Happy new month, everyone! It's Yuletide season!
'Nothing is ever easy...' Daegal thought as he twirled the bronze dagger in his hand, studying the way the light streaming in from the windows in his study bounced off the shiny blade. The air crackled with sparks of magic as he phased the blade in and out of existence. Making it disappear and then materializing it out of thin air. He ran his finger along the slender length of the beautiful weapon. It had taken Daegal fifteen days in total to craft the dagger. Three days went into steeling himself to become a maker again since the last weapon he made fell into the hands of a now-dead greedy battle commander and nearly wiped out a small village on the outskirts of Estoria. The better parts of the two days were dedicated to learning the spells with Azriel while avoiding Nerina's advances with the excuse of being busy with the affairs of the continent and also planning for the war. As for the war, he spent some hours with his Master of war and the commanders but spared hours to study
Anger. Happiness. Rage. Joy. Despair. Relief. These were the contrasting emotions Daegal would have let himself get swept in if Naomi woke up from the spell-induced slumber she was in.However, they were all quickly replaced with crippling worry as he held her cold hands. Her face was as pale as death but her chest moved up and down with each shuddering breath she took.It had been almost three hours since he plunged that blade into her chest. Three hours since he fully saw those honeyed eyes again. Three hours since he took Nerina's life just as she had taken his father's.Beneath his anxiety for Naomi, the urge to find a way to bring Nerina back and kill her in the slowest possible way bubbled and writhed but he had to keep a hold on his temper and rage. At least, till he was sure that Naomi wasn't gone as well. That there hadn't been a mistake with the spells he invested into the ornate, bronze dagger."Naomi, can you hear me, my love...? My queen," Daegal murmured into the back
"I believe I should leave now," Azriel muttered with a small smile on his face but neither Daegal nor Naomi paid him any attention. So, he crept away and silently shut the door behind him.Daegal held onto Naomi—afraid that she would slip out of his hands again and be lost to him. He kissed her fiercely, tangling his fingers in her hair, and crushed her body to his, feeling the soft planes and curves of her against the hard muscles of his torso.There was nothing else that mattered except her and the stars exploding all around and raining down their droplets of fire on him.Naomi was there with him. Not trapped within the bottomless depths of Nerina's power or the cold inferno that enveloped her moments before—the full realization brought Daegal immense relief. His panic and fear were washed away the instant he gazed into the light swirls of her eyes and witnessed the life contained in them.Daegal didn't want to be separated from her not in this lifetime or the next but the need for
Daegal dragged a strap of her gown down her shoulder, exposing it, and placed gentle kisses along her collarbone as his other hand pulled the second strap down. Night and day erupted inside Naomi's chest at his touch—electric, soft, and fulfilling all at the same time. Daegal lifted his weight off her further till he was on his knees between her legs. Then he traced his thumb along her lips and watched with hooded eyes as Naomi opened her mouth and sucked on it. "Fuck..." He hissed and Naomi almost chuckled. It was rare for Daegal to swear. She thought him too much of a gentleman to even do much of it in her presence or at court but the thought of him going against his embedded teachings excited her. Daegal's hand found its way to her neck then down as he pushed the pearl-laced bodice of her gown down her chest, taking the thin straps of the dress which had fallen to the middle of her arm, off completely. It was almost painful—the push of Daegal's cock against the laces of his tr
"You love me?" Naomi repeated slowly, still tingling from their mind-numbing escapade. Naomi yelped as Daegal grabbed and pulled her on top of him. When they were flush against each other, she lifted herself a bit and began tracing patterns on his broad chest with her fingers. Daegal pushed her raven-black hair away from her face and gazed into her eyes. "Of course, I do." He paused and then continued after a heartbeat. "You are as lovely as the day I lost you... I never want to lose you again, Naomi. Ever." "You won't." Naomi placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I promise." A moment later, she spoke again. "This is the first time, you know?" "What is?" Daegal questioned, brows knitted together. Biting her lips, Naomi murmured, "It's the first time you're telling me that you love me." Daegal chuckled and sat up, back against the headboard. Naomi adjusted herself and straddled him. "It is not. But the time that I did, you were not..." He looked her over. "... You." "Damn. She got
"N-no," Naomi moaned through the cloud of sleep she was nestled in. Sweat beaded on her brow; eyes moving rapidly under the cover of her eyelids as her breathing sped up. "S-stop... I'm sorry... Please," She murmured, hands fisted as if fighting an invisible enemy. The next instant, however, Naomi jolted from the bed, chest heaving. In a panic, she looked to her right and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Daegal was there, asleep. His breath was even, coming out in small puffs while the moon illuminated his long lashes, straight nose, high cheekbones, and full, sensuous lips. Slowly, she traced the sharp angles of his jaw with a featherlight touch and let out a small smile when she felt him lean into her touch even in his slumber. But suddenly, Naomi's stomach churned as nausea overwhelmed her senses, ripping her moment of admiration away. She scrambled out of bed with a hand over her mouth and hurried to the empty wash basin on the table a few inches away from th
Naomi didn't say anything for a while and only nuzzled closer to Daegal's warm body as if she wanted to enter his skin. Daegal, however, welcomed the contact. He quickly found out that he needed the closeness even more than Naomi did. Daegal almost thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke. "I can't make sense of it... I mean, I have been trying but it's all so..." "Vague?" Daegal suggested. "Exactly." Naomi nodded in agreement. "I haven't dreamt in quite a while so this took me by surprise. I can't decipher the elements I saw. I can't...see a connection," She explained. Daegal hummed. "If you can, please tell me anything you can remember. I might be able to help you connect the dots," he said. Naomi tucked a strand of her behind her ear and started drawing circles on Daegal's bare chest. "There was death... Everywhere. It hung over me like a cloud. Also, it was hot, unbearably so. I don't know where I was but bodies were piled up around me." She paused for a second then c
“Absolutely not, Daegal.” Naomi crossed her arms under her breasts. “It is just a trial. I will be there and nothing bad will happen. There is no reason for you to be scared, love.” Scoffing, Naomi shook her head and planted her feet into the stable grounds. “I’m not going anymore. I thought I was ready but now I realize I was being impulsive. It’s a literal dragon! I can’t stop thinking about how Dreygor tried to eat me on more than one occasion.” Turning his head away from Naomi, Daegal snickered into his palms. Then he cleared his throat and faced her again. “I am right here with you, just as I promised. Hey, look at me, love.” He tipped up her chin with his thumb and index finger. “I am certain that the last dragon is meant for you. You are strong, resilient, and perhaps the kindest person I know. You have so much love inside of you and those are the qualities you need to bond with her.” Naomi bit her lips, brows knitted in thought. “I don’t know…” Daegal kissed her forehead