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Serena and Evo had reached the outer parapet and were making their way up to one of the watchtowers. Serena was walking ahead, Evo exactly five steps behind her. While pretending to be chained these last few days, Serena had followed him exactly at that distance.
Anna couldn't muster up the same sense of empathy as Ian seemed to be. "He's only experienced it for a few days. His fate should be a relief compared to what he did to you."
Ian shook his head. "It is. And I need to see it done. But when I see him I know what he's feeling, how his body won't respond, his mind panics because of the loss of control, the terror that seizes him as his outward appearance so badly clashes with what he is feeling." Ian sighed. "And I was never walking to my death. My pain was chronic and unyielding. But what he feels, that is sharp and powerful beyond what I know."
Anna looked over at Ian. He was tall and pale, likely from the same general region as Marek though his accent was more common. He was standing bent over, almost as though he'd forgotten how to uncurl himself from a protective position. His arms were folded tightly across his chest and she saw a shudder go through him. Anna turned to the window again to see Serena and Evo appeared on the flat roof of the watchtower. The wind whipped their clothing and they stood there, Evo slightly behind her. Anna got the sense they were speaking but felt no inclination to intrude and listen.
"You are too good. You should not be considering his position. His pain is nothing compared to what he's done to others."
Ian gave her a weak smile. "Don't think I would consider it if I had a choice. But he had me collared for going on four years now and the feeling of owning my skin is as alien as the loss was initially. I can't help it. None of us can." His eyes ran over the pair on the tower. "And Serena most of all. She made these spells, and she could feel us through them the entire time. She's been carrying our pain and her own for ten years. She will actually feel what his fear is doing to his body, more than my imagination ever could."
Anna felt her heart clench. Serena released Evo's body from her command and the man crumpled to his knees, appearing to be begging her. Anna immediately felt disgusted as the man crouched low, bowing to the woman before him. He deserved no pity and yet his magic, even once destroyed, was still sucking it out of his victims. She looked to Serena, and saw the woman look up at the sky and then back at the man at her feet. She kicked him and seemed to shout at him, but they were too far to hear. She tried to push him to his feet and he refused, still trying to prostrate himself before her.
Serena was very still for a long moment. It was hard to tell if she was speaking or not. Finally Evo stood, of his own accord Anna wasn't sure. There was a flash of metal and he stumbled back, grasping at something sticking out of his chest. And Serena took his arm and led him backwards two paces to the wall as he stumbled. And then she let go and he was simply gone, disappeared from sight in an instant, and Serena stood alone on the tower.
Alona had been silent the entire time, never indicating whether she was listening or not to the conversation the other two were having. But when his body disappeared she broke down, great sobs erupted from her. Ian was down on his knee, gathering her in a tight embrace as his own tears fell.
"It is done?" Marek said from the other side of the room.
Anna nodded. Wreg had been seated on a bench nearby, and with her confirmation he lay back on the wood and closed his eyes. Marek came over and put his hand on Alona's back as he looked out on the lone woman standing above the cliffs. Innis and Rosli were speaking in hushed voices, huddled near the fire like the children they were. Wreg had fallen asleep; his face was peaceful.
Anna suddenly needed to be alone. She did not feel the great release of his death, because her tormentor was not gone, there was not real relief for her in this room. She disappeared silently and ascended the stairs again. She needed to purge herself as well as she could, and for now the site of her torment remained untouched above her.
The attic room was the same it had been the day before. Inspired by the boy downstairs, she flung up her hands and a great wave of power shook the walls. The ropes disintegrated, the metal of the tub melted and the wooden parts rotted until they too turned to dust, the water wafting away as steam, the mattress came apart and each thread of it was unwound and dispersed. All implements of torture crumbled to ash. Anna's power pushed the tiny pieces of each offending piece from the windows, the dust cloud dispersing in the windy night air.
And then the room was just a room.
Anna felt Leonid's hand on her back as he came up behind her, pulling her body to lean on his as they stood side by side.
"Are you alright?" he said, his voice quiet in the suddenly still room.
