From the Ashes

Chapter 42 ~ Drowned in Memory

Morana woke still tangled in Tarion's arms. She glanced up at his face and found him already awake, his vacant gaze fixed on something beyond them. He blinked back to awareness when she moved and offered her a small smile.

"Now that I think about it, rolling around in the grass doesn't seem like a very princely way to worship you," he chuckled.

Morana's cheeks flamed but she couldn't fight her answering smile. "I suppose not, but neither of us seem like ones to keep with tradition."

"The words my father would have for me right now," Tarion said in agreement.

Morana slid a hand onto his arm and let her palm glide over his bicep and onto his shoulder, then back down in rhythmic strokes. "What would he say?"

"Something along the lines of how I've insulted your honor and my own, and that if I wanted to be a halfway decent male I should marry you instantly." Tarion frowned, then laughed again. "I got the same speech every time he found out about one of my affairs, as he called them. Mother always told me not to worry though because he did the same with her and just didn't tell anyone."

"They sound like quite the pair, and not very much alike."

"They were as opposite as any two people could be. Mother was as passionate and forthright as Father was noble and stern. They were like fire and stone. Both fierce and unyielding, and forces against nature itself. But they loved each other and strengthened one another through every challenge they faced."

Morana watched him quietly as the light in his eyes dimmed. The cause was apparent, and she couldn't help but feel a flicker of guilt for being the one to take him back to that dark place. She rested her hand against his neck, thumb sweeping past his earlobe as she brushed their lips together.

"I can use Noxbane to transport us directly to Durga's How so we don't have to waste time walking, unless you want to draw it out for a little while yet," she offered.

Tarion shook his head and sat up. She followed suit, keeping her cloak tucked around her. The morning air was cool and already her skin was prickling from the chill. "No, we should claim Orilight and finalize our plan as soon as possible. I went scouting last night when you were asleep and I found signs of fighting."

"The forest dwellers have risen up, just as we hoped, but the Corrupted Fae won't let it go unanswered. There were a few patrols close to us already. I shielded the island and its magic will also protect us, but we shouldn't stay here long."

"Pity," Morana sighed. "I was hoping we'd have a little more time at least."

Tarion looked back at her, arching a brow. She just flashed a coy grin and stood, grabbing her clothes that had been folded and placed near her sleeping spot. Tarion's gaze lingered while she dropped her cloak and selected her undergarments. He snatched them from her hands before she could even begin putting them on.

"I'm as disappointed as you," he said, carefully fastening the garment over her breasts. The bites he'd left there had bruised slightly and showed over the edge of it. Morana's breath caught when he touched light kisses to each bruise. "I'll be more gentle next time."

"Why? Last night was perfect. You didn't hurt me, and I enjoyed everything." Her gaze landed on the bruises she'd left on his own neck. She bit her lip. "Did you?"

Tarion cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed the crook of her neck. "Yes. I was just worried it might have been too much. I've never used my fangs like that with someone who wasn't..." He trailed off, his anxiety hanging thick in the absence of his voice.