Page 10 of Chaos Carnival

Maverick's skin had taken on a bluish tint, the black veins now reaching his temples. His movements were stiff as he lay downon the mattress. I slid in beside him, and his arms immediately wrapped around me. The cold radiating from his body made me gasp—it was like embracing an ice sculpture.

“Sorry,” he whispered, his teeth chattering. “Probably not your ideal cuddle buddy right now.”

I nestled up with him, trying to share what warmth I could. “Shut up and let me help you.”

The moonlight bathed us in its ethereal glow as I spoke the incantation. The words seemed to hover in the air, shimmering like frost. Maverick's grip tightened, his breath coming in sharp pants against my neck.

“Try to rest,” I murmured, running my fingers through his hair. Even his scalp felt like ice. “I've got you.”

His whole body trembled. “You're going to freeze.”

“I don't care.” I tangled my legs with his, maximizing our skin contact. The cold burned, but I refused to pull away. “Just hold on.”

The blankets provided little barrier to his supernatural chill, but I wouldn't move. Not when his life depended on this. I watched the moon's slow arc across the sky through the glass doors, counting each breath, each heartbeat, praying this would work.

Just had to stay like this for ten hours. My arms tightened around Maverick, his icy skin chilling mine.

Outside, the rain had stopped, leaving the world slick and glittering under a gibbous moon. I drew the incantation symbol on Maverick's chest with my fingertip, whispering the ancient words. The moonlight illuminated the intricate lines and circles, making them glow faintly.

Maverick's breathing steadied beneath me, his iron grip on my waist loosening as the ritual began to work.

“It's pulling the poison back,” Stone murmured from the shadows. “But you have to stay like this, skin to skin, until dawn. Otherwise, it'll accelerate the poison.”

I grit my teeth, fighting back the fear that wanted to rear its ugly head. I knew that already. “We'll stay.”

Stay. Hold him. Keep him safe.The words repeated in my mind like a mantra. If I focused on them, I didn't have to think about Addie and what Ivan might be doing to her.

Maverick's hands relaxed their grip on my hips as the warmth spread through him, defrosting his veins. With each passing minute, his skin lost its lethal chill.

His breathing evened out, his body sagging bonelessly against mine.

I stroked his hair, watching the symbol pulse with silver light on his chest. The steady rhythm reminded me of a heartbeat, of life flowing back into him. Despite my anger—despite everything he'd taken from me by claiming me without my consent—I couldn't bear the thought of him dying. The realization twisted something inside me. I wanted to hate him. I should hate him. He'd stolen my freedom just like Ivan had, deciding what was best for me without giving me any choice in the matter.

But as his arms tightened around me, now with warmth instead of desperation, I found myself melting into his embrace. The familiar scent of him wrapped around me, and I rested my head on his shoulder, hating how right it felt. How safe.

The night deepened, the moon arcing across the sky as Maverick's strength slowly returned. Despite my exhaustion, I forced my eyes to stay open, silently mouthing the words of the incantation like a prayer. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm beneath me, his arms possessive even in sleep.

The intimacy should have made me uncomfortable. Instead, it felt like finding a piece of myself I hadn't known was missing—and that terrified me. Because I didn't want to forgive him. Ididn't want to need him. I had just wanted him to give me a choice.

My eyelids drooped like lead weights, but I managed to stay awake, keeping watch as the healing ritual worked its magic. Through sheer force of will, I held onto consciousness, telling myself it was just to ensure the poison was purged from his system. Nothing more.

Chapter 7: Whispers of Pursuit

Tess

“See?Theuniversekeepsfinding ways to put you in my bed.” His smirk was audible with my eyes closed. “Even if you're being stubborn about it.” Our limbs were twisted together so we couldn't accidentally lose contact in our sleep.

“Oh good, you're back to normal,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm. But beneath my sharp tone, relief flooded through me. The deathly pallor had faded from his skin, and his chest rose and fell with steady breaths instead of the shallow gasps from earlier.

“Aw, did you miss my sparkling personality while I was dying?” He shifted, his arm brushing mine. “Because I distinctlyremember you telling me to shut up at least three times during this ritual.”

“Four times. And that was because you wouldn't stop making inappropriate comments about body heat.” I rolled my eyes, though the familiar banter settled something in me that had been tight with worry. “I preferred you when the poison had paralyzed your mouth.”

“Liar.” His fingers traced idle shapes on my skin where our arms touched. “You love our little chats. Especially when we're horizontal.”

I elbowed him in the ribs, careful to maintain the skin contact required by the ritual. “I take it back. Maybe we should find more celestial poison.”

“Too late. You've already saved me. Now you're stuck with me at full strength.” His grin widened. “Just think of all the fun we'll have.”

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