By the Magic of Starlight (The Forbidden Realm) by Serena Gilley Read Free Book Online Page A

tension. Sometimes I just need to get away and be alone for a while. With myself. And my… needs.”
    “Alone?”
    Damn, but he was going to have to spell it out for her, wasn’t he? Well, she deserved full honesty, finally. It was the least he could give her after all that she’d given him.
    “Yes. I pleasure myself sometimes, Raea, and that’s how I know exactly what happens to me. When I climax, I turn human. I become huge and my magic is gone. I can’t fly. Dust won’t work for me. I’m totally human then. As human as any of those selfish, vulgar creatures we work so hard to avoid.
That’s
what you made love to.
That’s
what I am in my core. And
that’s
why I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you.”
    He watched the glow of passion fade in her eyes. She pulled back from him just enough to let him know she finally understood.
    “You were… so when we… it wasn’t just the Sizing Dust? You actually became human?”
    “Yeah. That’s what happens.”
    “And back at the Council Hall?”
    “If I hadn’t wished us out of there when I did… well, I would have exploded that tiny little building. No telling what I would have done to you.”
    “And you knew this about yourself, even that first night?”
    “Yes, but we had the Sizing Dust and—”
    “And you still let me give in to you!”
    “It was what we both wanted. We knew it was wrong that night.”
    “You knew it was more wrong than I did, Kyne.”
    “And I didn’t care. I wanted you, Raea. I still want you.”
    He could tell she was warring with herself. Her gaze shifted. Her eyes scanned over his body. She watched him, studying him as if for the first time. Was that desire making her eyes go darker and narrow, or something more like repulsion? It didn’t matter. Whether she wanted him or not, he was aching for her. He felt his blood pound, his cock still solid and throbbing for more of her touch. But he wouldn’t take her. He’d let her go if she wanted. She could go straight to the council and he wouldn’t stop her.
    Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head slowly. The war raging within her was over and he would know where things stood. He was prepared for the worst, but prayed to the Skies she might at least say she forgave him.
    “I still want you, too.”
    He could see that it cost her to admit it. She hadn’t wanted to, that much was obvious. But when her dark, gleaming eyes met his, he saw the same helplessness he felt against their overwhelming passion. They were slaves to it now.
    “It’s what they warn us about when we’re young,” she said. “Giving in to even a tiny bit of passion chips away at our control. I know what we did was wrong and I’m really angry at you for misleading me about this, Kyne, but by the Skies, I just can’t stop wanting you.”
    “You have no idea how happy I am to hear this.”
    He reached for her and pulled her into him for a kiss. There was a moment of hesitation, then he felt her melt under the almost tangible blanket of heat and desire that enveloped them. It would have been so easy to lose himself in the growing passion between them, but he would not. He’d be sensible about this if it killed him.
    “Wait. We can’t do this, Raea. I just told you what will happen if we do.”
    She pressed herself close against him. She was soft and warm and he was on fire. “We can find a way. Do you have Sizing Dust?”
    He shook his head. “No. What about wishing? You can make that happen, right?”
    “Of course.” She dug into the pouch at her belt and pulled up a bit of glittering dust. “Go ahead, wish for it.”
    He didn’t even have to think about it. The only thing between him and a whole lot of satisfaction was his damn human weakness. How perfect if it could be wished away with little more than a word.
    “I wish we were both human-sized!”
    He wished it with all of his might. Raea tossed her dust in the air and they watched it filter in colorful sparks through the night hair,