Who was I to command the king? What in the world had gotten into me to speak to him like that? Emotions were running high, yes, but that did not give me the excuse.
And while I’d been promoted to a princess with my mother married to him, I really wasn’t one. I had no standing in this court whatsoever, as my shaky legs liked to point out. I was under his mercy. I should’ve appreciated what he was willing to do for me more and stop looking at the gifted horse in the mouth.
I expected him to lash out at me for being out of line, but he only gave me a tight smile. “Siya warned me you were nearing your insurrection. I remember the little rebel Hiko was at your age, but he wasn’t half as rational as you. I will take this into consideration, Isay. But tonight, I have a wife to satisfy.”
He looked to the warriors, ending with Karmuth with amusement in his eyes instead of the previous warning he’d had for him.
Grath continued, “I trust you’ll make her feel safe until we can work out better arrangements. One of you will keep guard tonight.”
My heart fluttered in my chest when Karmuth’s grip around my stomach increased. As the king walked away, he shared his own warning looks around the group.
“Relax, Romeo, we all know who’ll stay with her,” Regar laughed heartily, his hands raised up in defence. “It ain’t going to be me.”
“It sure as hell ain’t,” Karmuth agreed.
Holy shit. He wasn’t even going to deny wanting to be in my room for the night. I’d be stuck with him the entire evening. We’d be stuck together. He’d promised me another taste… ‘later’ he’d said.
What if I wanted to taste a lot more than his ecos? Would he be as forthcoming with that request? Did I dare to ask?
I’d been lightheaded before, but now I was swimming in clouds. If I didn’t get myself together, I wouldn’t stay awake long enough to ask him anything, least of all about his eye colour.
“She is nearing her insurrection,” Sinister repeated, staring at Karmuth intently. I was glad I wasn’t the only one parroting the king’s words, although I didn’t like that bit of it pointed out again. “You do realise what that means, Kar?”
It meant that I was going to go through a rebellious time whether I liked it or not, and if my recent rage had been an indication at all, it was going to be a rough one.
Every fae went through an insurrection in their twenties, just like every human had tumultuous teenage years. It was a period in our life when our actions weren’t as harshly punishable since we weren’t completely in control. It was common for the females to go through it worse than males.
My shouting at the king would have gotten me a whole lot more than a strained smile had I been through my insurrection already, or not as close to it. He’d even called me reasonable. Really? I was far from reasonable; I was insane to make demands.
“I do realise, Sin,” Karmuth replied softly. “I suspected it already. It changes nothing.”
I turned my head to get a glimpse of him, but from my position I only saw his jawline. What didn’t it change?
“You’ll be having your hands full with her when she hits the peak of it,” Sinister pointed out.
“I’m counting on it.” Karmuth’s lips tugged up into a smile.
I shuddered. His confession made me want to be a handful. I wanted to see how he’d deal with me being a pain in the ass. How he’d punish me… tie me to the bed to control me… or would he let me be in control in my state of total discomposure? I supposed we’d find out, because he was counting on it.
Chapter 25
KARMUTH
I’D NEVER BEEN INSIDE ISAY’S ROOM. IT WAS AN EXACT REPLICA TO Prince Hiko’s chambers. While the prince’s balcony was directed toward the gardens behind the palace, Isay’s overlooked the courtyard in the front. Hiko had also added his own spin on the decor, switching the beige lounge set with black leather couches.
Isay’s room felt airier and lighter. While I knew she hadn’t personally made any of the interior choices, it still fit her.
I didn’t want to just assume she’d go to bed right away so I asked, “Where to, Princess?” while pressing her closer to my chest in a strange instinct. I didn’t want to let her go at all.
She’d turned quiet after her outburst at the king, and when I dropped my gaze from the layout of her room, her eyelids fluttered softly. Bed it was.
I gently placed her on the bedsheets, unable to pull the covers away with her cradled in my arms. Her light hair covered the pillow in frilly waves, and I grabbed a lock to slide my fingers through it before I could think better of it.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured.
My throat was dry, and I really needed to get my distance from her before I did something stupid. Releasing her hair, I watched as it dropped to the pillow before I took a step back.
Isay’s eyes opened lazily. “Aren’t you going to kiss me good night?”
I swallowed, eyes fixed on her lips that were now slightly parted. Fuck, I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I didn’t know the extent of the shield keeping her safe from me. I wouldn’t put her in danger.
“Karmuth,” she purred, and it sent blood straight to where I needed it the least. “You promised me a taste.”
My feet took me back to her bedside, and my ass planted on the edge of her bed. A blush covered her delicate cheeks, and she nervously bit at her lower lip. Adorable.
When I brought my hand to her cheek to brush a few strands of hair out of the way, her breath caught, and she released her lip, eyes drooping low in anticipation. I felt the thrum of the current that ran under my fingers and stopped me from using my power on her. It ran strong and steady.
“I’ll never be able to say no to you,” I said, leaning in and covering her mouth with mine.
I meant to keep it short and sweet, but the moment I captured her lips, I wanted more. Her sweet aroma and sugary taste were addictive.
The way she gasped when I pried her mouth open and met her tongue was incredibly satisfying. And then she grabbed at my shirt, keeping me from moving away, her hungry mouth devouring mine. I dropped my caution and climbed on the bed with her, trapping her under my body.
Isay’s hands, those tender soft hands, ripped at my clothes, and she bit my lower lip, catching my growl of approval.
Rearranging our position so that my knees came up on either side of her body and her thighs were hugging mine was a bad idea. It brought my erection right to her core. With her dress travelled up around us, she was so close for the taking.
Cupping her ass, I rubbed my jean-clad dick against her panties, waiting for a rejection that never came. Instead, she whimpered and attacked my mouth fervently. Heavens, she was a force to be reckoned with, pulling me under her waves, drowning my senses. I breathed her in, came undone in her mercy.
