Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,57

but leaving the sides completely exposed. Little fawn-like horns poked out of her long auburn hair. Her hips swayed with grace and sensuality.

Gardeness was a castle of sex—a pansexual orgy. Boy-girl. Girl-girl. Boy-boy. And every other combination in between. Five. Six. Ten participants. The number or the sex didn’t matter. Pleasure was the only significant factor.

I’d never considered myself a prude and had seen my fair share of romantic situations, but holy shit. The things going on inside Verena’s castle made me feel like a virgin. My cheeks grew warm as we were led through the halls, passing by room after room of lewd acts.

“Are you blushing, luv?” Ashor whispered, leaning down so his breath brushed against my hair.

“It’s hot here,” I replied in my defense. A lie. And he knew it.

We were shown to a wing of the castle and then to a suite of rooms. It was in the lavish lounge where Jesset left us, shutting the door behind her. Pillows were stacked on the floor around low tables. The ceiling was draped in sheer fabrics gathered together at the center of the room.

Neither of us said anything at first. I waited for the sound of a lock clicking in place to solidify the reality of my lavish prison.

“There are no locks on the doors,” Ashor finally said, noticing my lingering gaze. “But you can bet your ass she has guards stationed outside. So I’d think twice about sneaking around the castle at night or alone. And don’t think about going out the window,” he said, anticipating my thoughts.

“As far as prisons go, this one isn’t so bad,” I said, scanning the space. “I’ve stayed in worse.”

“Don’t let the sparkle and beauty fool you. There is evil within these walls. And I’d rather not see the inside of Verena’s dungeons. Again,” he added.

I shook my head. “I don’t even want to know.” But I would take his word on the evil that slept inside this facade of a castle.

As silence stretched between us, it hit me that we were finally alone, and I had a lot to say. I wandered into the bedroom as I told myself not to think about the fact that we were sharing a room. The prince leaned against the bedroom door once he shut it behind him, bathing the room in absolute darkness. The blinds were all closed, shutting out the sunlight, and for the first time since I’d stepped through Hell’s Gate, he looked at ease.

But I was feeling anything but calm.

I whirled on the prince, letting loose the storm suddenly churning inside me. “You better start explaining what the hell is going—”

His lips were on mine, silencing me with a kiss that could destroy worlds. I hadn’t even seen him move. He was just there in front of me, kissing with a power that wrecked me and all those disorderly feelings beating within me. I didn’t relinquish immediately, but it was a winless battle. When it came to Ashor, I could only yield.

My body melted into his. This moment had played out in my head a million different ways, but nothing compared to the real thing. Ashor wasn’t a dream or vision. He was here in the flesh for my fingers to touch, for my lips to kiss, for my soul to breathe. I was also afraid he would stop kissing me and then the reality of where we were would sink back in, banishing the small amount of happiness we found in each other.

And yet, we couldn’t hide from our problems. They wouldn’t be solved as long as his lips were claiming mine, yet I didn’t have the strength to protest. I needed this as much as he did. Ashor could be taken from me at any moment’s notice, and the thought of another separation, regardless of how short the distance, sliced through my soul. The truth was, we were at the mercy of another queen. “Ashor,” I whispered, a tinge of warning in my voice, but it was weak.

“It can wait another minute, but I can’t,” he murmured, taking possession of my lips again, and I sank against him, giving in fully to the kiss.

Just another minute, I promised myself.

When did I begin the habit of lying to myself?

I’d kiss Ashor until the world around us crumbled.

Rising up on my toes, I sank my fingers into his hair, pressing myself against his hard frame. He was trapped between the wall and me—such a triumphant position to hold. Of course,