"I will be," she said, leaning further into him placing her head on his shoulder, accepting the offer of support. They stood in silence for a long moment. "Serena killed Evo."
"I know."
"She could feel everyone through the collars, even him. She felt what the others felt for years. She's stronger than I will ever be." Anna had seen her lead, her compassion and caring. She couldn't help but feel like Serena was the queen they should have.
"Serena did what she had to do to survive, and she took care of those who were within her sphere of influence. You did the same in your own way, you risked everything for the chance for justice for your family." His hand smoothed up her arm in a comforting gesture.
"You did that for me. You were with me even though you didn't have to be." He stiffened and his hand stopped moving. Anna turned and brought her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I can't manage my own pain, how can I possibly take on the weight of others?"
He hugged her closer, one hand in her hair. "You don't have to, Anna. This is your time to heal."
"I told Rafia who I was." She took a deep breath. "I told him I would be queen." He was quiet after that. For a long moment they stayed that way, clasped together. Anna felt uneasy, like she had pulled away from him by choosing to stay. She didn't want it to be true, she couldn't bear the thought of losing him or driving a wedge between them.
Leonid finally spoke, "I wish I could say I was surprised," he tilted her head so she looked up at him, his face very close to hers, "but I had a feeling you were heading in that direction." He kissed her before she could respond. His lips were possessive and determined. She softened to it, her hands resting on his arms. She needed this, to be reassured. But more she wanted to know that with him she would not have to take on another's pain, that he would care for her, take control and give her respite from all the responsibility that awaited her in the realm of men.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," she said when he released her mouth. He raised a questioning eyebrow and she continued, "I know you love to be surprised." He chuckled and kissed her again, making her head swim with heady pleasure.Yes,she thought, wanting to beg him for more even as he claimed her lips and stole her breath.
"I can't say I'm not disappointed you didn't chose to come with me and start spending the rest of eternity in my bed," his lips found the sensitive skin behind her ear, causing her to gasp, "or on my table," he kissed lower along the column of her neck making her knees weak with desire, "and a particular divan I've been hoping to introduce you to." Heat pooled in her lower belly, making her ache to be touched. His mouth returned to the skin at her shoulder, his teeth gentle and his tongue promising. She pushed herself into him, her desire growing hot.
"I would never deny you anything," she said between the small sounds he elicited as his hands began to roam her body.
She found herself pressed against the cold wall. "Of course not," his voice was low and nearly growling. "You're mine, Anna, no matter what happens here in your realm, your alliances or political marriages, you are mine and I will not let you forget it." His eyes burned into hers and she saw his fierce possessiveness.
She raised her hand to his cheek. "Always," she said in a whisper. He needed it as badly as she did, and she was more than willing to give it.
"Good girl," he ground out and his lips descended once more on hers, sweeping her up in a kiss that made her weak with desire. He hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist and he backed them into the wall once more. Anna hummed into his mouth as one hand came up her side to cup her breast despite the press of their bodies. She pressed into his touch, encouraging it while she clung to his shoulders.
There was something precarious about the way he held her as if she weighed nothing. But it was enthralling as well, knowing she couldn't fall but still feeling perched on the edge. His mouth traveled down, drawing more sounds from her, her shirt parting to give him access to her chest until his lips closed around an aching nipple. She couldn't help the small cry that voiced her arousal. Once again the feeling of being with him consumed her, as if for the length of their time together there was nothing beyond that interaction, no responsibilities or distractions, no kingdom hanging in the balance.
He put her legs down long enough to banish her pants and shirt then he scooped her up again, trapping her body between the wall and his chest. Her bare back met the cool stone and she gasped, but he pressed on. He ran his hand up her side, the other supporting her bottom, stroking her tense legs as she hugged his hips to her core. His mouth reclaimed hers as he palmed her breast.
Leonid's tongue ran against hers and she returned it with all the hunger she felt for him. Anna was drunk on his touch. Every time his fingers slid across her skin, stroking her most sensitive parts until she could barely think, she wanted more, desperate for it. But while their last coupling had been about healing, this was Leonid's claiming of her once again. He was aggressive where he'd once been soft, overpowering instead of coaxing. She reveled in it.
