Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Water splashed over the sides of the tub onto the tile floor, making an even bigger mess, but I didn’t care. The servants would have to deal with that later. The soap disappeared and there was only Nylian’s sleek, wet body sliding along mine while we kissed.
Minutes later, he lifted his head to grin at me while I lounged against the side of the bath. “Good. That is how it must stay.”
I rolled my eyes. This elf was insane and was going to be the death of me. Or rather, the second death. The fucking magic coin had caused my first death.
“As to your question, I have faith that Adeline can keep Jasper safe. She’s quite resourceful and quick-witted.” Nylian lay on top of me and tapped the tip of my nose. “Unfortunately, I don’t know where they are in the city, and we have no safe way of contacting them. We won’t be able to take them with us when we leave.”
“I figured as much. I just…worry…” I finished in a mumble. How was I supposed to explain that while we were on the road, Jasper had become like a brother to me? He was a good, smart kid who deserved better than he’d gotten when fate was handing out lives. His sister was doing the best she could, but they needed a helping hand here and there.
Thankfully, Nylian didn’t require any additional explanation. He smiled and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of my mouth.
Of course, that kiss led to other kisses. And some groping.
And a great deal of water ending up outside of the tub.
I climbed out and dried off, but my legs were little better than overcooked noodles. I shuffled into the bedroom, searching for some undergarments to throw on before collapsing into bed.
Shit.
There was only one bed.
I finally understood why Georgie and Jack became a squealing mess when they were talking about a story and it was mentioned that…there was only one bed.
I mean, I got what they were implying. Two guys couldn’t share a bed without something inevitably happening. Yeah, yeah. I had a dirty mind, too. Except until now, I’d been way too practical about it. Of course, two people could share a bed and have nothing happen between them.
But now I was living that “only one bed” scenario, and the other person was an elf whose libido just wouldn’t stop. I was enjoying the attention, but I also wasn’t ready for what would be the next step in our sexual exploration. My heart leaped into my throat, and it felt like my face was on fire.
A low, deep chuckle danced through the room, and Nylian patted my shoulder as he walked past me. “I’ll behave myself so you can sleep.” He tossed aside his towel and climbed under the blankets, completely naked.
Sure, he’d keep his hands to himself, but my brain was very aware that he was naked and so very close.
Shoving those thoughts aside, I walked over to the corner where my bag and sword were waiting for me. With trembling fingers, I dug through the contents of the pack, making sure everything was there. At the very bottom, I slipped two fingers into a secret compartment and pulled out the coin hidden there. I blocked Nylian’s potential view with my body and released a silent sigh of relief to find that the coin with the raven and dragon on it was still in my possession. There was still a chance I could return home.
The only problem was that I didn’t want to leave Nylian’s side. At least, not until he was safe.
Yes, I’d get him home safe and his name cleared. Then…then I would have to figure out how this story ended.
Chapter 21
The Great Furry Escape
How does a prince convince his captors to open the cage?
For Nylian, he merely had to act like a spoiled prince and impress upon his “hosts” that he absolutely had to go shopping for a new wardrobe while he was in Ulmenor. Naturally, his darling pet had to accompany him as his moral support pack mule and protector.
I wasn’t there for Nylian’s epic performance during breakfast because the pet was left behind to have his meal alone in the room. That was fine. I’d had enough of the awkward and insulting questions. And while the food wasn’t likely the same caliber of what Nylian was served, it was still better than what I would have received in the dungeon. Nylian bragged about his performance upon returning to the room to fetch me and gather our things.
Carrying our swords was more difficult since the king demanded an honor guard of six palace soldiers and a carriage accompany the prince to keep him safe. However, Nylian managed it with some fast talking and reassurances that he would leave any trouble they found to the guards. It was more of a prestige thing. He couldn’t be caught without his sword, or it would raise questions about his virility or some such nonsense. At this point, I was having trouble following his tangled logic and gave up.