Page 106 of Haunted

I believe her. “Niawen. I—you can’t imagine. I want to be yours forever.”

This is so soon. So soon. She sits up and removes her hands from my chest.

“I know,” I whisper. “I know. But I’m ready to love you—always.”

She threads the fingers of one hand between one hand of mine and closes her eyes. She’s working things out in her mind. What it would be like to touch me whenever she wants. What my fingers would feel like on her skin. She imagines us together, side by side, sharing peaceful nights.

Yes. This is what I want too. I want you as you are.

All of you.

I can wait no longer.

I decide to make my offering.

My palm smooths over my heart. I dive deep with my mind until I’m gazing on the small orb of energy that is my light. Its colors swirl and pulsate.

I tug slightly. My light loosens from the heart-center. With a grunt, the orb pops into my palm.

Niawen’s eyes open, and she drops her hand when she sees my orb.

With the strength of a miniature sun, my light—the size of my palm—hovers between us.

I want her to make the bond. Forge the spiritual bond by fusing our two lights.

I make my offering.

Make yours.

My chest aches from its loss of light. “Niawen,” I rasp. “This is more excruciating than you might think, holding one’s light in the palm of one’s hand. I feel empty. Make me whole. Say you will bond with me for eternity. Unite our light.”

Her mouth falls open. I brace my chest as the pain inside grows.

Please.

“I want to say yes,” she says. “You make me insane. You make me want you and need you and crave you all at the same time, but we have to be more than that.”

I take a rattling breath. “I give you my heart, my mind, my soul. I give you every part of me in every way. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. Say you will too. Please. I’ve shown you my torments. Lay this one to rest.”

“This is rash.”

“No, this is right.”

She touches her chest in the same manner as I had. Her light willingly migrates toward her palm, but she hesitates. “What happens once I pull my light out?”

“They join together. As one. Then they divide into two and reenter us. We’ll have a part of each other. Inseparable.”

That’s the general concept. I’m not sure how much she understands. I’ve obviously never merged lights before, never seen it done, but how hard can it be? I only know that once light mixes, deciphering a distinct origin and dividing the energies will be impossible. Like two colors of paint swirling together to make a new color. The union is permanent.

“Niawen, please, my love.”

Her light enters her hands. Purple light. Though vibrating with its purity, an ashy covering dims it. The damage to her light from killing those men.

“Why can I see the shroud over my light while yours is pure? Where’s your darkness?”

“My darkness is a separate entity. The light in my heart pushes the darkness away, but they don’t touch. Right now my heart-center swirls with the dark matter because of the space the light has left. It’s agonizing. I need to return my light, or the darkness will crush me.”

“Caedryn!” Her light flickers with her exclamation.

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