
I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
The next morning, the camp was alive with activity, and even as Darynda tugged on my shoulder, I blinked my eyes open.
“The Demon is making you coffee. Get up; we leave within the hour. The Mages are close behind us.”
“Great,” I said, standing up to dress myself as she tossed me a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt, that had a skull in the front of it. I slipped the boots over my feet and stood up to button my pants. They were tight, and I ran a shaky hand over my stomach.
It wasn’t a huge bulge, or something anyone else would notice. But I could feel the change in my body from Ryder’s offspring that had invaded my body. “Darynda, can you get me something else to wear?” I asked, embarrassed that had to.
“Those don’t fit?” she asked, unaware of the angry tears I was trying to hold back.
I was changing, my body was changing, and it sucked!
“No, I’m too fat!” I growled.
“You are pregnant, but don’t worry, I planned for it,” she said, handing me a pair of black yoga pants that had Booty written across the butt, in pink.
“Wow,” I replied.
“I’d have gotten something better, but this trip wasn’t really planned in advance. I noticed the small bump the last time we stopped to change, so I asked Matilda to borrow these for you.”
“They’re fine,” I said, shoving one leg and then the other into the pants and pulling them up.
“Wow,” Ristan said as he came in, barely containing his laughter.
“If you laugh at me, I swear I will gut you, Demon,” I growled, turning to look at him.
He smiled and handed me the coffee he had been bringing, and left as soon as he did. His lips continued to shake as his eyes kept watch of my reaction. I hated that my body was changing, and I couldn’t stop it from happening. “Give me the cloak, please.”
“Synthia, you’re pregnant, and it’s a good thing,” Darynda said, as Ryder walked in to hear the tail end of her words.
“What’s the matter?” he asked carefully.
“I’m fat,” I mumbled, shooting him a look of mixed feelings. Mostly fears. If I was fat, he was bound to set me aside in favor of someone with more to offer him. I’d watched Witches of the Guild being sequestered because of their misshapen bodies when they got too big.
“You’re not fat, Pet. You are carrying my twins.”
I was overreacting, and it sucked! I couldn’t make my brain stop thinking it. My eyes were leaking tears now. “I’m going to be huge,” I replied, flashing him angry eyes. “You just had to knock me up!”
He smiled, walked over to me, and wrapped me in his arms. “You’re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Synthia. Pregnancy will not change that. The fact that you are carrying my babes only makes it more so.”
“Whatever; let’s get this shit over with before I only fit in sheets,” I gritted out.
“I prefer you in nothing more than sheets,” he murmured huskily in my ear.
My cheeks heated with a blush as he kissed me.
“We need to move. Grab the cloak, and finish the coffee. Ristan assured me you would be more human with it in you. I prefer you Fae, personally.”
“Fairy!” I glared.
“I’m going. Drink the coffee, it will help. Be ready in ten minutes, though, the Mages are close.”
“Ryder, if they get too close—”
“If they get within a hundred feet of you, this ends. I will sift you home where I know you are safe, and then I will come back and finish them off.”
“Deal,” I said, not because I wanted to hide, but because I had more than just myself to think about now. I had to worry about protecting our babies from those insane assholes. I wouldn’t allow what had happened to Larissa, to happen to me.
I waited with Darynda and Ristan until the shrill whistle cut through the chilly morning air. Within five minutes, we were loaded up and heading through the mountain.
It took us three days of riding, and another day of coming through a mass of willow trees, before we
reached the next camp. The men had to cut through the willow trees at the base, because they’d grown too thick to trek through.
The next place was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The Darkness was what the Fae had called it in hushed whispers. The entire land looked desolate, and encased in a thin layer of ice. As if it had been frozen, and left that way. Tall thick trees towered sporadically in either side of the thin patch of walkway. Fortunately, we only spent two days freezing our butts off there and the moment we stepped over the thin veil, everything changed again.
The trees were lush and green. Vivid colors made an ocular feast for our eyes. An expanse of vivid blue skies above us, as sun shined across the valley. A waterfall gurgled in the distance, and what looked like a thin walkway was actually a brilliant bubbling spring that led deeper into another stretch of forest.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, watching as a small bird flew by us.
“It is, but it’s also what Kier described as the beginning of the labyrinth. We should reach it within the hour,” Ryder whispered against my ear.
“Great.” That was just what we needed. We’d been on this journey for just a little over two weeks, and we had yet to make it to the location we needed to be at.
“Zahruk, send the scouts out to set a perimeter,” Ryder ordered.
I watched from the safety of his arms as a circle closed around us, and those who Zahruk shouted at spread wide led by Lachlan. The Shifters were just catching up with the group, as they had been around us but not with the caravan of people.
“No scent of the Mages for the last two days. We either lost them, or they gave up trying to figure out the terrain. The lone Fae male is still out there, though. That’s all we know for sure.”
Ryder tilted his head behind me, in acknowledgement of the Shifter’s words, but he said nothing. I was beginning to think there was more to this story than Ryder had mentioned to me, like these two had some sort of twisted history from the stiffening of spines of the men. They went on high alert every time Silas got too close to Ryder.