I pull back slightly, searching her face.
Her pulse flutters beneath my fingertips.
She looks exhausted.
Hurt.
But determined.
I should refuse.
I should leave her behind.
But I can’t.
The thought of going there without her is worse than anything else.
I close my eyes, jaw tight.
"Fine."
Her fingers loosen against my shirt.
I can feel her relief.
She sags slightly against me, as if she wasn’t sure I’d agree.
I lift her carefully, easing her back onto the cot.
"One night," I murmur. "That’s all you get."
The chamber is silent, save for our breathing.
Vael muttered something about checking the tunnels and left us alone, leaving only the flickering candlelight between us.
Seraphina shifts closer, her body pressed against mine beneath the thin blanket.
She’s so warm.
So small.
Her head rests against my chest, and I breathe her in.
Now, there is no running, no fighting, no blood spilled.
Just this.
Her heart beating softly.
Her fingers tracing idle patterns against my skin.
She sighs, slow and deep.
"You smell like fire," she murmurs.
I smirk, pressing a kiss to her hair.
"And you smell like blood."