The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance

Chapter 23: Mount of Truth

By the time I left the palace, the sun already grazed the horizon, and barren trees feathered the dying sunlight like black veins. Would Izra have left? And if no one remained at the Mount of Truth, what would I do next?

I delivered a curt nod and tight smile to Pamil and the other guards outside the entrance. As I strolled into the woods at the side of the palace, I stopped and listened for anyone who might be following. When silence greeted me, I broke into a jog.

Minutes later, the trees tapered off to reveal the massive gold Rashika presiding over the ceremonial grounds. I scanned the prostrating Lesser Gods, and my gaze caught on Goddess Valavira. One of her faces still kissed the dirt, but the wilting brown grass exposed her other face. Lines carved a bit too deep around her eyes and over her brows, a smile a little too sharp.

It reminded me of Honey.

My first scan of the treeline revealed nothing, but then a lithe figure emerged. She sauntered toward me, movements precise and face an emotionless mask. While relief washed over me, heat coiled in my belly. I just wanted Izra.

She stopped ten feet from me. "You're late."

My hands instinctively found my thighs and then pulled back to fist at my sides. "I know, I was just —"

Then she closed the space between us, threaded her fingers in my hair, and pressed her lips to mine. Hard, desperate, bruising. In the rush of sensation, I could no longer think about Honey's fate or the Queen's dying words. I could think only of her touch tingling over my scalp, the perfect mould of her lips on mine, and the flames consuming my core.

Just when I started to respond, she staggered back, blinking and biting her lip.

I breathed a laugh, brushing a finger over my lip that still tingled from the pressure. "Well, that's different from how you greeted me the last time I met you here."

She pressed her palms to her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't... I was just thinking of you with that fucking bastard, and... and not knowing if he... if you..."

"Izra." I stepped forward and pulled her hands away from her face. When her eyes met mine, I brushed my fingers up her jaw and cheek to sweep through her silky-soft hair. Our breath mingled, and her eyes blocked out the rest of the world.

Without breaking eye contact, she whispered, "I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to kiss you again."

Warmth crackled over my chest, and a smile found my lips. Without any input from my mind, I slid a hand through her hair to cup the back of her neck and then traced my other thumb over her lips. Then my lips replaced my thumb, a bare brush of soft, warm skin.

Her mouth responded, lips parting gently to deepen the kiss. When my tongue flicked out to trace her lips, her neck muscles flexed beneath my fingers, and her eyelashes fluttered. I pulled back to see her face better.

"What is it, Izra? What do you want?"

She huffed a laugh through her nose. "Everything, Epsa. I want all of you."

Her soft alto hooked into my core and tugged. What exactly was everything? My body burned with the imagined possibilities, a delicious heat. I became aware of every place the gentle breeze sifted through my clothing and the brush of fabric over my nipples. My voice came out hoarse.

"If you want all of me... I'm all yours."

She sucked in a sharp breath. My cheeks burned, and I averted my gaze with the pretense of checking our surroundings. When I pulled my eyes back to her face, a smile skirted her lips, and an intoxicating blend of dark and light flickered over her eyes.