Edric groaned as he sat up, not feeling well. The magic of the mountain slowly poisoned him, and the effects hadn’t gone unnoticed. He was the only one without access to magic, and it seemed like he was the most vulnerable to it. Drained, queasy, he fought back the urge to vomit and forced himself to lie back down. He recalled a time during his training when he and the rest of his barracks had eaten tainted meat and fell ill. He thought then that he would die. What he experienced now made that one event pale in comparison. This was worse. His life was literally being drained. He would exchange this for that moment back in his younger years and appreciate that it would be only temporary.

Sophia appeared in his blurring vision and pressed a wet rag to his forehead.

Ezekiel appeared behind Sophia. “If I can find it nearby, there is a specific type of mushroom that I can turn into a short-acting remedy. It may help to quell the effects of the magic wreaking havoc, for a time.”

Edric nodded weakly. Anything to curb the effects of what he was feeling would be a blessing. Sophia smiled at him then looked over her shoulder at Ezekiel. “Please be quick and safe. Take Andreas with you.”

“I was already going to begin with,” he said. “Can’t have Zeke here falling over or something.”

Ezekiel groaned and said, “Let’s just hurry up and get back. It will take a while for the potion to cure.”

“You got it,” Andreas said. Both he and Ezekiel turned and walked out of sight.

Edric closed his eyes and focused on Sophia’s touch. She was on her knees next to him. He opened his eyes long enough to shift his body and laid his arm over her lap, cupping her waist with his hand. He loved her more than he ever thought was imaginable. Her blond hair was always in a braid of some sort, but this time she had it down and it cascaded around her shoulders like liquid gold. Her beautiful blue eyes were like the sky on a summer’s evening and deeper than any ocean. Yet, he could see she was worried for him. He hoped that he would have the strength to help get her through this, even if, in the end, he may not.

Warmth pooled into him.

She gently touched his face, and his eyes shot open. He took in her stare and wondered why his illness was suddenly fading.

It’s got to be her.

She smiled, and his lips responded with the same as he pulled her down to him, kissing her with ravish need. Something primal awakened within him, and he needed to give into that need. To be better. To be whole. To be one with her. The animal inside him took over, and his hands moved on their own accord, tearing at their clothing until nothing was left to separate them.

He ran his hands over the length of her torso and back up to cup her breasts. She moaned, and his erection pulsed.

Flipping her to her back, his mouth collided with hers and then he trailed his kisses along the length of her body, pausing at the supple flesh between her thighs. He mouthed the area, flicking the hardened mound with his tongue and eliciting a few gasps and a moan in return.

Gods, this woman…

He growled against her opening before slowly sliding in a couple of fingers, exploring the warm wetness inside her.

“Please,” she whispered, and he chuckled, nice and dark. Only for her.

Complying, he rose higher, resting his hands on her hips as he teased her entry with the tip of his cock. Her blond hair fell loose from its braids and cascaded along the bedding and her shoulders like wheat fresh from the field. Her eyes deepened, and the love and need he wanted to see in them stared back at him.

Emboldened by his newfound health, he pushed the tip of his dick inside her and pulled it back out, repeating the gesture a few times to see the pleasure on her face. Lowering himself to her, he slid completely inside and groaned.

At first, he moved slowly, savoring the delicate, delicious sensation that came from making love to his woman. But the primal need within him took over again, and his thrust became more rushed.

Each touch—each minute he spent with her, made him feel better. Rejuvenated. Back to his old self. And he loved her even more for it. She was his life. Her power and love would help him make it out of the mountain alive.

His orgasm drew nearer as her breaths quickened and her thighs tightened around his waist. At the first sound of her pleasure, his climax reached its height and he released his own pleasure, kissing her as he finished.

Rolling to his side, he pulled her close and stared at the stone ceiling while he caught his breath.

“Guess we found the trick to your health,” she said and giggled against his chest. Her warm breath tickled his skin.

He kissed the top of her head and said, “I guess we did.”

Not long after, Ezekiel and Andreas returned. They stopped at the foot of the bedding and crossed their arms.

Andreas said, “If you wanted some alone time, you only had to ask.”

“Instead of making us think you were at death’s door,” Ezekiel added.

“I was,” Edric said. “It was Sophia that healed me.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” Andreas chuckled and shook his head. “At least the trip wasn’t an entire waste of time.”

Sophia sat up, pulling the fur blanket around her while she fumbled for her shirt. “Why is that?”

Ezekiel said, “We may have found Lady Naomi’s castle.”

Edric sat up and started pulling on his own clothes. “Then it’s close by?”

“Yes. We saw the towers just above the trees. About half a day’s worth of travel,” Ezekiel said as he and Andreas turned their backs to allow Edric and Sophia privacy to dress.

“Then I think we should go check it out,” Sophia said. “We can see if we can track the heirs from there, and maybe we can finally find a guide to help us.”

Edric agreed, and now that he felt better after sex, he was eager to get on the move.