Scents of earthy lavender and sage clung to Cordelia as Lyonis buried his face into her neck. After watching her act so friendly with his crew over the evening, a bottomless fury had filled his chest.
Of course, he knew deep down that they were teasing him - testing his patience. Their curiosity only grew the longer he tried to hide his budding relationship with the witch of Ville Marais. Seeing him react so hostile towards them and the possessiveness he displayed toward her only fueled the rowdy crew's fire to annoy him.
He had acted impulsively and shamelessly in front of not only his crew, but also Cordelia. In his inebriated state he had let his emotions get the best of him. Something like that had not happened in a long while. But her affect on him was as curious as it was intense. They felt like celestial bodies, orbiting one another. And now that they were close, they were stuck in eachother's orbit, gravity-bound together. Even the slightest change between them felt enormous.
Cordelia hummed quietly, running her fingers through his hair as they stood embraced in the middle of his room. The skin under her delicate fingers tingled from her touch, soothing the anxious feeling that had blossomed in his chest. He felt himself relax under her touch and enjoyed the feeling of her pressed against his body as he pulled her closer to him - his arms wrapped around her small waist. A small contented sigh escaped her lips, and the alluring sound coaxed passion to slowly bubble inside him, but the needing feeling that suddenly washed over him fought against growing sleepiness. Her subtly sweet floral scent bathed him in calm ecstasy, and he yawned into her hair.
"You should sleep, Lyonis... You seem tired." She whispered. Her soft voice hummed, reminding Lyonis of waves crashing on the beach. The soothing sound lulled fatigue closer to him. But he shook his head. He didn't want to let her go. He also didn't want her to leave when his sudden violent outburst was so fresh in their memory. The need to replace that memory with a better, fresher, more passionate one suddenly felt extremely necessary.
"Stay with me tonight..." He grumbled into the thin spot of exposed skin right above the neckline of her dark maroon dress, pulling her closer to him, his hips swaying with hers.
A quiet laugh rippled from behind her closed pink lips. "Tempting... But I cannot stay tonight." Disappointment left him in a deep growl, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her tighter, his frustration yielding another giggle from her. "I have much to do tomorrow morning. And it's probably for the best if you sleep off all the ale you drank tonight."
The intense possessiveness he had felt earlier swelled inside him, and unable to help himself, he lifted Cordelia in his arms and fell onto the bed with her, trapping her under him. One arm wrapped under her waist, holding her close, the other laid next to her head as propped himself up to hover over her. He had her pinned down with his hips, and the intimate closeness filled him with an unquenchable craving.
"Stay..." He locked his gaze onto her grey-green eyes. The gold specks flecked in them seemed to glow in the dim orange light emanating from the oil lamps and fireplace in the room. Her long black hair cascaded around her shoulders in shiny, soft waves. Gingerly, she reached a hand up to caress his cheek; a smile tugged at the corners of her soft pink lips, and her eyes sparkled with something unfamiliar to him. The longing he saw in her eyes mixed with sorrow, and he couldn't help but feel like she was trying to close her heart off to him.
"Sleep..." She coaxed him with a single word. The tingling sensation of her touch drew sleepiness closer to him. The softness of her body and the comfort of the bed compelled him to lie next to her, pulling her close, cocooning her with his body, and clinging to her as if she were a giant pillow. His eyes closed, and he fought against the exhaustion that was creeping over him.
"You seem sad, my love..." Lyonis whispered into her ear and planted small sensual kisses slowly up and down her neck. His mind was already drifting away, and he tried to fight against it. "Please... stay..." His fingers absentmindedly traced the length of her body. She placed one of her hands over his, stopping him from wandering too far. She rolled over to face him, running her hands through his hair, rubbing away the tension and stress from the creases in his forehead.
"Shh.... Sleep..." Cordelia hummed peacefully. Try as he might to fight off sleep, his exhaustion mixed with Cordelia's comforting touch, and the alcohol won over. He quickly succumbed to the weariness, and his consciousness quietly slipped from him.
...
Strong arms wrapped around her and Cordelia took a moment to seal the comforting feeling away in her memory. The sense of safety and tranquility she was currently experiencing was unlike anything she had ever felt. Lyonis's masculine scent, like salt and cedar, enveloped her like a fog. His strong, muscular arms, steady breath against the nap of her neck, and warm, comforting hands filled her with longing and need. If he hadn't fallen asleep and kept on showering her with his sweet insistent pleas, Cordelia knew she would have buckled and would've ultimately given into the sensual feeling that had grown deep inside her.
A small snore rumbled in Lyonis's chest and she turned to take in his quiet sleeping face. Long black eyelashes barely touched the olive skin on his cheeks; soft dark brown hair fluttered across his forehead. His gentle breathing and quiet contentedness reminded Cordelia of a child, and she found herself imagining what he had looked like in his younger days.
His swirling thoughts had quieted significantly since they had entered the room. Cordelia was shocked at how strong and intense Lyonis's emotions seemed to envelop and overrun her completely. Strong mana oozed from him without him even knowing, and at times his presence was so overwhelming Cordelia saw it not only affect her but those around him as well. The moment he had lunged at Troels, it was as if a wave of anger had flooded the room, filling it with frightful intimidating energy. While the crew didn't seem that affected, the rest of the patrons sitting in the Inn seemed to shudder instinctually under the immense pressure.
It was a commanding power she had only seen and felt a handful of times before. She didn't even think she would be able to deny his pull if Lyonis somehow figured out how to manipulate his mana to consciously influence others. But it was clear to her that he didn't even realize the power of his own influence. Even moments before, Cordelia couldn't tell if it was her own desire to stay or if she were simply being pulled by Lyonis's strong desire to keep her there.
Perhaps it was a bit of both, and she didn't know how to feel about it.
He grumbled something in his sleep and snuggled closer to her, pulling Cordelia from her thoughts. The warmth and tenderness of the moment almost threatened to keep her glued to the bed. Her heart ached at the thought of tearing herself away from him. But in the end, logic won. She did need to get back to the apothecary. Mauve was due in the morning and Cordelia feared the rumors that would undoubtedly spread if she was seen leaving the Inn the next day with Lyonis in tow, wearing the same dress as the previous night. That thought was enough to pull her to her feet.
She quietly and carefully removed herself from his embrace. She covered him with a warm blanket, opened his window, blew out the lamps, and threw a few more logs on in the fireplace before sneaking out of the room. Cordelia hoped to avoid running into anyone on her way out. Talking seemed too tiring at the moment, and she had spent all her energy socializing earlier. All she wanted to do was disappear under her covers and mull over her thoughts and feelings. She needed more time to sort her own emotions. After the conversation with Jezabelle Ambrose, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her that demanded her attention - and she needed peace and quiet to give the thoughts the attention they deserved.
Cordelia slipped down the stairs and out the front door, grateful the Innkeeper was currently busy with another guest. She had seen his eyes glance her way and his body language hinted he wanted to talk to her but she disappeared like a ghost before he could turn back to address her.
Despite a dark blanket covering the sky, the street was bright and lively. Cordelia quickly strolled down the cobblestone, avoiding curious glances and questioning stares. She tried to conceal her own mana, stuffing it deep inside herself, making her presence small and insignificant. To her relief, the trick worked, as everyone seemed mostly preoccupied with celebration.
"Madame VonElise..." A soft and sensual woman's voice spoke behind her, and before she could even realize it, Theodora, the tall, slender mercenary under Lyonis's care, had manifested almost out of thin air right by her side, "Leaving so soon?"