Beautiful Salvation (31 page)

Aiyana returned his smile, lying back on the cushion of petals as he lowered his body over her. “I like it.” Her eyes fluttered as he pressed his lower body against hers.

He kissed her gently, dipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her. She tasted like the first wisp of spring, the first dew on the grass. He pressed closer to her and groaned when she parted her legs, making room for him to settle more firmly into the welcoming cradle of her body. He held himself back, not wanting to rush and take her in a frenzy like some mindless beast. Aiyana deserved more, deserved better. He’d waited a century to make her his, he could move slowly.

The sound of tearing cloth drew his attention and he broke the kiss, jerking back in surprise. A laugh burst from his lips as he noticed the briars had peeled away from her body and wrapped themselves over his shoulders. The tearing sound had been his own clothing, shredded by the thorns that trailed over him like a lover’s caress. He raised his eyebrows at Aiyana, blood pooling below his waist at the slow, predatory smile that slid over her lips. She smirked up at him, her eyes not leaving his as the briars snagged her own clothes, slowly tearing them from her body in a teasing revelation.

All amusement vanished as the first curve of her breast was bared to him, the darkened skin of her nipple enticing him to lower his head and take the firm bud into his mouth. His tongue slid over the puckered flesh, rolling it in his mouth, relishing the warmth, the pleasing moans that fell from Aiyana’s lips. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer and thrusting her body up to offer more of herself to his questing mouth. Desire spiked inside him and Saamal nipped at her breast, a quick, sharp bite. Aiyana gasped, writhing beneath him as he soothed her skin with his tongue.

Aiyana pulled at his hair, trying to draw him up her body. He tore his attention from her lush breasts to roll his gaze up to her, his lips still toying with her flesh.

“No time,” she breathed, her eyes fluttering. Her body belied her words, continuing to arch toward him even as she told him to stop. “No time,” she repeated.

“The land has offered us a wedding bed,” Saamal murmured, sliding his hands up and down her body, barely able to form words to speak past the heated daze reducing his mind to mush. “We have all the time—”

Small, sharp points pressed into his back and Saamal hissed. Adrenaline spiked in his system, giving a sharp, burning edge to the pleasure licking at his body. He glanced back to see lengths of briars coiled around him, pulling him in the same direction Aiyana tugged. She spread her legs wider, undulating her hips as she urged him higher up her body. Desire bit at him and he offered her a wolfish smile. “Impatient woman.”

“The power is rising,” Aiyana murmured, her own eyes dark with desire. “I need you now.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Saamal could feel it. The energy pulsing through the earth beneath them, the trembling magic in the briars. The air held the promise of a coming storm.

Aiyana took advantage of his distraction and thrust her hips up, pulling his shoulders at the same time. The hardened length of his cock slid between her legs, nestled in the warm valley of her thighs and he groaned, thrusting instinctively. Aiyana cried out and squirmed, coating him in wet heat. The musky scent of her arousal filled his senses and Saamal’s control snapped, his intentions of gentility shattering. He pulled back enough to position himself and then thrust forward, a growl trickling from his throat as he buried himself inside her. Aiyana cried out, the sound ending in a moan and she thrashed her head from side to side, hips bucking beneath him.

The coppery scent of blood perfumed the air, teasing his senses until his head spun with it. The scent of his own blood seeping from the wounds the thorns had pressed into his back added a sense of mortality to the energy writhing around them. Their life essences trickled from them both in thin crimson rivulets, trickling over rose petals before seeping into the earth. An answering rush of power pulsed upward, bathing them in magic. Saamal’s body trembled, muscles expanding, growing as his broken control allowed the beast inside him to prowl to the forefront. His teeth grew sharper, more predatory, and his gaze fastened on Aiyana’s neck even as he continued to plunge into her body.

Aiyana writhed beneath him, thrusting her hips, scrabbling at his shoulders, trying to pull him closer to her. She focused heavy lidded eyes to him, her attention landing on his mouth. She raised a hand and brushed a finger over his sharpened canines. Her lips parted and her eyes rolled back and another moan spilled from her throat. She tilted her head to the side, baring the perfect column of her throat, and Saamal was lost. He surged forward, dipping his head to close his mouth around the silky flesh, sinking his teeth in until her blood seeped into his mouth. Aiyana cried out, nails digging into his shoulder. The briars responded as well, pressing harder into his back. The sharp points of pain drove his beast into a lustful frenzy, snapped the last shreds of his control.

He thrust faster, harder, rational thought abandoning him as he lost himself in the feel of her body, the delicious pain arcing down his back. The energy in the bower rose, crackling in the air, making the fine coating of fur creeping down his back and sides stand on end. His hands slid from Aiyana’s shoulders to the ground, claws digging into the earth as he tried with every thrust to get closer, to become one with his bride.

His pleasure sharpened, honed to a fine point. His muscles trembled and he tore himself away from her neck, eyes closed as he struggled to hold on. Aiyana screamed beneath him, her body tensing as if it would shatter and fly apart. Saamal allowed himself to fall over the edge into his own release, opening his eyes to stare down at Aiyana as he did.

Her eyes. Saamal held his breath, struck by the beauty of the roses he could see in her eyes, the image of vibrant blood-red flowers where her irises had been. Aiyana blinked at him, lips still parted as she struggled to breathe through her pleasure, a smile quirking the corner of her mouth. Her skin grew pale, lost the coppery tone and faded to the pale mint of a new sapling, the promise of new life.

He blinked, noticing for the first time that the briars coming from her body and wrapped around him had plunged into the earth below them. The briars were bright red, as though full of blood, and the earth drank it in. Saamal gently brushed a sweat-soaked strand of hair from her face.

“The land has chosen you.” His voice was low, full of awe.