She squirmed against him, trying to press herself against his erection, to give back at least a bit of what she was getting. In response Leonid trapped her hips against the wall and proceeded to grind against her and pull away despite her legs' grip on him and her attempts to pull him harder against her core. "Please, Leonid," she gasped when he ran his hard length against her slit, hard enough to make her weak but not nearly enough pressure for what she wanted.
"Say it, Anna," he growled as he continued his maddening touch.
She pulled her lust back, understanding the vulnerability behind the demand despite the cloudiness of her thoughts. Her eyes met his and the connection was captivating, his eyes pierced hers and she in turn refused to look away from his intensity. "I'm yours, Leonid."
It sounded so odd, speaking out loud what they both knew, and yet she could feel the uncertainty in her voice, and in his question. Her voice caught as his hardness pressed against her sending a sharp wave through her body. Why was she his? Because she had sold herself to him? Because he had brought her pleasure? He stilled against her, their bodies tightly fitted together. Her arousal demanded motion but she silenced the need for a moment, gazing back into his face as he searched hers for guile. She looked into his eyes, placing her hand on his chest where she knew he felt the same pull to her that she had first recognized weeks ago in the copse that night. "I want to be yours."
And then his mouth found hers, sweeping her up again in a haze of lust. He moaned into her mouth, his own clothes meeting hers on the floor. His powerful body held her up, surrounded her, his muscled back rippled under her fingers, her legs twined around his waist, holding on to him and pulling him in all at once. He wasted no time, moving her up and settling her opening over his length. With a single thrust he buried himself half way inside her. Her mouth fell from his with a ragged cry, the burn delicious as he drew back and repeated the process.
Her nails dug into his flesh as he began to pound into her, the wall digging into her back, his hands strong as they held her up and moved her to meet him, bringing him ever deeper inside her. She tilted her head back, giving him access to her neck, which he lavished with the same intensity as he did the rest of her.
Anna pushed her chest towards him, begging him to attend to the aching buds there. His head dipped, mouth closing over the pert nipple, his teeth grazing it. When he bit down, the spiraling pain fanned the flames inside her to an almost unbearable heat. Her fingers sank into his hair again, feeling the alien way it flowed over her fingers as if made of flexible glass. She pulled herself into him further as he kept his pace, driving her closer and closer to her peak.
"Leonid," she gasped, barely able to form words. He released her breast, facing her as she looked back at him, eye to eye as he held her up. He slowed, drawing desperate sounds from the back of her throat. The drag of his flesh against her still sending shivers of excitement across her skin, the pressure rising ever higher inside her, keeping her climax just out of reach. She needed something from him, some sort of release. He grinned wickedly at her as she looked to him, unable to speak her plea.
"Yes, Anna," he answered her, "come for me." The words were like a match thrown on a bed of dry kindling. The pressure burst inside her, pleasure shot out into her body, hurtling from her core to her extremities, curling up her spine and bursting in her mind as she came, making her feel as if she were miles above her own body. But it was still so brutally tangible, the swell of his cock inside her, the hard wall against her back, the scrapes of the stone to her skin, his lips brushing her neck.
She felt him increase his speed, his ragged breath matching hers. It was such a rush knowing he felt the same, that she could ignite his passion as much as he did hers. She groaned his name and felt him shudder beneath her fingers, furthering her own sense of power. Anna sank her fingers into his hair and brought her mouth to his as he pounded her, chasing his climax as he felt her grip him again, his pace pushing her to yet another peak.
Her lips fell from his, her forehead resting against his own as she moaned enticingly, her fingers pulled his hair as she became mindless once more. It was too much, his name on her lips, the grip of her channel, the way her body molded to his. He came with her this time, their lips meeting desperately as they both shuddered in mutual ecstasy.
She relaxed her body into his, allowing him to hold her up as she curled up into his chest. As they came down from their high, he slipped out of her making them both groan. She nuzzled into his neck making her chuckle even as she kissed the skin and made his breath catch. She smiled. "Seems you might have sensitive places I've yet to discover."
