Crowns of Flame and Ice - Book One

(44) Over the Edge 🔥

I awoke the next morning in Quilo's arms, his skin pressed firmly to mine as his arms wrapped around me. There was something strangely intimate about watching him sleep. The normally hard lines of his face relaxed and peaceful, his chest rising and falling steadily. "I know you're watching me" Quilo murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. My cheeks flushed red and I flicked his nose. Quilo laughed and my heart skittered at the sound, the sound that had once been so rare I never thought I'd hear it. I pressed my lips to him because I wanted to capture the sound. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that" he murmured, opening those stunning blue eyes. I pressed a kiss to his nose, "get used to what?" He pulled me closer to him, I felt his nose against my shoulder. "You being here. I don't... I don't deserve you." I stilled, did he really think that?

"Quilo" I whispered, "you are kind and brave and I love you with all that I am." A soft wind rattled around the room and I heard him suck in a sharp breath, "you love me?" I pulled back and rested both of my hands on his face, "of course I do. You must've felt it right?" I'd felt his emotions loud and clear through the tether, it had almost been overwhelming, there was no way he couldn't have felt mine. His eyelashes fluttered over his eyelids as he closed his eyes, "yeah. yes, it's just different hearing you say it."

I pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose then his lips, his eyes fluttered open. "I love you Quilo Ramos", I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you Quilo Ramos", I pressed a kiss to his other cheek. I kissed his lips, "I love you, Quilo Ramos". Tears glittered in his eyes and I smiled sadly at him. The sheets ruffled as Quilo sat up and pulled me into his lap, "I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before". I leant back into him, throwing an arm around his neck and bringing his lips to mine. "Me neither. Well other than..." I paused, "you were there." When his father had killed James and he'd confessed his feelings to me. I pushed the memory away. Quilo's arms tightened around me and I wondered if he'd heard my thoughts over the bridge.

"What now?" I asked, referring to the looming threat of the kings and the fact we were now the subjects of some ancient curse. "I think it's time we go and give our dear old dads a visit" Quilo snarled, the sound rumbling against my back. I smiled bitterly.

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We now sat at a small breakfast table by the window that looked out over the town. Sun-kissed my skin, I wondered if it could still burn me. While our second skins of flame and ice had ebbed away, as water did into the ground, our crowns still remained above our heads. I could no longer feel the warmth there but I wondered, "do you think they'll ever go away?" Quilo looked up, the reflection of the fire shone in the lenses of his glasses. Those adorable fucking glasses. "I hope so, it's going to make our journey back rather uncomfortable if they don't." I wondered what would happen when they saw them, would they stare? Would they be shocked? Would they run away? I wasn't sure.

"We need to talk" I whispered, "about the whole king and queen thing and the magic and how we're going to deal with our parents." He nodded, scribbling something down on a nearby piece of parchment. A moment later he sighed, "I knew I'd always be king one day Anala but it's different for you. It's a lot of pressure." I nodded, I knew what he meant. To rule over all of Crevah? It was an immense amount of pressure. We'd be in charge of millions of lives, ensuring that everyone was properly fed and cared for. Not to mention somehow having to work out ties between Vauxhaven and Calvain. Even if its king and Queen were united, there still had to be some strain between the people. But... "I want to give our kingdom a chance." Quilo's eyes glittered and a small smile played at the corner of his lips. "what?" I asked, unsure what had caused the reaction. He sat down his pen, "you said our kingdom." I chuckled softly, that is what I'd said. "it is our kingdom though, by fae law and whatever powers we've inherited." Our kingdom. Normally the title of king or queen would've been passed on to whoever was the strongest and most powerful in the family but now that magic had gone... things had changed. Even if the magic returned Quilo and I were the heirs, whatever that meant. Our powers as a soul bonded couple ruled overall. "can you feel it?" I asked, "the magic I mean, building". He considered my question for a moment then nodded, "it feels like it's growing. Like it's getting stronger with each second". I worried my lip, tension building under my skin. How strong were we going to get? It felt like a pond that was slowly getting larger and deeper as the magic grew inside me, would it eventually turn into an ocean? What if I couldn't control it? the urge to destroy, to burn, to rage had almost been overwhelming when I'd unlocked the powers. I doubted it would get any better over time if it continued to increase. I looked up at Quilo, he could stop me. Our powers were supposed to be equal right? He could use his ice to control my flames. It would be okay. I loosed a long shaky breath.

