Iron Heinrich Read online

  Then she went back down the stairs at a fast clip, the sooner they were out of this room the better. Her mother's ideas were pernicious and, if she was honest, they were starting to invade Silvia's mind.

  She ought to find a way to avoid Heinrich. Her mother would take prolonged company as a sign of encouragement. She would take any sign of affection as an opportunity to trap Heinrich here until he forgot about everything and everyone else. She didn’t want that.

  Something about the halls bothered her.

  She stopped and he bumped into her. A sharp intake of breath was the only sound and as soon as it faded, there was nothing. That was unusual. Even in the middle of the day, there would be servants bustling about, their noisy movements a signal that they were present. Today: silence.

  Swallowing the unease that small detail caused, she took Heinrich's hand again and together, they moved through, methodically searching each room. The only oddity was an open window in her room. Heinrich closed it and together they made sure no one was hiding, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

  When they reached the tall doors at the end of the hall, Silvia paused. Her mother's chambers were enormous and out of bounds to anyone but her, her father, and those few who had ever been invited. Clockwork machines serviced the room in lieu of servants, and her mother used magic to do anything else she needed.

  Her mother's room was incredible, and even after seeing it a hundred times as she grew up, it still caught her off guard. It seemed to be made of silver or like it was carved from ice.

  Chairs, tables, even the rug glittered in the light that spilled through the tall window panes bordered by silver curtains. It was remarkable, and it would drive her insane if it was her room.

  The lucky thing of the room's silver overload, was that anything out of the ordinary would stick out like a patch of red weed in the middle of a meadow.

  "How do your parents sleep with all of this? It would keep me awake simply from shadows and reflections."

  "Mom isn't bothered by it, and dad wears a sleeping mask. When I was little and got scared by something silly, they'd let me crawl into bed with them and the shimmer of this much silver felt like armor. A room full of it there to protect me."

  They closed the door behind them. There was nothing there.

  The part of the palace that had always seemed like a sanctuary—an escape from the responsibilities of her life—was still safe.

  Letting out a sigh of relief, she sagged into him and shook her head. "At least we know they're not foolish enough to hide out here."

  He ran a hand down her arm and turned her around. "Aren't you scared?"

  "I don't know if I'm scared. If someone actually wants to kill me...."

  "We aren't going to let that happen. I might be next to useless with this thing slowly killing me, but Mina and Ivy won't let anyone get to you. And even if they do, I saw how you fight. They don't stand a chance."

  Smiling in spite of herself, she glanced down the hallway they'd just finished checking. Still empty, still silent. Pressing up on her toes, she grabbed hold of the lapels of his jacket and kissed him. Again, his mouth was cautious, gentle. She pressed for more and he gave in to her. Together they stumbled back into the wall and his arms caged her. Exhilaration made her heart pound faster and she wrapped her fingers around his nape, twisting up and into his hair.

  He kissed her, his lips soft and sweet, and she fell toward that dark abyss they called love.

  *

  Heinrich held her as close to him as he could. Even the pain shooting through his chest couldn’t deter him from wanting her closer. She tasted like wine and chocolate and something… cold. Mint?

  He couldn’t think what it was, and there was no time to search further.

  A cleared throat had Silvia pulling away from him before he could take his next breath.

  Mina’s raised eyebrow was a conviction, but her smile told him just how many people wanted him to fall into Silvia’s bed and never leave. He couldn’t tell if that was a sign of how many people loved the woman in his arms, or if it was creepy. For the moment, he’d assume the best.

  “We found a cloak and a jackal mask.”

  Wiggling out of his grasp, Silvia strode away from him. “Where?”

  Mina’s smile faded. “In his room.”

  Silvia glanced to her door, and Heinrich stared at the Auronan princess. “What?”

  “The room Ivy put you in originally. Someone left them in there. Possibly to implicate you.”

  That is ridiculous.” Silvia said, her hands balled to fists at her side. “Heinrich came to help me. He couldn’t have been in two places at once.”

  “True. Danae suggested that you might be working with someone… possibly using the attack to endear yourself to Silvia further.”

  Silvia’s shoulders stiffened. “Again, ridiculous.”

  He didn’t know how or why she had so much faith in him after a handful of days, but it was a relief, if not a full pardon.

  Mina stared at him. “Is it?”

  Heinrich pursed his lips before saying, “I suppose it’s not too farfetched of an idea. After all, I’d have to be a fool to ignore the benefits of weaseling my way into your affections.”

  Silvia stared at him, her mouth agape. “I cannot believe this.”

  “You shouldn’t. When I find what I’m looking for I’ll be on my way.” It stung to say, and when Silvia took a step back, he had to force himself not to go to her. “You don’t want or need the burden so many of your friends and family are trying to push on you.”

  He glanced pointedly at Mina.

  “This morning, you said you couldn’t go back to Ferrian… Where do you plan on disappearing to?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Silvia glanced away from him, something uncertain in the way her face contorted.

  “I guess that’s something you’ll have to figure out.” Mina glanced back and forth between them. “When should I tell Ivy you want to meet them?”