"All in good time, Anna." Even after her climax she still felt a shiver when he said her name like that. He kissed her again, sweetly, his lips pressing against hers with the promise of much more to come. The fears of a divide between them faded to nothing. She was his, and he would keep her.
Her unsteady feet met the floor and her raw back scraped the stones making her flinch away from the wall. Leonid saw her grimace and lifted his hand to her back, his magic rumbling beneath his skin but she caught his wrist.
"If you don't mind," she said with a smile.
He raised an eyebrow. "You'd like to keep your bruises?"
She nodded, her smile widening. He returned it and leaned down to kiss her. She delighted in the soft feeling of his lips contrasting with the sharp ache in her back. There was something satisfying about the marks left over, testament to their passion that she could carry with her. But the cool air trickled in from the windows and her sweat-damp skin quickly turned cold. Anticipating her desires, he reached for her clothes and settled them on her body as his own moved independently to his. He reached behind her, over her shoulders, and pulled a cloak from the air onto her shoulders.
She jumped a little in surprise, the heavy material settled around her like a warm blanket. "What's this?" she asked, her fingers running over the rich fabric.
"I know how you like to be warm," he said with her favorite smirk on his lips.
"You are too kind," she said and placed a small kiss on his cheek in thanks. "I should get back to the others in the workroom. Serena dealing with Evo has them a little unsteady, and I think they could use a little support."
"I'm glad to see you've already adopted your flock," he said, wrapping his large arms around her and bringing her into his body.
"I don't know what you mean by that," she muttered.
He chuckled at her tone. "Eventually you will have to accept the title of leader, especially since you've already claimed it."
Anna buried her head in his chest. She knew it was ridiculous for her to both claim and resist the position but there was so much she felt stacked against her. How was she to truly become royalty? She knew nothing of what she was taking on and it scared her. But, if she was honest with herself, there was only one thing that truly made her feel unfit.
"What if I go mad again?" she whispered.
His arms tightened around her. "You won't." he said simply.
"But what if I uncover these memories and I do? Or I'm so damaged I can't function? Or I don't want to anymore because it is too painful to be here?" She twisted to look up at him. "How can I take on the weight of the kingdom if I might crumble?"
"You won't," he said again but he smiled when she gave him a look. "I'm sure you won't." Another look. He chuckled. "I know I left before, and I shouldn't have." She opened her mouth to contradict him but he shook his head and she quieted. "You will not be alone again, Anna. I have my responsibilities as a god of the First Level but I will never be truly gone from you. I promise you that." A warm feeling filled her as she spoke. Knowing it and hearing it were two different things and she had needed him to speak it. "If you're still worried about my temporary absences and obvious limitations in involving myself in the inner workings of the realm, consider this. Being queen does not mean that you alone have to run the country. You will have Serena and Rafia and the rest of them to help you."
"Do you trust Rafia?" she asked, curious about his connection to the general.
Leonid sighed. "My relationship with Emera is complex and she has not always been honest with me, but I believe she wishes to restore the kingdom which means that she's chosen an agent who will work towards those aims. Rafia is probably of like mind and that I do trust." He looked back at her. "You can chose to confide in him and the others, to give them knowledge of your limitations and they can aid you. They know much of what stands in your way and they will help you overcome them."
She rested her head on his chest again, too comfortable in his arms to pull away. "That seems like a lot of trust for a bunch of people I barely know," she was being unkind, considering everything she had been through with them. But a part of her was still wary, still trying to retreat behind a protective shield.
His hand stroked her back, soothing and gentle. "It'll come with time."
"I'm noticing a pattern," she grumbled.
*
First light found Anna looking out over the palace grounds from the outer walk at the tower's roof. The others were asleep in the workroom below her, repurposing the furniture there to make a strange sort of dormitory. She let them sleep for now, unsure what the following days would bring. The wind whipped her dark hair around her, cool autumn air flowing beneath her cloak. She watched as Rafia's forces took their positions and settled to wait for their command.
