“Will I feel it?” she asked.
“You’ll feel the brush on your skin.” He kissed her shoulder as he settled behind her. He was also bare, his ceremonial wrap the only clothing he wore. His talesm already burned with anticipation. “You’ll feel the magic when I start. When I’m working.”
“How long does it take?”
He smiled. “It takes a while.”
“An hour?”
He laughed. “More than an hour.”
“I’m glad I picked a comfortable cushion,” she said. “And where do you paint?”
Leo smiled and lifted her arm, holding her delicate wrist in his fingers. He ran his tongue from her shoulder to the crease of her elbow, peppering kisses up to her wrist. “Everywhere.”
“Everywhere?”
“Mmm.” He released her arm and put his hands at her waist, kissing her neck and enjoying the scent of frangipani in her hair. “Everywhere. Every inch. I’m going to cover you in magic.”
Goose bumps rose on her skin.
Are you ready? he thought.
I’m ready.
Leo began at the top of her spine, and the very first spells he performed were for longevity. All he had was the word of a Fallen angel that Kyra was protected. But from that night on, her life would be linked to his. As long as he lived, she would too, even if it was for a thousand years.
He traced the spells down her back. Long life. Protection. Wisdom. Strength. Every line was a promise. Every inch of ink was a mark of his love. He poured his heart into his magic. He poured his heart into Kyra’s hands, knowing she would hold it gently.
His mate was still as a statue, but when he turned her to begin the spells over the front of her body, he saw her tears.
“Kyra?”
“I hear you,” she whispered. “Your voice inside. When you’re writing your magic, Leo. I hear you, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
She broke him. Leo leaned forward and kissed her gently, careful not to smudge the words he’d so carefully drawn.
“Ana sepora,” he whispered. “I will see you fly, Kyra.”
“As long as you’re flying with me.”
“Always.” He put his forehead to hers and drew in a breath, warmed by the magic in the air. It filled the room like the fire of a setting sun. It highlighted the ebony strands of her hair and made her skin glow. She was luminous, and her skin reflected the mingled gold and silver of the magic that tied them together.
Leo continued, carefully placing each spell. Strength in her arms. Speed in her legs. Health spells tracing from her collarbones to her belly. He marked her with every protection he could think of. He gave part of his armor to her.
The ink was nearly dry over her skin when he curled his personal vow over Kyra’s heart:
Daughter of heaven
I will love you.
Though the night is dark
Our love is light.
Though the world is grim
Our union gives hope.
Father of Light
We are one in you.
When our path is hidden
We will fly.
We walk in faith.
We walk in hope.
We walk in love.
Leo pressed a kiss to the center of his vow and set down his brush. When he looked up at Kyra’s face, her eyes were a fierce gold.
I hear us.
He pressed his forehead to hers. And I hear you.
“It’s not just the voice of your soul I’m hearing,” Kyra whispered. “There’s another music. We make it when we’re together. A harmony between us.”
“Can you sing it?”
Tears came from her eyes. “No.”
“You mean not yet.”
“I’ll find a way to sing it to you someday, Leo. I promise. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
“The only promise I need from you is to be my mate. To love me when I’m unlovable—”
“You’re always lovable.”
“—and to challenge me when I’m thickheaded.”
Kyra laughed. “I have more than a little experience with thickheaded men.”
Leo kissed the tears from her cheeks. “Then we’re perfect for each other.”
“We are.”
He smiled. “Say it again.”
“We’re perfect for each other.”
“Exactly as we are.”
They shared delicate kisses as the ink dried on her skin. Leo’s breath came in pants. He was thick with tension, trying to control his hunger for her, but every moment their magic lingered in the air, it seemed to grow more intense. It didn’t dissipate in the air like smoke but grew stronger. Heavier. More overwhelming.
“Leo?” Kyra’s pulse was pounding in her throat.
“Soon.” He scraped his teeth along her chin and reached for her shoulder, feeling the smudge of ink that wasn’t quite dry. “I’ll fix it later.”