  Heinrich bit his tongue and looked to the floor. He should start looking at dusk. Through the distant window the sky was already starting to bleed to pink. Something told him it was more important that he stay here. Max knew not to go back to Ferrian, if he did, he would hopefully be able to avoid Hagne. Heinrich needed to be here. He didn’t know why, but he knew that with certainty. And he knew what he was about to say would make no sense with his declaration.

  “I won’t be going tonight.” Three unsuccessful nights… tonight likely wouldn’t be any better. He would make sure Silvia was safe, and then he would strike out on his own, and not stop until he found Max or the corset killed him.

  Mina’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded and turned on her heel, leaving them alone again.

  Silvia watched him carefully. “You don’t have to sacrifice your search for me. I know that finding what you lost is important.”

  “Someone tried to kill you. And then, they put those things in the room they thought was mine. If they’re out to get both of us, I don’t think we should split up.”

  “And what if I don’t want you following me around like a watchdog.”

  “There are all manner of things we could do instead of traipsing around the palace.” He glanced from her to the door of the room she’d set him up in. “Quite a few of them sound like better ideas.”

  She glanced at Mina who had nearly escaped the long hall and turned back to him. She studied him for a moment and he could almost see her thoughts whirling. With a final, quick glance at the empty hall, she dragged him through the door and shut it with a quick snap.

  EIGHT

  Heinrich managed to remove her dress almost as soon as the door snapped shut. He had his coat off before he locked the door, and she helped with his pants as he tugged his shirt off, revealing the dark metal of his corset again.

  It distracted her enough that she paused, taking a moment to trace down the front of it. The gears that cinched it led her fingers directly to…

&
nbsp; “Gods”

  Heinrich laughed—a single breath of air. “I’ll take that as a good thing.”

  If he knew how much her mouth watered at the mere sight of him, how the thoughts of the last several days coiled tight within her now, he wouldn’t have said a thing.

  He traced a finger down her hip, sliding it between her legs and cursed as they slid along her wetness without resistance.

  Smiling up at him, she said, “I’ve wanted to drag you into a dark room since I first saw you.”

  She didn’t want to hurt him—to tear his skin or exacerbate the tightening—so she took full stock of the room she’d spent so little time in during the last fifteen years.

  Leading him to the dressing table, she pulled the small chair out and pointed to it without a word.

  He sat down where she directed him and she kissed him as she straddled his lap.

  She slowly lowered herself down, settling over him. She looked down at him, the hint of a smile on her lips as she lowered herself down, onto his length.

  “Is this okay?”

  Smiling, his eyes closed, he said, “It could hurt like hell and it’d still be okay. I dreamed about you, you know.”

  She forced herself not to break into a smile that would cover her whole face.

  Taking hold of his shoulders and slowly raising herself off him before plunging back down. “Like this.”

  “Not exactly like this.”

  “What did I do in your dreams?”

  He smiled, but there was an apology in the expression. “We weren’t alone, but that’s not something that we can change right now.”

  Finally opening his eyes, he took hold of her hips and guided her movements, pushing her at a harder, faster pace than she’d originally set.

  Her moan echoed off the mirror behind him.

  “Slow down, honey,” she said, still squeezing his shoulders. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re not quite up to normal standard.”

  Glaring at her, he stood, picking her up with him and walked her to the bed. He dropped her there, but stayed standing. He took hold of one hip and a breast, gently squeezing each. “You might want to hold on to something.”

  He was still inside her. Hadn’t pulled out once in the process of moving them from the chair to the bed. The reminder that he was fully able to toss her around while dark magic threatened to crush him made her squirm.

  As if he could read her thoughts, he said, “You have no idea how much I want you.”

  “Then show me.”

  He pushed into her and she closed her eyes at the ferocity of the motion. It was wrong. She needed to see him. Her eyes shot open.

  She needed to know who was inside of her.

  Gods, what a sight he was. Muscles slicked with sweat, eyes hooded as he watched her… she would never forget this image of him. Her gaze traveled down him, his strong chest gave way to the dark metal of the corset and then....

  He slid in and out of her in a steady rhythm and the sight made her clench more tightly around him.

  Damn.

  “Like what you see?” he asked, a sly smile on his lips.

  She nodded, and spoke, though she had no idea where she found the breath. “Watching you fuck me is so hot.”

  He raised a brow and pulled away, flipping her onto her stomach before she could do so much as squeak in protest.

  Sliding back into her, inch by delicious inch, he slapped her ass and pulled her back until her legs hit the side of the bed.

  “Let’s see if your theory is right.”

  Without warning, he thrust into her harder than before. She’d been wrong—so, so wrong.

  She had to force herself not to scream, but the pleasure built steadily and she thought she would die before she hit that plateau.

  His hand on the small of her back held her down, pressing her into the firm mattress and leaving her completely vulnerable to him. The other squeezed her butt and he traced a finger from the point where his cock thrust inside her up the seam of her body to circle her ass. He said nothing, but she clenched more tightly around him.

