I did not fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. Sweat dampened my brown, and I had tossed and turned so much my sheets were a tangled lump at my feet. The breeze from my window did nothing to cool me. In fact, the soft caress against my naked limbs only made it worse, stoking a heat in my center that grew with every passing minute.

"Make it stop," I whimpered as another wave of longing arched my back off the bed.

Could a person die from being horny? Because that's what this felt like. Earlier when I reached my room, I shed my clothes, leaving the jewelry on because removing it took more effort than I possessed, and climbed into bed with the sincere belief that I'd contracted some sort of stomach bug or a Faerie version of flue But stomach bugs and flu didn't cause a throbbing between your legs or push you to the bring of climax without a single touch from your own hand or another's, only to yank you back from the precipice. Again and again until I shook with the desperate need to come.

After the first hour, I put my hand between my legs and tried to remedy the situation. I clapped a hand over my mouth to smother a scream the moment my finger brushed my clit. It was so sensitive. Tension built as I moved my hands over myself, and I just knew it was going to be an epic orgasm. The kind that petrified your limbs, rolled your eyes in the back of your head, and gifted you with tiny aftershocks long after the first wave of pleasure passed.

But I couldn't go all the way. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I sat up, pressing my pillow against my face to absorb the sobs of frustration. What could cause this? Was this some other detail they forgot to mention to me? Another consequence of being human? That ignoring your desire in Faerie could drive you to madness?

I half snorted, half laughed. Surely not. If Lorcan had such a convenient excuse for sex, he would have used it. The man had already resorted to sex flowers.

"The flowers."

I clutched my neck with one hand and stared into the darkness with a growing sense of horror. Calix warned me not to eat the flowers, and I had not. Or at least, I thought I hadn't, but what if they'd been in the food or drink? My guess would be the food since I'd been fine until after I ate some of the chocolate.

For a moment, my pain and need ebbed as rage beat it back. Calix had not explained why I couldn't eat the flowers, but I had assumed it was only because their effects would be more potent on me as a human. And it didn't seem like he expected the food to be laced; otherwise, why not include it in the warning? Which meant it had been done without anyone's knowledge, and likely by the only individual who would have anything to gain from me being in such a state. The individual who invited me to his room this evening and seemed so confident that I would follow through.

Excruciating need tore through me, pulling a moan from my lips and rocking my hips. Perhaps that was the trick of the flower? It heightened sexual drive and pleasure, but required another to participate.

Wrapping in a sheet, I rolled off the bed and bolted from the room without another thought. I'd only been to Lorcan's room twice before, but I navigated the dim hallways confidently after weeks of wandering, using the simple trick Niamh taught me to check that I was heading in the right direction whenever I second guessed myself. A single, brown leafless, flowerless vine grew along every wall, and with a single touch, it could sense intention. To those who had been granted access, it would reveal the direction you needed to go.

Lorcan's room was in a long corridor facing the east. Perfect for sunrises. There were multiple bedrooms along this corridor, and from the grunts and thuds emanating from them, it was obvious Fae who were still high from the party occupied them. I nearly stopped to press my ear against the door when a female screamed out in climax, wondering if I could come from proximity.

A seam of golden light was visible around the king's door. Almost as if he waited for me. I flipped the door the bird and kept walking, fighting against the urge to cry out as the newest rush of desire overtook me.

I drew in measured breaths. Only a few more steps to relief. I pleaded with the gods or the Ancient Ones to please let there be an antidote. This constant craving would be the death of me. Already, I felt so weak my legs shook and my vision blurred.

When I reached his door, I drummed my nails on the wood, too weak to knock. It was also less likely to be heard by those possessing a Fae's keen hearing. Not that I gave a damn at this point. Lorcan himself could step out and see me at his brother's door wearing nothing but a sheet and need, and I would tell him he had only two options: to get lost or watch. He would never touch me again.

The door jerked open. Calix's scowl deepened when he saw who stood before him, and he leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his naked torso. Cold eyes raked over me.

"I think you have the wrong room, little moon," he growled. Electricity crackled across his knuckles. "Seems you have a habit of getting lost tonight."

I shook my head. The entire walk over here, I had distracted myself by planning my speech. First, I would tell him what happened, then ask how to fix it. But those were not the words that came out of my mouth.

Hands gripping both edges of the bedsheet, I pulled it apart, exposing myself to him completely, and there was nothing cold about the way he looked at me now.

"Calix, please." My hands slid over my breasts and pulled at my nipples. "Please, fuck me."