“What?”
He tugged the pins from her hair and watched it tumble down her shoulders, thick waves of dark silk he fisted as he brought her mouth to his over and over. Her lips were swollen from his kisses.
“Now?”
He glanced down at her heart and saw the ink dry on her skin. “Yes.”
Without another word, he took her to the floor. Kyra wrapped ink-stained arms around his shoulders and long legs around his waist. They rolled across the wooden floor with their mouths fused together as dark red henna began to light with a gold fire. Kyra’s magic came alive before his eyes.
“Leo!” She let go of him, her back arching on the floor as her body lifted in a wave of power.
“Kyra?”
Her eyes flew open, and they were no longer gold. There was fire behind them, sparking and glowing in the dim room. Brighter than candle flames, they met Leo’s cool blue eyes.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
“I don’t know!”
Leo picked her up and put her on the bed, but the shocks to her body seemed to keep coming. She curled into herself. Every brushstroke illuminated with a vivid fiery light, as if it were burning itself into Kyra’s skin. The light raced over her body, and Leo heard the light bulb in the bedside lamp pop before it went dark.
The power rose. The spells burned. And then they went out.
Reshon, are you hurt?
No. I feel… more alive than I ever have.
Kyra sat up, and Leo realized the spells hadn’t stopped glowing, but they were no longer burning. They shone like a banked flame beneath her skin, streaking across her body in swirls and lines, following the curves and sinews as he’d drawn them.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
She rose and pressed him back on the bed, removing the linen wrap around his waist. “Ana reshon.” Come to me.
There were no more words as she slid over him. Leo rose and kissed her breasts, hugging her to his chest. He arched his back so Kyra could reach down and guide him into her body. When they were joined, he lifted his hips, thrusting deep as Kyra arched back, her hair falling so long that it brushed the tops of his thighs as he sat beneath her. His vows glimmered on her skin, a visible reminder of his promise to her.
Daughter of heaven
Daughter of heaven
Reshon
“I have waited so long for you,” Leo whispered.
Kyra put her arms around his neck, holding him so tightly he nearly lost his breath.
“I have crossed continents,” he continued. “I have fought battles. I have seen wonders, my love. But nothing that could ever compare to this moment.”
She couldn’t speak, but he heard her in his mind. He more than heard her, he knew her.
I love you.
You are my mate.
You are my reshon.
You are my home.
Leo felt his magic rise and meet hers in a kiss. Kyra rocked over him as her body tightened around him. He felt the latent power of his climax starting at his toes, growing and building as their bodies and souls became one.
Kyra’s lips met Leo’s, and he saw stars when he closed his eyes, rising and chasing each other across the sky. He heard the chorus of the heavens and the harmony of their union . He heard it as they came together, falling as they flew.
Epilogue
They stayed in Phuket for two weeks, experimenting with magic, touring the islands by boat, and resting. They slept late. They made love in the middle of the day. They went to night markets and swam under the stars.
And then they went home.
The plane to Istanbul landed in midafternoon; they heard the afternoon call of the muezzin as they crossed the Haliç Bridge.
Kyra had been in Istanbul many times, but this time she was returning as a member of a large family, not as a visitor. She’d spoken to Ava on the phone, and her friend had been ecstatic that Kyra and Leo would be living at the house. She was eager for company beyond Malachi’s brothers and Mala, who split time between Cappadocia and the city. She was full of plans and news for her new sister, eager to introduce Kyra to more magical practice as well as having another female in the house full-time.
Kyra was still unsure how well she would manage in a large communal environment. She realized she was tapping her toes and pulling at the seam of the dress she’d bought in Thailand.
Leo squeezed her hand. “Nervous?”
She smiled. “A little.”
“If it gets to be too much, you have to tell me.”
“I will.”
“My brothers can be annoying.”
“I’ll tell you.”
“Especially my cousin. He means well, but—”
“Leo, I promise.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ll tell you if I need some time alone.”