Chapter 70 The Night Before
LUCA
‘There is no way. Not without dark magic.’ and I would die before I brought any more dark magic close to us.
‘Then use dark magic.’
I shoved the thought away. I wouldn't even consider it. Wouldn’t risk corrupting her with the very thing we were fighting against.
The temptation was there. The selfish, desperate temptation to do whatever it took to keep her with me forever.
“Luca.” Her voice brought me back to the present. “Where did you go?”
“Nowhere. I’m here.” I kissed her deeply. “Right here with you.”
I rolled us over, putting her on top. “Ride me. Take what you need.”
She did, moving with a grace and confidence that hadn’t been there before our time together. I watched her, mesmerized, as she chased her pleasure. Her head thrown back, her hands on my chest for balance, her breasts bouncing with each movement.
Perfection.
When her rhythm started to falter, when I could feel her getting close, I gripped her hips and took over. Thrust up into her with enough force to make her cry out.
“Come for me,” I commanded. “Let me feel you.”
She shattered, her inner walls clenching around me, and I followed her over the edge. My release was intense, almost painful, and I pulled her down for a claiming kiss as we both rode out the waves.
After, we lay tangled together, both breathing hard.
“I love you,” she whispered against my chest. “In case I don’t get to say it tomorrow.”
“Don’t.” My arms tightened around her. “Don’t talk like tomorrow is the end.”
“But if it is—”
“It won’t be. I won’t allow it.” I tilted her face up to mine. “You’re going to survive tomorrow. You’re going to be fine. And then we’re going to spend the next two hundred years arguing about whether I’m too possessive.”
“Only two hundred?”
“However long you have. I’ll take whatever time we get.” I kissed her forehead. “But I’m greedy, Aeliana. I want every second. Every moment. Every breath. And I’ll fight heaven, hell, and everything in between to get it.”
“You really are obsessed.”
“Completely.” I didn’t even try to deny it. “Unhealthily, probably dangerously so. But I can’t help it. You’re in my blood now. Part of my soul. And I don’t want to be cured.”
She was quiet for a long moment, and I felt her processing through the bond.
“I’m glad,” she finally said. “Glad you’re obsessed. Glad you’re possessive. Glad you love me enough to be a little crazy.”
“A little?”
“Fine. A lot crazy.” She kissed my chest. “But it makes me feel safe. Wanted. Like I matter more than anything else in the world.”
“You do. You matter more than my kingdom, my immortality, my own life.” I stroked her hair. “And tomorrow, I’m going to prove it.”
“How?”
“By keeping you alive. By channeling every ounce of power I have into you. By standing between you and anything that tries to harm you.” My voice dropped. “And if something does manage to hurt you, I'll destroy it so thoroughly that not even its memory remains.”
“You’re kind of scary when you’re protective.”
“I’m terrifying when it comes to you. And I’m not apologizing for it.”
“I wasn’t asking you to.” She yawned, exhaustion finally catching up with her. “Stay with me? While I sleep?”
“I’m not going anywhere.” I settled her more comfortably against me. “I’ll be right here, watching over you.”
“Always watching.”
“Always.”
Within minutes, her breathing evened out. She was asleep, trusting me to keep her safe.
I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I held her and made plans. Contingency after contingency for everything that could go wrong tomorrow.
If the dark magic was too strong, I’d throw myself into it first. Let it take me instead of her.
If she was injured, I’d give her my blood, my power, whatever she needed to heal.
If she was corrupted, I’d find a way to pull her back. Even if it meant walking into darkness myself.
And if, god forbid, she died—
I’d follow.
Only after I’d destroyed everyone responsible. Theron, Elira, every member of their coalition. I’d make them suffer in ways that would become legends of cruelty.
Then I’d find whatever afterlife she’d gone to and force my way in.
Because eight centuries of existence had taught me one irrefutable truth that I was capable of terrible things when motivated.
And losing her would motivate me to become the monster I’d spent centuries pretending I wasn’t.
Sleep. I told myself. You need to be strong for tomorrow.
Still, I couldn’t. I could only hold her and count her heartbeats and pray to every deity I’d stopped believing in centuries ago.
Tomorrow would bring darkness and take us into the unknown. But tonight, she was safe in my arms. And for now, that had to be enough.
Even though I knew—god, I knew—that nothing would ever be enough when it came to her.
I wanted forever. I wanted immortality for her, not me. I wanted to rewrite the laws of nature just to keep her by my side.
And the truly terrifying part?
I was powerful enough that I might actually try and I might actually succeed.
I was fine with becoming the villain in this story if it meant she survived to tell it.
Tomorrow. I thought, pressing a kiss to her sleeping head. Tomorrow we face the darkness. And if it takes you from me, I’ll show it what real darkness looks like.
Because I’ve ruled for eight hundred years with mercy and justice. But for her? I’d abandon both without hesitation. And burn the world to ash in my wake.