Sitting up, he rubbed at his head. For some reason, the human soul inside him was screaming louder than normal. He didn’t know if that was because of his grief or perhaps the human had been whinier than most.
Whatever it was, it only added to his misery. He should probably go to the hall and find someone to feed with. It might help alleviate some of the internal screaming. But he wasn’t hungry. What he wanted was real comfort. Too bad there was no one to make him feel better.
“Urian?”
His heart stopped as he heard a voice he’d never thought to hear again.
Nay, it couldn’t be. Stunned and unable to believe it, he turned, then stood up slowly. “Xyn?”
In human form and dressed in bronze armor over a red chiton, she walked slowly toward him. Her vibrant Titian hair was braided and coiled around her head, exposing her pointed ears. “I felt as if something was wrong.” She glanced about nervously. “If Apollymi finds me here, she’ll have a fit, but I had to come and see if you were all right. I can’t explain it. I just had to check on you.”
His throat was so tight from the sudden rush of happiness and grief that he couldn’t speak. Cupping her face with his hands, he did the one thing he’d always wanted to do.
He kissed her.
Xyn gasped as she breathed Urian in and melted against him. He smelled so intoxicating. Of leather and haxyn, and sweet rowan. No one smelled quite the way her Apollite did. They never had. And she shuddered as his tongue swept against hers. Fisting her hand in the linen of his chalmys, she felt his muscles bunching beneath her fingers.
When he finally pulled away to stare down at her, she smiled impishly up into those beautiful blue eyes. “I take it you missed me?”
He laughed at her question. “More than you can imagine.” A stricken expression darkened his eyes. “I found your letter. And I’m sorry for everything.”
She toyed with his soft hair. “So am I. But I can’t stay.”
The agony in his eyes tore at her heart and made her ache for him. She brushed his hair from his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
His lips trembled. “Tannis died today.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”
A single tear fell down his cheek. “I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat and fell into that staunch, tough leader role of his. “You should go before you get into trouble.”
How could she leave now, knowing what had happened? Knowing what his sister had meant to him? “Do you have anyone with you?”
When he hesitated, she scowled. “Where’s your wife?”
He sighed. “Sheba was killed.”
Xyn felt sick to her stomach. “When?”
“A few years ago.”
Years? He’d been alone all this time? She couldn’t believe it. “You haven’t remarried?”
He snorted with a hostility that set her back. “Why would I?”
Companionship would be the normal reason, but he had one that made a lot more sense. “To eat?”
“I have women willing to feed me now. No need to rush into that again when I don’t have to.”
She barely caught herself before she rolled her eyes. He sounded so much like her brother Veles that it was frightening. “So you’re alone?”
“Aren’t you?”
Well … aye. But she didn’t want to think about that. She was a dragon. It wasn’t quite the same thing. They were used to being alone. It was in their DNA. In all her life, his was the only company she’d ever craved.
And crave him, she did. More than had ever made sense.
Burying her hands in his hair, she tugged playfully at it. “My poor Uri. You’ve ever been my aggravation.”
He arched a brow at her.
“It’s true.”
With a tender light in his eyes, he buried his hand in her braids so he could toy with them. “I’m so happy that I got to see you again. But how did you get in without being detected?”
“I have friends among the Charonte. You’d be amazed what they’ll do for a taste of honey cake.”
“I’ll have to remember that in the event I ever get locked out of here.”
She smiled. “Well, I should be going.”
The sadness returned to his eyes. “I’m sure your husband misses you.”
“I don’t have a husband.”
When he opened his mouth to speak, she caught his jaw to keep him from speaking. “I’ve already told you. There’s only one person I love, Uri, but as much as I love you, I can’t stand by and watch you feed on the blood of another woman, knowing you’ll be cheating on me.”
His eyes turned dark and stormy. “I hate my grandfather.”
“So do I.”
He hesitated. “But what if I could find a way to break the curse?”
For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Could it be so simple? “What do you mean?”
“We think we might have a way out from under the death sentence.”
“You know my answer. I want to be with you, Urian, I do. But I can’t share you. That’s not fair to me.”
She saw Urian’s happiness return. “Then I have twice the reason to end this curse, twice as fast.” And this time when he took her into his arms, his kiss was possessive and filled with a deep promise. His lips tasted of passion.
Wanting something she knew she might never have another shot at, Xyn unpinned his chalmys and let it fall to the ground. When he didn’t complain, she made sure his chiton followed it down to their feet, exposing his chest to her hands. He sucked his breath between his teeth as she touched his hard, hot body.
Gingerly, she traced a line over the healing wounds on his chest. “What happened?”
He smirked. “Apparently, you’re not the only one I annoy.”
“I don’t find you amusing at all.”
“That hand you have on my cock says differently.” His voice was deep as he cupped her fingers with his palm so that he could show her how to stroke him.
“You better be glad that I can’t harm you.”
Heat stung her cheeks as he cupped her face in his hand and looked at her fiercely. “At this moment, my lady, I’ll take your attention any way I can get it.”
Xyn smiled, until her gaze went to the Daimon mark over his heart. “When did this happen?”
“Does it matter?”
“My conscience says that it should.” Biting her lip, she wanted to pull away and leave him where he stood and not look back. If only it were so simple.
Or easy.
“You live by killing others. Obliterating their souls for all eternity.”
“I do what I have to.”
Her heart broke with those words. He didn’t even seem remorseful about the lives he took.
His eyes darkened. “What do you want from me, Xyn? To lie down and die, or to fight and live?”
She wanted him to be human. Whole. To live without preying on the souls of humanity.
The hurt in his celestial gaze tore through her and made her stomach ache. She knew that look. It was what had caused him to divorce Xanthia. “I’m not judging you.”
“Aye, you are. Don’t lie to yourself. And don’t lie to me.”
She caught him as he started to leave. “Urian…” She used her powers to remove her armor.
The moment she was naked, the anger evaporated from his eyes. Never before had she been more grateful to her brothers for their candor about how to immobilize a man or to catch his attention.
It worked.
Urian’s gaze darted all over her naked body and with every part of her those eyes licked, the hunger in their depths darkened. The air between them became charged.
“I will always love you, Urian. Nothing you do will ever change that.”
Closing the distance between them, Urian curled his hand against her cheek, then buried his lips against her throat. A thousand ribbons of plea sure tore through her as he nibbled a trail around her neck, his warm breath tickling as his tongue gently licked her skin.
Xyn shivered as she ran her hand down his naked spine and pulled him closer.
Urian shuddered in ecstasy. Never in his life had he felt this way. Never had he been with a woman and felt so welcome and wanted. All he could taste was this moment, and all he could feel was her love. Her warm acceptance. Even though she didn’t approve of his Daimon lifestyle, she still loved him.
That was a miracle.
He trembled from the force of it and from the need he had to possess this woman who was the closest thing to Katateros he would ever know.