Page 43 of The Onyx Covenant

“Just… a… little…” Her body tenses, extending that final crucial inch.

“I can feel it,” she says, excitement breaking through her reserve. “It’s a piece of parchment that must be tied to a branch. Just a little higher…”

I groan for her to hurry up.

“Got it!” she exclaims. “Let me down.”

I steady myself as I prepare to help her descend.

Her foot searches blindly for purchase as she begins to move down.

Her body slides against mine, and my hands instinctively find her waist.

“Gods, this is so awkward,” she mutters as she slips a little, her body pressing firmly against my chest.

“Really?” I can’t keep the smile from my voice. “I’m in heaven right now.”

“Gods,” she says, but there’s a laugh hiding beneath her words.

My hands grip her waist more firmly as she continues her descent, the heat of her body radiating through her clothes. Without sight, everything feels magnified—the slight catch in her breath when my fingers accidentally graze the skin where her shirt has ridden up and the softness of her hair brushing against my chin.

“Your heart is racing,” she whispers, and I realize her palm is splayed against my sternum.

“Can’t imagine why,” I reply, my voice rougher than I intended.

When her feet finally touch the ground, neither of us moves.

“You can let go now,” she says quietly.

My hand remains at her waist, thumbs tracing small circles against the fabric of her shirt.

“Do youreallywant me to let you down?”

She’s quiet, and her breath flutters, quick and uneven, against my face. We’re too close. Dangerously close.

“Theron,” she says, her voice lower than before, almost a warning. “Don’t make this harder for us.”

“Harder?” I can’t help the suggestive tone that creeps into my voice. My fingers tighten slightly at her waist. “I think we’re well past that point, my little moon.”

The paper rustles between her fingers as she shifts in my grip. “Let’s not do this.”

“Why? Because you still care for me,” I say, not a question but a statement. “Because you still want me. Do you dream of me, Lyra? The way I dream of you?”

“How is that conducive to not making things harder for us?” There’s an edge to her voice.

“Just answer the question,” I persist, unwilling to let this moment slip away. Her body is warm against mine, her scent surrounding me, clouding my judgment.

She sighs, the sound filled with frustration. “Yes. You happy now?”

I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face, thankful for the blindfold that hides how much that simple admission affects me.

“It’s all I need to know.”

“Whatever.” The parchment crinkles again as she fidgets with it. “Anyway, what do you think the note says?”

I shrug, mostly to myself, as I finally lower her, our bodies sliding against each other in a way that feels both deliberate and accidental. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

She’s already moving, pulling me by our bound rope. “Come on. We need to retrace our steps.”

---