A Court of Ash and Necromancy

20. Apologies to Make

Estelle didn't dream as she slept, and when she woke, she felt surprisingly well rested. Sunlight streamed through the windows and balcony doors of her room. She rolled over, stretching her wings over the side of the bed. The shadows whispered incoherent words in her ears.

Mikael was still asleep beside her, his golden tattoos reflecting in the sunlight. Even his ivory wings were graced with a golden hue. Estelle propped herself up on an elbow and reached out to stroke his feathers. She smiled, spying Umbra and a few of her other shadows hiding in Mikael's brown hair.

He was here. He was here and he wouldn't leave her. She almost couldn't believe it. Her joy was slightly overshadowed by a feeling of uneasy anticipation. Their discovery at the torture chamber meant something. Something bad. And Mikael had mentioned that he found something too.

She pushed the thoughts aside. I'll worry about that later, Estelle told herself. Right now, I'll just be grateful that he's here. She slid out of bed and padded over to her closet. Estelle rooted through her clothes until she found one of Mikael's shirts that she'd brought along. She threw it on and returned to the bedroom.

Mikael was sitting up, his chestnut gaze fixed on her intently. "Good morning," she said.

He gave her a sideways smile. "Good morning. I wondered where that shirt went." Estelle climbed onto the bed and straddled his lap. Mikael's hands fell to her hips as she cupped his face and kissed him. "I should write to my fathers," he sighed when she pulled away. "And there's a lot we need to talk about."

Estelle twisted off of him as he stood. She let her gaze travel over his tall frame. His tattooed back. His beautiful feathered wings. Mikael glanced at her over his shoulder. "I missed you," Estelle said.

"I missed you too. Did you steal any of my other shirts? Or pants, for that matter?"

Estelle smiled and crossed the room. She rested her hands on his shoulders, then let them slide down to his chest. "I might have a few more shirts of yours, but no pants. Luckily for you..."

Estelle lowered herself to her knees, her fingers tracing the muscles in his abdomen, "I think you can borrow some of Lysander's. Unluckily for you..." She lifted her gaze, meeting Mikael's. She could practically hear his heart racing. "I don't want to see you in pants just yet." She rested her forehead against his stomach, her hands falling to his thighs. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?" Mikael asked, his voice husky.

Estelle stood, pushing him back towards a chair. Mikael sat obediently and she kissed his jaw. "For making you stay away for so long." Her lips met his neck. "For not reaching out to you when I should have." Estelle knelt again. "For scaring you like I did last night."

"You don't have to apologize for any of that," Mikael replied. His chest rose and fell with uneven breaths.

"I know, but I want to."

"Estelle..."

"Shield the room, Feathers." Magic swirled around his palms. Mikael leaned his head back, his throat bobbing. Estelle watched him as she moved her hand from his leg to his stomach. "Touch me however you want. Tell me what you need from me. Fuck my mouth as hard as you want to. And if you need more when we're done with this, you can have more."

Mikael's eyes were half closed and he swallowed hard. Estelle lowered her head and began kissing the length of him. He made a small sound, not quite a moan. She gripped him with one hand and brought her mouth down. At the first stroke of her tongue, Mikael groaned. His wings fluttered as he clutched the armrests of the chair.