Storm's Rapture | Storms Series: Book 1 (This is a Co-Write)

Chapter 106: Rosanna

AN: The Piarari Key is below for reference. Be sure to drop some comments as you read. Enjoy!

Piarari Key

Raxo (racks-oh): love

Vasia (vah-sia): snowflake

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I woke up, taking in my surroundings and it took me a moment to recognize the familiar black and red sheets I was laying on. I was in the master suite. I looked around for my husband, he'd just arrived home and saved me from Byron, so where was he now?

"Cyris...?" I called out. I heard footsteps and looked at the open balcony doors. Cyris came into the room and closed the doors behind him.

"I'm here, raxo," he told me as he came over to my side. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and grabbed my hand, kissing it tenderly. This had been hard on him and I could see it on his face. Seeing me go through this pain and nearly die had destroyed him all over again. I hated it. I didn't want him to hurt anymore, but I was still weak and needed to tell him.

"Cyris... Gods I'm still so weak..." I managed to say.

"Just relax and get some rest. I'm home now," he smiled. Cyris stood and kissed my forehead, then kissed me on the lips deeply.

I finally noticed all the monitors that I was hooked up to and panicked. Was the baby okay?

"The baby...oh Gods...the baby...did I...?" I asked frantically. Had I lost our baby?

"Dr. Ko was here while you were unconscious. Our little warrior is fine. Their aura is intact, our baby is healthy, and they are growing strong, My Queen," he assured me. Cyris brushed hair from my face.

"Byron wanted his daughter to be Queen...Cyris...he tried to kill me and our baby because he wanted his daughter to be Queen." Tears streamed down my cheeks. "I begged for my life Cyris... I begged for my life because of our child... I didn't want to lose our child... I should have fought him off, but he was suppressing my powers. Instead I begged for mercy..."

"You did what any parent would do, Rose," he commended me. Then he changed his tone and raised his voice. "And Byron will be dealt with..."

"I'm sorry you had to come home to this..." I said softly.

Cyris shook his head. "No apologizing love, you are not at fault in any way. I'm just so glad I'm back now." He rubbed my baby bump and kissed it affectionately.

"I am too," I admitted. "Could you...could you pass me a glass of water? My throat is still sore. And maybe some ice for this bruise?" Then I changed my mind, thinking that it would be best if I just took a healing potion. "Actually maybe a healing potion?"

"Sidra left one of your healing potions for you," he told me. He took the vial from the bedside table and handed it to me.

I nodded and took the vial from him. I unstoppered it and drank half of the healing potion before putting the rest on my neck to heal the bruise there. The bruise healed instantly and my energy increased as the potion did its job.

"I'm going to take a shower, but then I'll be right back. I'll get in bed with you," he smiled

I nodded and let him go. He went into the bathroom and closed the door. I heard the sound of the water running and unhooked myself from the monitors, feeling better thanks to the healing potion.

After a while, Cyris came back into the room and crawled into bed next to me. I curled up against his body, resting my head on his chest, inhaling that lime and musk scent I'd missed so much, letting it soothe me. I'd missed this. I'd missed him.

"Damn, I've missed this so much. I've missed you!" He wrapped his arm around me.

I held him close, having missed him and needing his presence to calm my emotions. I still felt anxious about what Byron had tried to do to me in the Council chamber. "He said I bewitched you," I told Cyris, recalling what Byron had said to me. "He said that if he killed me the spell on you would break and you'd marry his daughter and make her your Queen."

"Byron is delusional, Rose. Ren has been interrogating him, and the other Lords too. Apparently, Byron and Odon had made a deal before he died, and my sister continued that deal," he explained. "I know it all sounds a little crazy."

"What?! What do you mean? What deal?" I asked. What was he talking about?

"Odon offered Byron's daughter rights to the throne. Circe was manipulated into maintaining the agreement."

"What?! But why?" I was shocked. Why would Odon give Byron's daughter rights to the throne? There had to be a reason. The idea that Odon would do that struck me as odd. After all, he had molded Circe into his heir, so why waste time doing that if he was just going to give rights to the throne to Byron's daughter?

He sighed. "Because Byron was owed a debt. Odon and Byron conspired against my father. They took his throne right from under his nose. My father trusted Byron, he looked up to him."

"Gods...Cyris...I'm so sorry," I said softly, trying to soothe his pain. This wasn't easy for him. To learn that a Lord his father had trusted had betrayed his family and was one of the reasons that the Trillium had invaded his home, killed his mother, and caused his sister to be imprisoned...that was enough for anyone to be upset.

"So am I... That bastard!" Cyris huffed. Then he turned to me, and our noses were touching. "I'm happy that you're okay..." he touched my belly, "...both of you."

"That amulet...it hurt us both... I still can't believe our baby has my powers..." I whispered. To think that our baby had inherited my ice powers was still so surreal. I couldn't believe it! But something else was still bothering me. "How did Byron even get the amulet?"

"According to the text I got from Ren, Byron found it on a journey to the northern region of Espor, but he thought it was just a trinket so he kept it," Cyris explained. "Then when you arrived he realized what the amulet really was after reading an old Esporian legend. He was trying to find something to use against you."

"Thank you for coming for me...for us."

"There's no place I'd rather be, Vasia," he said softly.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you too," he said and kissed me.

I bit my lip as I pulled away, feeling my emotions rise. I was still feeling anxious and I needed to feel safe and I always felt safe when I was with Cyris. And as I looked at him, my heart kept telling me what I truly needed.

"I feel better now that the amulet is gone and the healing potion is working... I know this isn't the welcome you imagined, but it...it still can be. I want you, Cyris. Will...will you make love to me?" I blushed, seeing the look of surprise on Cyris' face. "It's...it's been too long and I...I need your touch," I admitted. "I...I need you to bring me to the edge. I need to drown in the passion that exists between us. Being with you like that...it...it makes me feel safe and loved. And I...I really need to feel that way right now... Please...Cyris...my body, my mind, my soul all ache for you. I...I'm craving you."

Cyris' eyes flickered deep blue as he bit his lip. "I'm craving you too," he smirked.

I swallowed hard. "I..." I bit my lip. "I want you to have control and have your way with my body. I want you to make me feel safe and loved."

Cyris' smirk faded as he gazed at me. He kissed me softly. I missed his lips. His kiss escalated as he clung to me desperately. He buried his fingers in my hair as he moved his lips to my jawline.

Soft gasps escaped my lips and I shifted so that I was laying on top of a couple of pillows as he moved over my body. I was ready for this. Ready to welcome him home. Ready to feel safe in his arms again.

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AN: Be sure to drop some comments and vote!