Vel, an Oracle older than Prythian itself, visits the Autumn Court at the request of its High Lord. While there she gets swept up in the court's political scheming, with Eris trying to win her favor using any means necessary. But all is not what it...
Being in her arms, breathing her scent in, her legs tightly wrapped around him and his cock buried deeply inside her, he didn't want to move.
He'd had lovers before and yet, he'd never unraveled so thoroughly. One word from her had him scramble to please, one touch brought him inches from release. The sound of his name on her lips opened a pit of hunger in his heart, to hear more, to feel more, to have more. All the self-control that he was so proud of, that he'd cultivated over all these years, gone like ashes in the wind.
He had wanted to take it slowly, to enjoy every bit of her skin, to show her everything he had to offer. Instead, he'd savaged her like a beast, no better than an inexperienced youth. Eris cringed at the thought.
He rose on his elbows and admired her flushed face, her rising chest. He only gave her what she'd asked for and nothing less. A wicked thought broke through the jumbled mess of his mind.
"Have you seen this future, Oracle?" Vel groaned and opened one eye. When she didn't immediately muster some biting retort, Eris was pleased to note that her own mind was just as scrambled as his.
She remarked how his smile widened and sighed. She didn't need to read his mind to know he was enjoying this too much. "Is being insufferable a hobby of yours?"
Eris let out a laugh. "It seemed to turn you on earlier. Why end a winning strategy?"
Her gaze softened, not the reaction Eris was expecting. Before he could prod her further, she pulled him down for a kiss and used his momentary loss of balance to roll them both to the side. She stared at him with those eerie green eyes and Eris once again felt his soul naked and on display in front of her. Whatever she assessed in him seemed to please her because she tangled her hands in his hair and kissed him deeply. And this time they made love slowly.
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Eris awoke with a start.
The other side of the bed was warm but empty. There was a faint rustle coming from the drawing room. Eris got up and pulled the satin robe off the hook and over himself before padding silently to the adjoining room.
Vel was facing away from him, half-dressed, save for her tunic which lay shredded on the floor. Her braid was gone, and her long dark hair was flowing down her back, unbound. She picked up his shirt from the floor and shrugged it on, tucking as much loose material as she could into her belt. He leaned on the door frame, arms crossed, watching her closely. The last dying embers of the fire painted long shadows on the wall.
She walked to the window and opened it, her footsteps entirely quiet on the plush carpet. The storm outside had stopped, but the clouds remained, their edges a pale blue contour on the dark sky. Dawn was quickly approaching. She looked ready to jump out of the window so Eris pointedly cleared his throat. Vel didn't pretend to be surprised. "I was wondering if you'd stop me or not." She turned around and leaned on the windowsill.
"I didn't take you for someone who'd fuck and run." An echo of what he'd said when he'd found her in the dungeon. It was an attempt at a jest but he saw her defenses go up the moment the words left his lips.
"What is there left to say?" She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked an eyebrow. "Back when we first met you wanted a strong ally against your father. You were going to manipulate me to get that, I glimpsed as much before the Faebane started working. I suppose you didn't expect Beron to be one step ahead of you." Vel paused, her fingers were digging into her arms, her knuckles white. Eris gritted his teeth. "Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe you knew about it all along and let it happen to gain a debt."
"If you think so lowly of me, why did you stay?"
"Do you remember what you once said to me? Promise someone love, and there is nothing they wouldn't sacrifice. I wanted to see how far you would go." There was a half-smile on her face but there was no warmth in it. "It comes easy to you, doesn't it? Lying. And you lie with your body just as well as you do with your words."
"I have never lied to you."
"Lie, omit information, spy on, manipulate. I don't care to discuss semantics with you, Eris. Leave me out of your schemes. You got what you wanted." She eyed the pouch she'd left on the chair, the blood vial inside. "I'll leave this here, give you some time to properly think about it. Don't make a big deal out of it, once you're High Lord we will meet again – I will introduce myself in an official capacity and make sure everyone's memories of me are aligned, let's say."
Eris fought the urge to go up to her and grab her. He was sure she was only one breath away from disappearing into the dawn, despite the fact that there was a considerable drop from his window. So he simply said, "How will I reach you if I change my mind?"
"I will know."
Not the answer Eris was hoping for. A flash of light and then an owl stood where she had been. It brought back the memory of their first meeting when he'd thrown his dagger at her. A slight dip of her head towards him and she was off. He closed the distance to the window, breathing in the pine and lavender scent. He watched as the owl veered right and soon became a dark dot against the pale pink sky.
