Ignas groaned and leaned over, boxed Faust in, and kissed him.
Faust ran his hands along Ignas’s shoulders and rolled his hips.
Ignas grunted and pulled back. He began slow, increasing the pace.
Faust clung to Ignas as his mercenary pounded into him. Faust dug his nails into Ignas’s skin, marking him as his. He dragged his palm over Ignas’s heart and shuddered under Ignas’s intense gaze. He wished he could somehow leave a much deeper, more meaningful mark on Ignas. More heat seared through him the longer they stayed that way. Ignas’s aura grew brighter and brighter, the wild warmth increasing along with it. Their magic surged like an explosion, and pleasure surged through Faust’s veins so swiftly he saw stars, forcing a moan from his lips.
Ignas seemed to lose himself in their passion. He didn’t last much longer, and neither did Faust. Faust kept his palm flat against Ignas’s chest, his nails biting into Ignas’s skin. He wasn’t ready to let this go. He wasn’t ready to let Ignas go. Faust didn’t want anyone else to have Ignas like this.
Ignas collapsed on Faust, pinning Faust to the bed, nuzzling his neck with soft kisses.
Faust took deep breaths, his chest full of warmth. It was almost as if Ignas had shared his strength with him. He smiled, reluctantly removing his hand from Ignas’s chest.
Ignas moved away and flopped on the bed, rolling Faust over his chest.
A laugh burst from Faust’s lips. He draped himself over Ignas’s broad body and traced along Ignas’s muscles, basking in the afterglow.
Ignas swept Faust’s sweaty bangs out of his eyes, not seeming to care that they were both quite a mess. “I love you.”
Faust’s lips twitched up into a faint smile, and he kissed Ignas’s palm.
“One day I hope you can say the same.”
Faust tipped his head in a small nod.
Ignas traced the hairpin he gave Faust. “Let’s get clean and rest, shall we? We have a long way to go on horseback tomorrow.”
Faust nodded eagerly and slid up with his knees on either side of Ignas’s hips. “But keep your hands to yourself, or we will never get clean.”
Ignas chuckled. “But, gorgeous, you enjoyed making love in the bath. You begged me to keep going.”
Faust gave Ignas a firm look, his ears hot. He grabbed a pillow and threw it at Ignas, but Ignas only continued to laugh.
Faust walked out into a lush forest.
Yet again, there was no one in sight. The sound of a river filled the air, and he turned to his right, following the noise. It led to a small waterfall and a set of pillars. A grand stone tablet with the ancient tongue rested in the middle of the pillars, but it lacked a roof.
Faust tilted his head. It was calm, as if nothing could go wrong.
Laughter came from above.
Faust had to block out the sun with his hand. Sky blue twirled around him, and the wind lifted him a few feet off the ground. The blinding blue landed in front of him, and his feet touched the ground again. He focused on two sky-blue wings and a vague image of a blond beckoning him forward with the very same laughter.
A deeper laugh joined.
Red peeked just above his vision, and the sight of a new set of wings spanned out in a shadow on the ground before Faust.
Searing heat slammed into Faust’s back and muscular arms wrapped around his torso, with that same deep laughter hitting Faust’s ears.
Faust gasped, blinking sleep from his eyes. He focused on Ignas’s broad chest, aware of how their limbs were entangled under the blankets. The same warmth wrapped around him from the dream, and he stared.
Warmth.
Red wings.
A deep voice.
Faust had seen those wings and felt the same searing heat when he picked up the leather belt in a chest. The man he’d seen was probably Vasil. The same man in his dream just now and Vasil’s build almost matched Ignas’s.
Faust placed a hand on Ignas’s chest, wary. His magic coiled and welcomed Ignas close. It held more fire magic than he’d ever felt.
Was Ignas . . . Commandant Vasil?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Faust took in the sight of the beautiful forest from atop his horse. Ignas and Zara flanked him on either side at his request since he still didn’t trust the Verdine Knights. He felt much safer with Ignas close, especially if Ignas was Vasil. They didn’t run into any trouble out here yet, but Whitrose was still a distance away.
The caravan moved faster than Faust expected, but that was at the urging of the royal guard. If all these knights weren’t around, he could ask Terrence more questions. It was as if they couldn’t get Terrence to Whitrose fast enough.
Despite their haste, Faust had brand-new attire and an outfit designed for a noble merchant worthy of sponsoring the Guild of Masters. The outfit made him appear well off, but not too much like his royal regalia. Terrence had certainly outdone himself in such a short amount of time.
Faust turned to gaze at a different patch of the forest, gripping the reins tightly with his new gloves. It was exactly like his dream.
The natural magic of Alimphis pressed against Faust’s side.
Faust turned his horse and kicked it into a trot, ignoring the calls of his name. If this was the same area, it might give him some clues. His steed burst into a clearing, and he pulled the horse to a stop.
The once-beautiful pillars and stone slab bore the scars of time, broken, cracked, and nearly rubble.
Faust slid off his horse, aware of the thundering hooves behind him and Ignas’s warmth reaching out for him. He brushed Ignas’s magic back and continued to walk. He touched a half-broken pillar with hesitant grace.
The wind rustled through the trees, snapping and cracking the leaves, pushing him forward. Faust stumbled onto the slab and sky blue flooded his senses. His half cape billowed, and Faust swore he saw wings in his shadow. His magic rejoiced with a feeling of being home and a brief flash of sky blue, white, and red auras pulsed before him, beckoning him forward.
Sky blue flashed behind him, and Faust whirled.
Terrence sat upon a horse, a curious look on his face, his hand out to stop the others from advancing. “This is a protected area, Lord Arcus. Few may enter.”
Faust surveyed his surroundings more closely. Wards sat in front of several trees, but each one bore a faint blue glow. He turned back to Rene’s group. They were quite a distance away, unable to move forward. Zara’s and Ignas’s red flared and clashed with the wards, but they did not budge. Faust thought Ignas was only humoring the wards.
“Lord Arcus.” Terrence slid off his own horse to join Faust. “No one else will come any closer. It seems you were lucky that the wards did not throw you back. You could have been gravely injured.”
“I think I was called here.” Faust shook his head, turning back toward the ruins. “No. I had to come here.”
“How did you know of this place? It is not something outsiders should know about,” Terrence inquired and rested by a smaller pillar.
Faust pursed his lips, hesitating. “I saw this place in a dream a few days ago.”
Terrence turned his back to the others. “A dream?”
“I know that sounds strange,” Faust laughed, “but that’s how I recognized this area. The wind also pushed me this way.”
“This is a special place,” Terrence said. “His Eminence, Linos, came here often with his consort. Commandant Vasil and the Clairvoyant, Sortiris, visited here, too, but it was a place for His Eminence and the High King to relax.”