novelraw Chapter 224: Rest
Chapter 224: Rest
Vincent yielded easily, sinking back onto the soft bed. He looked up at Rory, indulgence and a faint smile lingering in his eyes.
"Oh?" he murmured, voice low and slightly hoarse, deliberately softened into something deeper, more magnetic. "And how does Rory intend to punish me?"
She didn’t answer.
Instead, Rory leaned down, bracing her hands on either side of him, caging him beneath her shadow. A strand of her hair slipped forward, brushing lightly across his cheek—a teasing, feather-soft touch.
"The first punishment," she said at last, her voice gentle as drifting silk, yet edged with quiet authority, "is for hiding your injuries from me... and making me worry."
Before the words had fully settled, she lowered her head.
Her lips, warm and impossibly soft, pressed against a newly healed scar near his collarbone.
The kiss was light—utterly devoid of desire—yet it struck deeper than any seduction.
The moment their skin met, Vincent’s body stiffened, his breath catching.
His throat tightened; his Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to steady himself. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but Rory lifted a finger and pressed it lightly against his lips, silencing him.
"Shh. I said I would punish you tonight."
Her fingertip was cool against his warmth, the contrast sharp, intimate.
"The second punishment..."
Her breath brushed over his lips, carrying her faint, clean scent.
"...is for not taking care of yourself. For letting yourself get hurt like this."
Her fingers traced slowly down the line of his jaw, lingering at his throat.
Then she bent her head and gently bit the most vulnerable place at his neck.
A muffled groan escaped him before he could stop it.
The sharp sting sent a rush of heat through his body—blood surging upward, then crashing back in a dizzying wave.
Instinctively, he wanted to pull her into his arms, but he remembered her earlier command.
His hands tightened into fists instead, veins rising along the backs as he forced himself to endure, restraining the urge to hold her close.
At last, Rory straightened, a small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips—softened by a hint of tenderness.
Her fingers lingered, still brushing lightly over his lips. "As for the third punishment..."
She drew the words out deliberately, then leaned close to his ear, her voice lowered to a whisper meant for him alone:
"...tonight, you are to rest properly."
Vincent froze.
The heat in his eyes flickered, then stilled—giving way to something like pure astonishment.
Rory wasn’t unwilling to deepen their bond.
But she remembered what Lola Brandon had once told her—for the firebird clan, forming a bond was sacred.
It was never something done casually or in passing.
They built a nest of their own feathers for the one they loved.
It was a vow, a ritual—something that could not be rushed, and certainly not done in someone else’s domain.
Seeing his expression, Rory raised a brow.
"What are you looking at? I know your clan values ceremony. You don’t just form bonds anywhere."
With that, she tugged away the towel at his waist, pulled the blanket over both of them, and settled comfortably into his arms.
"Tonight, we sleep."
"When we return... we’ll complete the bond properly."
Vincent looked down at her, something inside his chest softening, as though brushed by the gentlest feather.
He had thought she didn’t know.
But she did.
The firebird clan’s bonding ritual was etched into their blood—a sacred instinct.
Not merely a union, but a vow of life itself.
When courting, a male firebird would dance his most brilliant dance beneath heaven and earth, declaring his love.
And when accepted, he would pluck the finest, strongest feathers from his own chest, one by one, weaving them into a nest for his beloved.
That nest was more than a place—it was a promise, built from flesh, spirit, and devotion.
Each feather carried his power, his protection—everything he could give.
Only when he welcomed his partner into that nest, within a domain formed entirely of his presence and strength, could the bond truly be completed.
It had to be done at his strongest—not like this, hurried and incomplete, on strange territory.
Vincent pulled Rory tightly into his arms, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
Warmth surged through him—so fierce it almost hurt.
The restless heat she had stirred in him moments ago now seemed insignificant compared to this quiet, profound understanding.
"Rory..."
His voice was rough—not with intention this time, but with emotion barely held in check.
"...thank you."
He thought she had come tonight to complete the bond.
If she had insisted, he would never have refused, but there would have been regret.
Instead... she came knowing they would wait.
Rory nestled closer into his chest.
"You’re my partner. If you keep thanking me, I’ll bite you."
"Alright, alright." He raised his hands in surrender, his eyes bright with gentle affection. "I won’t say it anymore."
He paused, holding her tighter, breathing in her familiar, calming scent.
"...Just—Rory..."
His voice softened further, almost a murmur against her skin, carrying the faintest trace of grievance.
"This ’punishment’ of yours... is a little too effective."
She could feel his warm breath against her neck, his low voice sending a subtle shiver through her.
"You... you deserve it." She bit lightly at his shoulder. "That’s interest—for hiding your injuries."
"And the main bill?" he asked with a quiet laugh, his lips brushing her ear. "We’ll settle that when we return."
Rory smiled against him. "When your nest is ready... we’ll settle everything—the main bill and interest."
"Deal." Satisfied, Vincent adjusted their position, letting her rest more comfortably in the crook of his arm.
"Sleep," he murmured, gently patting her back, his voice soft enough to melt into the air.
"Tonight, I’ll listen to you."
"Mm."
Rory truly stilled this time.
Resting against his steady heartbeat, wrapped in his warmth, she felt her lingering fears slowly fade.
At some point, she realized that as long as Vincent was there, she could always find peace.
***
Beneath the sea, currents swayed softly.
Elsewhere, Paros stirred awake in his chamber, glancing around in confusion.
Rory was nowhere to be seen.
"...Big sister?"
There was a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Awuu..."
Terry, roused by the sound, mumbled sleepily from his hair.
"Daddy... are you looking for Mommy?"