an end to a seemingly endless war. The Keeper was one of the gifts he supplied, but my mother refused to bargain with the hag.”
“So you did?”
His gaze was bleak as he nodded. “But instead of helping predict the war, she told me my future. One that I did not want to hear. In my hubris and ignorance, I thought I could deny my end of the bargain, not knowing that gave her the right to enter our home and take what she wanted.”
Haven was strangely breathless as she asked, “And what was that?”
“A single feather. My mother’s.” His hands fisted and relaxed at his sides. “Every female empress is gifted the powers of this land, the same powers that eventually will go to Nasira. But a Seraphian’s magick is rooted in our feathers, which is why my mother was meticulous in making sure every single errant feather of hers burned.” His head tilted back as a jagged sigh fled his lips. “When she discovered I had bargained with the Keeper, we fought in front of the mirror. Neither of us noticed the feather she lost in the skirmish. But the Keeper did, and she took it to give to Lord Malik. He had discovered our agreement to trade with only Lord Raziel’s court, so he gave the feather to Morgryth and made his own deal.”
Haven swallowed. “The feather . . . that was what allowed Morgryth to steal your mother’s powers?”
Even with only his profile visible, she caught the flash of agony in his expression. “Yes. The spells needed to extract such strong magick are rare, but they do exist in the Demon Realm.”
She was alarmed to discover her hands shaking in her lap. “If that is true, why go to the Keeper a second time, Stolas?”
When he met her gaze, she nearly gasped at the raw emotion in his eyes. “Because I was desperate to hear that my future had changed. I should have known that fate bends to no one, not even me.”
That had been right after they returned from Veserack, and it suddenly seemed no coincidence that his moods blackened right after. “Is that why you suddenly tried to push me away? To protect me from this dark future?”
His throat dipped.
Another thought came. “In the Demon Realm, in our tent—you only came to my bed because you knew you were dying.”
“As I recall, you would not take no for an answer.”
“Would any of that have happened otherwise?”
Her breath caught as he suddenly approached. He kneeled between her legs, slipped his hands behind her knees, and pulled her toward him. “I apologize for hurting you. For pushing you away. I thought—I thought I was protecting you from something worse. I thought I could somehow change the future, but what’s done is done.” His fingers sent shivers of pleasure skittering through her flesh as they slid up her thighs. “I see now I could no more stop this thing between us than I could prevent the sun from rising every morning.”
The muscle low in her abdomen jerked taut. “And what is this thing between us, exactly?”
“I want you, Beastie. I have for months, and every second not acting on that desire has been prolonged torture.” He leaned forward. She thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he rested his forehead against hers. “Do you have any idea how many nights I’ve replayed that hour in Solethenia? The way you glowed? The exquisite sounds you made?”
Goddess Above.
“We make our own future, you and I,” he rasped, tugging her legs around his waist. “Whatever consequences arise from loving you, Haven Ashwood, they will be worth it.”
Her arms curled around his neck as her mind whirled in dizzy loops. “Loving me?”
He kissed her nose. “Yes, and I’m now going to spend several hours proving that to you until I’m satisfied you believe me.”
“What about the bath?” she squeaked.
“Who said there wouldn’t be water involved?” he purred, sliding an arm around her waist and lifting her into his arms. “But I won’t make love to you until you are in my bed. I want to look at you bathed in the silver glow of the moon, still wet from your bath, and know that you are mine . . . ” He released a long breath. “For as long as fate allows.”
Mine. Warmth spread over her entire body, her heart racing in anticipation. And yet, something else still bothered her. “What about Lord Malik? What will he do to you