I inhale sharply at the mention of the Dark God. We left Sadal in the Ether two months ago and have heard no news about a replacement yet. Not that the Gods would inform us of such a thing. I’ve ordered my scouts to keep a close on the Bloodbane’s numbers, and they reported a slight increase in the last few weeks. If there is a new Dark God, it would explain the new Bloodbane witches.
Grinda smiles secretively. “The Gods don’t concern themselves with us.”
I frown at her non-answer, but she turns away before we can press her for more information. We watch as Grinda mounts her deadwood broom and launches into the sky. The sun is setting, painting the air with a purple glow. Verity slips her hand through mine, trailing Grinda through the sky towards the mountains. She sighs.
“Is that enough work for the day?” She asks with a cocked brow.
I scoff. “It wasn’t work, it was a friendly conversation.”
She tugs me closer until our chests brush. Verity flashes me a wicked smile. “What would you say to some very friendly conversation upstairs?”
I grin, desire flushing through me. "I would say that's an excellent idea," I growl.
Smiling giddily, Verity drags me back up the stairs and beneath the arch. I glance up at it and can't help but smile as my thoughts flash back to the vows we took. The doors to the castle close behind us and I hold Verity's skirts as she climbs the stairs. She glances over her shoulder at me, eyes lit with wickedness. A growl rumbles in my chest, and I feel myself stiffen at the thought of bedding my wife. I don't know if I can make it to our rooms near one of the rebuilt towers. As if she can read my thoughts, Verity darts into a nearby hall, an empty one in the midst of construction. Work is halted for the next three days for the festival and she leads me beneath heavy wooden beams and around piles of mortar towards an alcove.
I hoist Verity up and her legs wrap around my waist as our lips find each other. I kiss her greedily, desperately. Her breath hitches in her throat when my teeth graze her bottom lip. I draw every moan and whimper from her with my tongue, lapping through her mouth. Verity grinds against me, sending heat and pleasure flaring through me. I trail my lips down her throat and nip at her jugular. She mewls softly, nails digging into my back.
I grin against her neck, tasting her. Visions of Verity naked and writhing on our bed fit through my mind, memories of the past months. For a brief moment, I wonder if she would prefer our first time as husband and wife to be somewhere more romantic than an empty hall. I had prepared spirits and chocolates and roses in our room for this moment. Verity whimpers demandingly, squeezing me with her thighs until I can feel her slick heat. A growl rips from my throat and I lower my lips to her breasts. Her wedding gown is still on and I can’t bear to rip it, so I lift my lips to hers.
“Tear it,” she gasps, tangling her hands in my hair.
“Are you sure?” I murmur, heart thrumming with excitement.
“Do it,” she moans as I lap at her neck.
With my teeth, I rip open her wedding gown. Pearls clatter to the ground, spilling around us. I close my lips around her breasts, teasing her with my tongue and Verity moans sharply. The sounds of her pleasure echo through the half-ruined hall. The walls are open to the night, stars winking behind us and music from the festivities floating around us. A cold breeze flits over us but Verity waves a trembling hand and it warms instantly. I smile, teeth grazing over her until her body convulses with pleasure. She clutches at me, digging her nails into my shoulders.
With a cry of pleasure, she bucks and rolls her hips against mine. I groan, shuddering, and move with her. Her body is slick with sweat, lithe and perfect in my arms. Lit by the stars, she glows with an alabaster sheen. I kiss her hungrily, pleasure and happiness tangling together in my chest. She is mine. I am hers. Finally, after months of conflict and pain, we are allowed a happy future together. And we’ll make one. I’ll die before anything ever comes between us again.
My kisses slow as my heart swells. She stills, moving gently and deeply against me. Ecstasy rocks my body and hers in time with one another, leaving us both slick with sweat and gasping for air. When it’s over, she leans on me, melting into me. I wrap my cloak around her and gather her ruined wedding dress in my arms. She grins tiredly at the sight of it and then pauses, eyes locked on the night sky outside the non-existent walls.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers, staring at the sparkling sea as the moon rises.
I smile, studying the curve of her nose and the way her eyes turn to a murky blue in the darkness. “It is.”
Verity laces her fingers through mine as we watch the moon rise higher together. A grin stretches over my face, despite how exhausted my cheeks are from smiling nonstop all day. Together, Verity and I will see a future of peace and prosperity for Alnembra. Together, we’ll create something beautiful. I squeeze her hand, anchoring myself to her. Suddenly, a shooting star streaks across the sky, trailed by a white hue. Verity gasps and points at it.
“Make a wish,” she says, closing her eyes tightly. I watch as her lips pinch in concentration. I have nothing left to wish for, I have everything I could ever want with Verity by my side. She peeks at me. “You’re supposed to be making a wish.”
I close my eyes, humoring her. “What
