Lacuna - N.R. Walker Page 0,111

today.”

Crow smiled at that. “Well said.”

Tancho’s expression became thoughtful. “The doorways to the outside are closed, but the doorways between our kingdoms remain, yes?”

Asagi nodded this time. “In this world, yes.”

Tancho sighed. “Good.” He slowly got to his feet and held his hand out for Crow to take. “Because we need to open a doorway to Northlands.”

“You can’t leave,” Asagi said. “We have much to discuss! Who will replace the Grand Consul? The elders are gone. We need to establish—”

“I think we have our new Grand Consul,” Tancho said, looking at the four mentors seated around the floor with them. “The four of you have proven yourselves above and beyond, and I can think of no one more worthy of such a title.”

Elmwood and Samiel both grinned. “I second this,” Samiel said.

“Thirded,” Elmwood said, banging his hand on the floor. Everyone laughed . . . except the four mentors, who were stunned.

“Crow and I won’t be gone long,” Tancho said. “Think over your new titles and we can hear any concerns when we return. We need to rest before we decide how best to proceed in the best interest of all four kingdoms. We have a lot of work to do, but there is something we must tend to first.”

“Where are you going?” Asagi pressed.

“We’ll be at Crow’s, where we have urgent regal matters to address.” Tancho pulled on Crow’s arm, leading him to the door.

“Urgent matters?” Asagi asked.

“Very urgent,” Tancho replied with a smile. “I’m going to give him back his kingdom.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The fire was the only light in Crow’s quarters, making the shadows dance on the walls and filling the room with a sweet perfume. His huge bed was soft and warm, his heavy blankets and furs a tangled mess around their bodies, and Crow had never been happier.

He’d never felt so complete, so in love.

He remembered how Samiel had talked of a red string, invisibly binding them to each other, and it made Crow smile. He could feel it, the binding, the bond between them that had nothing to do with birthmarks.

Tancho slept soundly on his stomach with his hands up under the pillow. His pale skin and long red hair were worthy of a poet’s pen.

The raven birthmark was now perched upon Tancho’s shoulder blade, and the koi birthmark swam on Crow’s neck.

They’d swapped kingdoms a few times over the hours, laughing every time the birthmarks turned up somewhere new. But as soon as they touched, time slowed once more, and they could make love, and what would be hours for Crow and Tancho would be mere minutes for everyone else.

Yet Crow still wanted more.

He wanted to be inside him forever. He wanted to spend his life with Tancho, every second of every minute of every day.

And when Tancho was laying in his bed, naked and beautiful, Crow was too weak to resist.

He snuggled in closer and kissed Tancho’s shoulder, and then he kissed over his back and to the raven with its wings outstretched. Crawling on top of him once more and pressing his weight on Tancho, he kissed the back of his neck.

Tancho stretched underneath him, smiling as he woke and opening his legs wide. “What time is it?” Tancho asked, his voice croaking.

“I have no idea,” Crow murmured, as he positioned himself, pressing his erection to Tancho’s entrance. “I cannot get enough of you.”

Tancho rolled his hips, lifting his arse, urging him to push inside. “Don’t tease me.”

Crow chuckled warm in Tancho’s ear, not quite ready to give in just yet. He wanted this to last. “Teasing you could be fun.”

Then before he knew it, Tancho had rolled him off and pounced on him. Crow was now on his back, Tancho straddling him, pinning his wrists to the mattress beside his head. “If you tease me, I will take it.”

Crow laughed with disbelief, and shock, if he was being honest, that Tancho could have thrown him off so easily. But the laughter died in his throat when Tancho sank down on his cock.

He leaned forward, his red hair a curtain falling over his face, lips parted, eyes closed . . . His body took Crow as he had every other time. A tight heat and pleasure so consuming, nothing else in the world existed.

Crow ran his hand up Tancho’s pale chest, and Tancho let his head fall back, his neck corded, his cock hard, and a low groan spilled from his throat.

And then the raven birthmark flew to the top of Tancho’s shoulder,