Page 47 of Tempest Awakening

Ciaran's touch lingered, tracing the invisible outline of the pendant. I struggled to keep my breathing even, hyper-aware of every point of contact between his fingers and my skin.

"Remarkable," he said, his voice low and husky. He slowly withdrew his hand, and I had to stop myself from leaning into his touch. "It appears we've discovered another of its abilities. This will certainly make it harder for anyone to try and take it from you."

Feeling flustered, I blurted out a bit too loudly, "Well, that's certainly handy. Should we go to my office to eat that cake now?"

Ciaran's lips quirked into a mischievous smile, seemingly amused by my flustered state. "Why leave? We have everything we need right here." His hand brushed the small of my back, guiding me towards a nearby loveseat I hadn't noticed before. Had it always been there?

We sat down, Ciaran positioning himself close enough that our thighs touched. The contact sent a thrill through me, and I felt my cheeks warm. With a graceful wave of his hand, a fork materialized from the shadows.

"How did you—" I began, then shook my head, laughing softly. "Never mind. I should probably stop being surprised by now."

Ciaran chuckled, cutting into the cake with the shadow fork. "I hope you never stop being surprised, Tempest. Your wonder is... refreshing." He lifted a forkful of the rich chocolate cake, bringing it to my lips. "Open up," he said softly, his eyes never leaving mine.

I leaned back slightly, feeling flustered. "Oh, I can feed myself, really," I protested weakly, reaching for the fork.

Ciaran's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Humor me, Tempest," he said, his voice low and persuasive. "Consider it part of your education in Supe culture. Sometimes, sharing food can be... an intimate gesture."

My heart raced at his words, and I found myself torn between embarrassment and curiosity. After a moment's hesitation, I relented. "Alright," I murmured.

Feeling heat rush to my cheeks, I parted my lips, allowing him to feed me. The cake was decadent, melting on my tongue. I savored the bite, hyper-aware of Ciaran's intense gaze.

"Delicious, isn't it?" he murmured, his voice low and intimate. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He took a bite himself, then set the fork down, his expression growing more serious.

Ciaran's silver eyes studied me intently, a mix of concern and something deeper flickering in their depths. He reached out, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The touch lingered.

"Tempest," he began, his voice soft but tinged with an underlying urgency, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you. I've noticed... tensions... between you and some of the other residents here." His gaze held mine, searching. "I can't help but wonder if there's more going on than you've let on. Has anyone been giving you trouble?"

The abrupt change in topic caught me off guard, but there was something in Ciaran's tone that made me hesitate to brush off his concern. I swallowed hard, both from the rich chocolate and the weight of the question. "It's not—I mean, most Supes have been wonderful. But there have been... incidents."

"What kind of incidents?" Ciaran asked, his fingers brushing my chin as he wiped away a smudge of chocolate. The gentle touch sent shivers down my spine, momentarily distracting me from the seriousness of his inquiry.

"Nothing too serious, but..." I trailed off, shrugging. Then, meeting his concerned gaze, I found myself continuing, "There's this group of dragon rider applicants. A couple of them, actually. They've been... difficult."

Ciaran leaned in closer, his proximity making it hard to focus. "Go on," he encouraged softly.

"At first, it was just snide comments, you know? But lately, it seems to be escalating," I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Today was the worst so far.”

A flash of something dark and dangerous flickered in Ciaran's eyes, there and gone so quickly I almost thought I'd imagined it. But the sudden tension in his jaw told me I hadn't.

"I see," he said, his voice low and controlled. "Well, hopefully, this pendant will provide you with an extra layer of protection." He gently touched the spot where the invisible pendant lay against my skin.

My skin tingled at his touch. As I gathered my thoughts, another occurred to me. "You know, I've noticed shadows moving strangely sometimes. Almost as if they were watching me. Was that... was that you?"

Ciaran's lips curved into a small smile. "Guilty as charged. I hope you don't mind that I've been keeping an eye on you."

"I—no, I don't mind," I stammered, feeling flustered. "But why? Why have you been following me so much? And who are you, exactly?"

He set down the fork, turning to face me fully. His hand came up to cup my cheek, his touch sending sparks across my skin. Slowly, deliberately, he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, tantalizing kiss.

When he pulled back, his silver eyes were dark with an emotion I couldn't quite name. "You'll find out soon enough, Tempest," he murmured, his voice a promise.

And with that cryptic response, he stood, leaving me breathless and more confused than ever on the loveseat, the taste of chocolate and Ciaran lingering on my lips.

Chapter 17

Tess

I hung up the phone, my heart racing with excitement. I quickly scribbled the details of my upcoming meeting with Councilor Elara Windmere onto my calendar, barely able to contain my grin. The date was circled twice, just days away from my scheduled visit with Garanth Kreel.

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