What Happened

“Come here,” Solona purred, crooking her finger at Nathaniel.

He looked hesitant, but obeyed, slinking across the room and sitting down on the couch beside
her. Solona leaned in close and ran the tip of her dagger down his cheek. The blade had been
coated in a fine dusting of lyrium and it left a garnet colored trail on his face. Solona leaned in
close and ran her tongue over his cheek. Nate shuddered and closed his eyes. When he opened
them again, they blazed with fear seeing the carnelian stain of lyrium on her lips.

Solona frowned. “We don’t have to do this you know,” she pouted. “Not if you don’t want to.
Not if you don’t want me.”

He shook his head quickly. “I want you,” he whispered. “But . . . I’m afraid.”

“I won’t hurt you,” she said. She gave him a sidelong look. “Not more than you want me to
anyway. I can . . . .”

“No,” he said. “I want you to do this. I want you to control me and use me like you wish. I want
it. I just . . . .” his voice trailed off. He looked down at his hands for a moment and then his gaze
snapped back up to her face. His pale grey eyes glittered. “Just promise . . . .”

She didn’t give him a chance to finish, putting her finger gently over his lips. “I promise, I
would never try to keep you that way. I don’t use my blood magic like that . . . this was your
idea, remember?”

Nathaniel grinned. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Solona nodded, “And you know me better than anyone . . . I won’t hurt you. I don’t want
to control you forever.”

“I know,” he said, squaring his shoulders. He offered her his hand, palm up. “Do it.”

With a nod and a quick flick of her wrist, Solona swiftly ran the sharp blade of the dagger across
his palm. A tiny line of blood welled up from the shallow cut. She gave him a quick look before
leaning down and pressing her lips against the scarlet line. When she raised her head again, there
was a tint of red on her lips from his blood.

Nathaniel felt a strange sensation, like tiny fingers walking up the his spine. The small hairs on
the back of his neck stood up. He blinked; once, twice.

“Help me with my hair, “ Solona intoned serenely. Like they had a will of their own, Nathaniel’s
hands came up and started to pull the pins from her hair, letting the heavy red-gold locks fall free
around her shoulders. He ran his fingers through her hair, careful of tangles, reveling in the
warm soft mass of it. Like his hands had a will of their own; or more like her will.

She smiled seductively. “That’s better. Now,” she said. “I think you are overdressed.”

Nathaniel pulled back from her a bit, slipping his shirt off over his head. His hands obediently
went to the laces on his breeches, but she stopped him with soft fingers on his shoulder. He
looked up at her, yielding.

“Don’t rush,” she said softly. “You are always in such a hurry.” She chuckled. “But not tonight.
Tonight I will set the pace.”

Nathaniel nodded. “As you wish, my lady,” he murmured.

Solona grinned again. “Now kiss me . . . slowly.”

Nathaniel breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t kissed her a thousand times
before, but it was different now. He lifted his hands up, cradling her face in between. He gently
ran his thumbs along the curve of her cheek bones. He leaned in gingerly, feeling her breath
against his face. He closed his eyes as his lips brushed against hers as softly as mist. Solona
made a small sound, her arms coming up around him, her cool fingertips dancing along the
muscles of his back.

“Kiss me,” she whispered against his mouth. “Kiss me like you love me.”

Love?

They’d never spoken of such a thing before. It was all passion and dark rooms and sweat slick
bodies in the middle of the night. But Nathaniel didn’t say a word, just moaned slightly. He
pressed his mouth against her with more pressure now, trailing his lips from her mouth, along the
line of her jaw and down the soft expanse of her neck. He ran his tongue in the hollow between
her collarbones. His kisses traveled back up again, until he captured her mouth once more. His
tongue flickered on her lips and they parted.

Solona’s hands tangled in his hair as his mouth danced with hers.

Breathless, she pulled away. Her hands flicked up to the small buttons on her robes. Her hands
were trembling.

“Help me with the buttons,” she said, sounding hesitant. But he would have thrown himself out
the window, had she asked. Buttons were hardly an imposition.

He nodded and despite his large fingers, he made short work of the delicate buttons. One by one
he unfastened them, each one revealing more soft, white flesh underneath. Solona shrugged her
shoulders and the robes slid off, pooling around her waist. She seemed at a loss for words, so
instead she took his hand in hers and pressed it against the curve of her breast.

Nathaniel had seen them before, had touched these beautiful breasts and paid homage to them
more than once. But it was like the first time all over again. His cock twitched at the sensation
at the sight of her bared to him. He squeezed and felt her flesh yield to his fingers. He
shuddered, but his eyes were riveted on her.