Quilo pulled a piece of paper towards him and then pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Damp heat flooded between my legs. Really? that's all it took? Quilo's nostrils flared and his attention snapped to me, my cheeks heated. He raised an eyebrow at me, the faintest lines of a grin appearing on his lips. "do you have to wear the glasses?" I asked, glancing away as I was unable to look at him. He laughed, "if you want me to read this then yes." I contemplated whether it would be better if he couldn't. "I think we should travel to the castle, sneak in unexpectedly and catch them off guard. That way they won't have any time to prepare and we can make them see what's going to happen" I advised. Quilo pondered my idea, drumming his fingers on the edge of the table. "prick." His eyes once again met mine, white zig-zagging through the blue. "you are undeniably obsessed with me" Quilo chuckled darkly. It was true, I totally was. I scowled at him from across the table. He laughed.

One moment I was smiling, the next I felt as though Quilo had blasted me with ice water. A realisation hit me so strong that I nearly fell from my chair. Sensing my distress he looked up, a question in his expression. "Quilo" I choked, "we're immortal." Not truly immortal, but enough. We'd live centuries before we started to show signs of age. The world would die and change around us while we still lived on... unless we figured out this whole bringing magic back situation. I'd once said that I didn't want an eternity of living in that castle, not being able to live my life the way I wanted to. But now... now I had a chance. I had Quilo. We could use our powers to make a difference and do something good. Quilo's eyes met mine, "I am looking forward to spending every second of it with you". My heart skittered, the thought that anyone wanted to spend their entire life with me... I wasn't sure I could handle it. What if I hurt him? What if he decided he didn't love me anymore? What if... "Anala" Quilo whispered, "not possible. Whatever you throw at me, I can take it."

"Don't read my thoughts" I mumbled down at the table. Quilo chuckled, "why shouldn't I? they're always so... delicious. Especially when I'm around. Besides I can't always help it". I coughed on my glass of water, heat tingeing my ears. He drummed his fingers on the edge of the table and I could feel his smirk as I tried not to focus on the movement. My flames flared, the strange magic once again covering my skin. "My queen" Quilo drawled, leaning over the small table. I glared at him, trying to figure out a way to hide my flames. It didn't work. Instead, I lifted my foot under the table and placed it on the chair between his legs. Pulling a piece of parchment towards me and picking up a pen I ran my foot up his length. Quilo sucked in a sharp breath and I felt him tense from across the table. I began scribbling on the piece of paper, writing plans for the next few weeks all while keeping my foot pressed against him. "I guess we'll have to go back through the forest rather than the city, at least until we figure out how to get rid of the crowns" I suggested, continuing on writing my notes.

He didn't answer for a while so I looked up at him, willing innocents onto my features, "problem?" I continued trailing my foot up and down, up and down, up and down. I felt him twitch under me. His eyes met mine, then he was moving towards me. I shrieked as he lifted me out of my chair and set me on my feet before the table. With one harsh swipe, the parchment and pens were scattered to the floor with a clatter. "put your hands on the edge of the table" Quilo ordered, using the voice of the future king. I did, staring out of the window and onto the street below. I yelped as I felt my leggings being pulled down and my underwear pushed to one side. "Quilo" I hissed, feeling the sharp sting as his hand connected with the sensitive skin of my ass. A moment later I heard the gentle clink of his belt and the ruffle as his trousers hit the ground. Then without warning, he sheathed himself inside me, pounding in and out in rapid succession. "you don't do that without feeling the consequences" Quilo grunted, a hand reaching for my hair and pulling it into a tight grip. I moaned loudly, feeling as he pulled my head back sharply. "gods you feel so fucking perfect" he growled into my ear. All I could do was gasp and moan as he continued moving in and out. He thrust in sharply, hitting that spot over and over again. "I will never get enough of you" he panted, my grip on the edge of the table turning white-knuckled. I prayed that no one on the streets below looked up. With one last push, I shattered around him, feeling as my walls tightened and relaxed and twitched. He rode me through it and then with a shout he followed me over the edge.

A moment later he pulled out of me and then whispered into my ear "that sounds like a good idea". I waited for my breathing to slow, "hm?" He chuckled, pulling my hair away from my sticky face. "about going through the forest instead of the city." My mind was blank for a moment, filled with the hazy bliss of the pleasure he'd brought. "oh" I said finally, remembering our previous conversation, "yes. right, that." He laughed, righting my underwear and pulling my leggings back up again. I shivered when I felt his hands on my legs, that wicked curling motion once again returning. His nostrils flared, scenting me, and his lips parted in a grin "I'm glad you can keep up with me my queen."