#fairiewines

their last exchange had nearly killed him. caspian had made sure to keep his distance since then﹔rarely returning home and keeping his private quarters off limits to the servants. thankfully, he'd been preoccupied by the northern border and the beasts that attempted to cross into his lands from under the mountain. his home had been closed for decades now, though the high fae had become restless from lack of revelry. thus, a party had been arranged to please the masses and vie for the support and alliance of new houses. so, caspian finds himself dancing with every eligible high fae and tolerating the dull conversations he'd been forced to partake in. his attention hadn't left airlie all evening, even if he'd only looked her way for mere seconds at a time. as he finishes another dance, the sight of airlie turning to exit causes him to mindlessly chase after. it's not until they reach a quiet corridor toward the kitchen that the high lord announces himself. "where are you going ?'

there hadn't been a moment or a motive that passed that wasn't consumed by thoughts of him, the high lord who's forbidden desire trickled into their every move since they'd parted. thoughts which were only diabolically pushed by her family back home as they questioned the progress she'd made to infiltrate his court, and the endless planning regarding their next play. if only they knew she was already one step ahead of them, thankful for effortless shields lest they discover not all of her opinions were shared any longer. a full moon cycle had passed before nissa dared make a move, though, or their eagerness might outweigh their secrets. it was easier than she'd predicted, the trek to his estate, almost too easy. or perhaps she simply knew how to evade his precautions better than most. a cocky smirk dusted across their face, not wiping it clean as they snuck through a loose window, knowing that despite their similar minds, it was much too preemptive to even feel an ounce of success. for, as soon as nissa has made it inside and rounded a few, memorized corners, a curse fell from their lips as they came face to face with the fae she had been hoping to avoid.

aderyn and cadoc's bond was something kade had learned to shield himself from after his threshing. mated dragons were a rarity in navarre﹔even more rare to have two riders chosen by a pair. on nights where the two beasts went at it, kade hid behind his mental wards. still, there was a heavy﹠lustful haze he couldn't quite shake. to make matters worse, devon had come into view. it was as if he possessed a direct pipeline into her thoughts and emotions﹔another distraction he didn't need tonight. "corsas," he greets before taking a swig from a glass bottle, "come have a drink . . . you look like you need one."

as much as she wanted to deny it, the reuniting of the two was inevitable. it was just as gabriel had pointed out﹔he'd returned with his high lord to dawn nearly a month later. as much as inez attempted to keep her distance, the high lady felt drawn to him. supposes she would have easily given - in had this not been her court ( and the dozens of eyes watching her every move ). the palace's library had been her only solace from scrutiny, hidden away amongst the thousands of tomes lining the walls and aisles. she's tucked away in far corner, soft breath falling at the familiar sound of footsteps. "are you following me now ?" questions before shaking her head with disapproval, "you're not supposed to be here."

images and intense emotions from the night before had returned to the high lady slowly as the faerie wine began to burn out of her system. she could still feel gabriel's warm, tense grip around her figure ⸻ could still hear the sounds of her pleas for him to destroy her chastity. thankfully, he'd refrained from continuing despite her desperate begging. had degraded herself and her status due to drunken lust, and shame was all that was left the next morning. though, inez could not find a single drop of regret. the idea of the illyrian taking something so sacred from her had not raised any alarms, and such a notion now frightened the fae. she'd intended to depart without seeing him, but the cauldron had other plans. "gabriel," she manages to get out, hues unable to look him in the eye. "i-i must thank you . . . for ensuring my safe arrival to my room last night. it's rather embarrassing, but i don't remember much after my second glass." a lie, but how could she stand before him now without pretending such filthy prayers hadn't been uttered in his presence ?

it had been more glorious than the fae had expected ⸻ nothing like her experience as a mortal. to share such intimacy with one's mate without their bond fully accepted makes aeryn wonder what kind of pleasures await her after the inevitable. it was only a matter of time now, knows she could not deny him much longer. in the midst of their passion amongst the perfectly blanked starry - night sky, she'd seen a glimpse of his soul kept carefully contained. in turn, she bared hers. their scents had co - mingled, something akin to smoke & cedar. a billowing forest fire that would burn on an eternity. hues are hesitant to meet his, body still clinging to his. "i fear we may have alerted the whole party," she admits, room left in near shambles as he'd taken her on every surface. cheeks flush, soft laughter falling. "is it this way for all fae ?"

the wound looked far worse than it felt ⸻ a deep gash that had ripped through his leathers and breast plate. the result of going toe - to - toe with a ghastly creature at the northern border. his wings bristle as he takes a seat in front of niamh, dirt and blood still caked on his bronzed skin. had protested against healing ( and the certain scolding he'd receive ), though direct orders from his high lord lands him here anyways. "would you believe me if i said the other guy got it much worse ?" he jests through a gritted jaw, laughter causing pain to shoot across his chest, "i told him the siphon would heal it in due time. no need to busy our talented healers."

he'd been far too consumed in the rage of battle to take account of who had been called - in for reinforcement. sight of the healer in the medic tent as lachlan carried in a wounded illyrian brother from battle nearly makes his stomach churn. he wastes little time in approaching niamh, face caked with dirt and blood. "what are you doing here ?" ⸺ "it is not safe here. you must return to velaris."