“Please,” she whimpered. Nathaniel could just barely hear her over the frantic beating of his own
heart in his ears. She didn’t need to explain what she wanted. He knew her body well enough.

Nathaniel leaned forward, capturing one pink nipple between his lips, flicking his tongue over it.
He felt her shudder and looked up at her through the veil of his eyelashes. Her head fell back and
her fingers tightened in his hair, pushing his face against her. He felt a surge of power.

“I want . . . ,” she panted. “You to . . . touch me.”

His free hand fumbled to find the hem of the robes still around her waist. It slid underneath,
moving languidly along the smooth flesh of her calf and then her thigh. He remembered her
words. Slowly. So his hand moved as commanded and her legs parted, giving his fingers access.
She was nude under her robes, as always. His lips curved into a smile, still wrapped around her
nipple as his questing fingers found their prize.

She was so hot and wet and soft as his finger slowly sunk into her that he thought he might just
come on the spot. But she hadn’t told him to, not yet, so he resisted the urge to rub himself
against her.

Solona whimpered and ground herself again his hand.

“Taste,” she whispered.

In a few swift movements, he slid down on to the floor between her legs, bunching the remaining
fabric of her robes up around her waist, slinging her legs over his shoulders. He ran a line of tiny
kisses along her inner thigh, breathing in the scent of her arousal. He felt his cock pulse in the
confines of his leathers, but he ignored it.

He sunk his tongue into her soft folds, the musky flavor sending what remaining blood he had
straight to his groin. Solona’s thighs quivered on either side of his face. He captured her moist
nub between his lips and sucked ruthlessly. She panted something incoherent and grabbed the
braids he kept tied behind his head. They pulled apart from each other and she used them to push
his face to her tighter. It hurt a little; Nathaniel discovered he didn’t care.

Without being prompted, his fingers joined his mouth and he slid two fingers inside, pumping
and screwing into her. Her entire body tensed and she cried out. He felt the muscles inside her
ripple around his fingers.

“Maker,” she moaned. “Nathaniel. I . . . want you.” She voice was ragged and broken. “I want
you inside me, now.”

Spurred into action, he reared back, quickly fumbling with the knotted laces at his waist. His
trembling fingers stumbled, struggling. Her fingers joined his and he felt them brush against his
erection through the supple leather. He drew in a quick, shaky breath. Solona grinned wickedly
as the laces fell away. Nathaniel pushed his breeches and small clothes down, not getting them
further than his knees before he pushed forward, plunging himself inside of her in one smooth
motion.

He shuddered and closed his eyes, feeling her wet silk enclose him. She nodded, wordless and he
started a rhythm of thrusts. Long, slow movements, twisting his hips so his pelvis rubbed against
her just so. Just in the that way he knew she loved. He felt her hips mimic his movements,
pressing her up against him.

Solona’s hands flew up to his chest, running along sweat slick expanse. She moaned. Nathaniel
pushed himself in deep, watching her breasts bounce with the movement.

“Faster,” she whimpered and he complied, speeding up his hips. Every quick push of his hips
sent his cock to throbbing. He was so close to the edge, the taste of her still on his tongue, the
unbelievably gorgeous sight of her body flushed and panting from his touch. But she hadn’t
given him permission, not yet, so he held back. It might have been the most difficult thing he’d
ever done.

Her eyes closed and she bit her lip. He could feel her tighten around him. She was as close as he
was. Still obedient, he kept up the punishing rhythm, watching her face. The expressions
flickered quickly, pleasure, pain and something else he hadn’t seen before. Suddenly, she
pitched forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him tightly against her.
Solona kissed his mouth and then the patch of beard beneath his lower lip. Her lips slid along his
cheek to his ear.

“Tell me,” she whispered. “Tell me you love me.”

“Oh Maker,” he replied. “Maker, I love you Solona; I always have.”

And once the words were out of his mouth, she screamed, clenching more tightly around his cock
than she ever had before. Although she said nothing and gave no permission, he could no longer
hold back. Nathaniel buried his face in the crook of her neck as he came inside of her. The
entire world blanked out in an explosion of white light.

Once he could manage a thought again, he pulled her down on top of him, his cock still hard and
still sheathed inside her. He rested her small body on his chest, pressing a soft kiss to the crown
of her head.

“Nathaniel?” she said softly.

“Hm?” he replied sleepily.

“I have a confession to make,” she said. She didn’t look up, just rubbed her cheek against him.
“I . . . I love you Nathaniel,” she admitted. “I was just too afraid to tell you before.”

Nathaniel didn’t reply, but his heart thudded in the cage of his ribs.

“Oh, and one other thing,” she continued. He could feel her lips curl up into a grin. “I didn’t use
any blood magic. That was all you.”