“I am the new Spring Maiden.” She cupped his face in her hand. “Briar Rose.”

Saamal felt an answering smile on his own face as joy bubbled up inside him. He leaned down to kiss Aiyana, lingering at the sweetness of her lips. Something tickled his back and they both parted and looked up to find rose petals falling from the bower to rain down on them. Each petal fell faster, bringing more of its brethren with it. Patches of dark midnight blue sky appeared above them.

“I believe our time is up,” Aiyana observed.

“We will have more time,” Saamal promised, hunger stirring inside him even as he reluctantly pulled himself from the tight welcoming heat of her body. She hissed at the loss and he chuckled, a deep sound of satisfaction. He bent to nuzzle her cheek. “Much more time,” he whispered.

Aiyana shivered and laughed, wrapping her arms around him for another slow kiss. Saamal’s beast withdrew, fur melting back into his skin and his teeth losing their sharpened edges. He lost himself in Aiyana’s kiss, in the sweet caress of her lips.

The bower trembled as they parted and Saamal reluctantly got to his feet, drawing Aiyana into his arms. He pulled her close for another kiss, not yet able to let her go, not willing to let their time alone here end. The roses continued to shed their petals, and rich red velvet fell around them like a curtain. Magic shimmered in the air and Aiyana made a small sound of surprise against his mouth as the roses that fell on their bodies melted into fine velvet cloth and rich crimson silk. Saamal was now dressed in coal-black pants and a matching shirt with a crimson tunic. Aiyana was gowned in flowing rose velvet, the bodice hugging her curves before falling in a flowing skirt down to her bare feet. The material was softer than anything crafted by man, crafted from the best that nature had to offer and fitted perfectly to their bodies. When they finally stepped apart, the last of the petals fell and the briars melted back into the earth, leaving them facing the kingdom dressed in fairy finery.

Tenoch appeared beside them, his ghostly eyes wide. “What have you done?”

Saamal frowned at the apparition, his nerves tingling with increased awareness at the bewildering tone in his voice. He took Aiyana’s hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “What do you mean what have we done?”

Tenoch gestured behind him. “See for yourself.”

Saamal and Aiyana both followed the ghost’s motion. Saamal’s lips parted in wonder. The kingdom, a barren wasteland last he’d seen it, was teaming with new life. The brown grass that had been so dry and coarse beneath his feet was now green and ripe with moisture. The trees were vibrant, thick with healthy leaves that rustled in the breeze, a gentle, soothing sound completely unlike the crackling of dead leaves that had filled the air earlier. The stream that flowed past the castle was full of water again, rushing along in a healthy flow, licking at its banks. The only sign of what had once been were the bodies of fallen wolves and jaguars. Noble animals that had answered his call and lost their lives defending his castle. Saamal dipped his head, their loss weighing heavy on his heart.

A gasp beside him ripped him out of his solemn reflection. Aiyana tensed, her chest rising with a deep breath.

“It’s not over.” Her voice was hushed, heavy with promise.

The land rumbled beneath them, more of a purr than a growl. Briars rose from the earth and Aiyana sucked in a sharp breath as if she could feel them, as if they were connected to her as the others had been. Thorns drew across the bodies, shaking them as if the earth was urging them to wake. The wolves shuddered and raised their shaggy heads, golden eyes blinking blearily at the moon. The jaguars too were roused by the briars, stirred to waking as if pulled from a strange sleep. Before Saamal could speak, there was a shout from his right.

“Adonis!”

It was Ivy’s voice. Saamal whirled around to find Adonis flailing his arms, his wife Ivy still glowing beside him like a living flame, her golden eyes locked on her husband’s left leg. A briar had wrapped around his ankle, thorns sinking into his flesh and drawing thick droplets of blood. The demon raised a clawed hand to free himself. His body jerked, his hand still in the air, his eyes bulging. A tremor ran through the incubus’ body and his head fell back as he released a long, loud shout. An image of a demon with large onyx wings and fierce curving horns shimmered over his human form. Instead of the demonic image being extensions of the human form, the demon wavered and shifted, becoming a second being. The demon stumbled, staggering away from the human as Adonis split in two. Both figures hunched over, clutching their heads as they slowly regained their breath. Saamal stared in shock as they both stood and gawked at one another.

The demon blinked, crimson eyes glassy in the moonlight. “Ummm…”

The human gawked down at his body, patting it with his hands as if he could hardly believe it. “What has happened? Where am I?”

“Prince Adonis of Nysa, I presume?” the demon asked weakly.

The human nodded, hazel eyes as large and round as saucers. “I am.” His lips parted in shock and he took a startled step back. “Wait. Adonis?” He opened and closed his mouth several times before managing any sound. “I mean… Is your name Adonis?”

The demon shrugged helplessly, wings twitching behind him. “It has been for…a long time.”

“I’m alive,” the human Adonis mumbled. “I… How is this possible?”

“Incredible,” Ivy whispered. She took Demon Adonis’ arm, her eyes widening as she ran her hands over his scarlet flesh, fingers tickling over his biceps.

Demon Adonis made a rumbling sound deep in his chest, raising an arm to pull Ivy into his embrace. A mischievous glint flared to life in his eyes.

Another shout cut off whatever he may have been about to say. A few meters away, Kirill leapt into the air to avoid a creeping briar, his body imploding into the smaller form of a bat. His clothes fell to the earth in a limp pile of velvet as the bat flew higher, screeching at the twitching briar now buried under his clothes. The briar twisted into the air, the prince’s tunic still dangling from its thorns, and Kirill flew into the sky. He made a beeline for the castle and vanished inside, no doubt to use the mirror to escape to
Dacia
. Irina’s laughter rang out in the air before going silent, signaling her return home with her husband.