  Her fingers quested, swirling around her clit and grazing his balls. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to push him over the edge before he had a chance to make her reach that point of sheer ecstasy.

  Shuddering beneath him, she let out a sound that died as soon as it left her throat. Her arm seemed to give out from beneath her and she pressed her shoulders into the bed.

  She came in a silent scream clutching the bed sheets as though they would dissipate the pleasure roiling through her, threatening to make her explode.

  No chance of that. He pushed her harder, hips slapping against her ass.

  She clenched around him so tightly he couldn’t hold on any longer. His muscles clenched and came inside her, jerking as she clenched around him again.

  They stayed like that for a long time. He couldn’t move and she worked to learn how to breathe again. When Heinrich finally moved away, he patted her hip and she crawled onto the bed, letting her head spin.

  Ten minutes later, they’d both cleaned up, and Heinrich pulled her onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her and was laying a line of kisses down her neck.

  He traced the same line with his finger. “Have you ever been filled by two men at once?”

  “Filled? As in fucked?” The idea had her mind spinning with possibilities, and made her wet all over again.

  When he nodded, she chewed on her lip before answering. “No, but the idea—especially after what you just did to me—definitely makes me want to ignore everything else and go at you again.”

  “If I knew where… he was,” he caught himself before he said Max’s name. “I’d beg you to consider taking on both of us.”

  “If that’s how you feel after one go… I can’t imagine what you’ll say next time.” Laughing, she rolled on to her stomach.

  Was it luck or a curse that she’d found two men who drove her to insane orgasms…. Who had someone else already?

  Dropping her head to the pillow, she decided to ignore the question for as long as she could.

  *

  “We need to eat.” Heinrich said, drawing a lazy circle on the small of her back.

  She let out a pleasant hum. “I suppose.”

  Helping her get dressed, she kept distracting him. But they finally made it outside and Heinrich stopped abruptly.

  Mina waited for them in the passage, arms crossed, a scowl on her face. Her scowl was directed at Silvia. “I can’t tell if your mother is pissed that you missed Isabelle’s arrival, or tickled at why.”

  Silvia’s eyes widened and she went a bit paler. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing, but she knows your new man chose not to go searching tonight. I’m sure she’s not the only one making assumptions and jumping to conclusions. Even the staff is atwitter.” She nodded toward the door. “You did lock yourself in there for over an hour.”

  “We could have been talking.”

  Mina smiled at her and said, “Sure.”

  Heinrich said nothing. He could only make the situation worse.

  Following both women through the corridors and down the sweeping staircase toward the dining hall, they made a slight detour and stopped inside a sitting room where Miranichelle sat in a chair that resembled a tiny throne, and spoke in quiet tones with a couple while Ivy stood at the windows, looking out into the dark of the palace grounds.

  Mina settled on the couch opposite the pair that could only be the Cyprean prince and princess. The queen introduced them, Isabelle and Arthur Velois, and informed Silvia—her words were very clearly directed away from him—that Arthur’s sister and her wife would also be attending the party.

  When that formality was over, she turned to him briefly before looking to her elder daughter. “Heinrich is our guest. He is from Ferrian and has been looking for something lost in my forest.”

  Nodding tiredly, Isabelle turned her attention to him. “I hope you find it. My experience is
that enchanted forests will give you only what they want you to have and only when they want you to have it.”

  Arthur made a noise beside her, but looked away before anyone made him explain himself.

  “Isabelle is my daughter from the previous Argentelle king.” She smiled tightly. “My previous time on this plane was too short. And after her father was killed, I had to find someplace safe for her before I was sent back to the Other.”

  Heinrich nodded and said his pleasantries.

  Silvia’s sister had the same silver eyes, and a similar shape to her face… the same nose. But that was where the resemblance stopped.

  Ebony skin, black hair and at least six inches taller, the princess seated before him was a different sort of beauty than Silvia.

  Her husband gave them both a nod of greeting before returning his attention solely to his pregnant wife. The dress she wore did nothing to hide her belly and Heinrich would guess she was nearing her eighth month. He did not envy her the trip she had just taken.

  “Should we go in to dinner?” Silvia asked, and he realized the silence had gone on too long.

  Miranichelle led the way, and paused at the doorway. “I have preparations to attend to still, so I won’t be joining you this evening. Please enjoy your meal. I will see you all in the morning.”

  The dining room was full, but the head table was empty, save for Danae who sat in her normal chair and scribbled on a piece of paper. When she saw them, she quickly put it away and no one asked her what she’d been working on. Arthur and Isabelle sat in the king and queen’s chairs, and murmurs raised from a few of the tables, but Silvia told her half-sister to ignore them.

  The others settled into quiet conversations while he and Silvia watched. Ivy seemed the most comfortable talking to their visitors, and Heinrich remembered that she had met them before.

  Silvia turned to him suddenly and a squeak of alarm sounded behind her. The servant who had held Heinrich’s first course blinked at the bowl as it fell to the ground, shattering against the stone floor.

  “I am so sorry, Stephan,” Silvia said.