All Chapters of A Queen Among Tempests: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

My hand moves across the paper before me as if guided by an invisible force fuelled by rage and madness. Dust from the stick of charcoal between my fingers swirls in the air, their tiny particles magnified by my keen eyes and yet not even they can distract me from that face. I stare down at the crude etching of that which haunts my every waking moment, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. I’m plagued by those rainbow eyes that looked upon me as they widened with an emotion I never thought I could bring out in another. Though I have tried to purge the memory from my mind, I still feel the burning in my fingers from where my flesh touched hers…Touch…I touched her…The cursed flesh that has damned so many met hers and yet she remained unchanged. Her essram did not contort into a mutilated version of itself, drowning in malice. I touched her…and stranger still, she liked it; craved it even, and for some reason that I’m sure is Zarseti’s doing, part of me felt the same. Even now

I thought that overgrown carrier pigeon would never fucking leave!The sun has set, and the moon is now high in the night sky though obscured by clouds. As soon as Orenda’s ‘brother’ takes off – no doubt to see to patrols – I transport myself into Orenda’s bedroom and find myself momentarily thrown, not by the overpowering scent coating every inch of this room but by the aesthetic.Everything about this creature is about light and colour. Their home from what I observed through the ridiculous number of windows is bright and open. Predominantly white with contrasts of earthy tones and accents of black. It radiated warmth, the natural opposite of my coldness. But I find myself thrown and confused by how vastly different her room is from the rest of the house. It’s dark and I mean the colour not the absence of light. Almost storm-like. It’s mostly warm browns, navy blues and golds…it instantly clicks that her room looks like a more subtle, underwhelming version of the colours of her bird

I take a deep breath and sit up, letting all the air out of my lungs as I look over at my closet. I reflect on Aya’s words, realising he made some strong points. I don’t wallow or whine about anything. Of course, I’ve never had anything to wallow or whine about until now. Even with my duties, my life has been relatively carefree. I feel like the carefree side of me has been snuffed out a little since my animai came into my life, which sucks because an animai is meant to make you feel whole and complete, not miserable and frustrated.Aya is right, I do need a night of fun!Launching myself off the bed, I march over to my closet, push open the sliding doors and begin examining everything I own. I’m starting to question my own taste when a particular ensemble grabs my attention. I grab the hanger and look over the skimpy little number as a wave of rebellion washes over me. Would Azadou be enticed to see me in this or angered? Well, he’s likely to never see it so why the hell should I car

I turn off the tap, compose myself and step back into the club. I only manage to take a single step when I feel strong arms snake around my waist from behind, their contact burning my skin like salacious fire, making me gasp in pleasure. I don’t have to look to know whose arms are wrapped around me. I feel it in the core of my being as my essram rejoices to finally be in his arms. He pulls me close, my back firmly pressed against his chest, burning my skin with our contact and once again I don’t fight it; I relish it. I take in a deep breath, inhaling his scent like oxygen. The more chances I get to experience it the better I can describe it. He smells like frost on a cold winter’s night, the kind that chills you to the bone and turns your breath to fog. I never thought such a scent could be so alluring, but here we are.He leans down, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear making me shiver. “Is my little avifauna trying to fly away?” he whispers, his deep, bass of a voice send

Before I know it, I’m teleporting and appearing in Orenda’s bedroom of all fucking places. I admit part of me thought about informing her of my discovery, so she doesn’t waste any more of her time – though I’m not sure why I give a crap – but I didn’t actively bring myself here! Is this how much control this bond has over me? All I have to do is have a fleeting thought of her and my subconscious drags me to her side? I had intended to toy with her and drive her as crazy as she has driven me until she begs me for rejection, but I fear that may be a losing battle if I can’t find a way to temper the agonising control she has over my fucking mind!I try to leave but I can’t. My eyes remain fixed on her tempting physique, veiled by a thin sheet, her chest rising and falling as her soft breaths and steady heartbeats fill the room with their music while her scent engulfs me. I step closer, and with a wave of my hand send her sheets flying off the bed. I stare down at her, growing displeased