Page 110 of The Blood Traitor

Even so, Kiva snorted. “Sure, if you forget the climb, the crevices, the multiple near-death experiences, and the storm — not to mention all the emotional drama.”

Jaren’s mouth quirked up at the edges. “Emotional drama?”

Kiva waved a hand between them. “What would you call it?”

Amusement lit his face. “I didn’t realize we were giving it a name. But how about That Time on the Mountain When YouFinally—”

Kiva pressed her hand over his mouth. “You’re right, no name needed.”

He kissed her palm, his eyes dancing. The sight made warmth bubble within her, and she released a soft, dreamy sigh.

But then she pulled herself together and said, “It smells awful back here. Let’s find a comfortable spot — with better airflow — while we wait for the rain to pass.”

They headed back to the cave mouth and tossed their soaked packs aside before sliding down to sit against rock wall. It was natural for Kiva to lean into Jaren, for his arm to curl around her, for them to sit like that for a long time, staring out at the rain in comfortable silence.

But it was just as natural for her to eventually look up at him, to see his eyes already on her, and then, whether she moved first or he did, for their lips to find each other again. There was nothing frenzied about their kiss this time, just a slow exploration, tender and sweet. They weren’t in a hurry, and by unspoken agreement, they kept things from becoming too heated, neither wanting to rush into anything, especially in a smelly cave at the top of a mountain. They had time now — an entire future ahead of them.

That thought made Kiva sigh dreamily again, before she rested her head on his chest, his arms holding her close.

“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly.

“All good things,” she said, sounding as dreamy as her sigh.

Jaren’s body shook with humor beneath her. “Any specifics?”

Kiva saw no reason to hide it from him, not after everything they’d gone through that day. “I was just thinking about the future. Our future.”

He made a humming sound of contentment. “And what do you see?”

Kiva kissed his chest, over his heart, and repeated, “All good things.”

This time his chuckle was audible. But then he sobered and said, his voice hesitant, “You once told me that it was your dream to study at Silverthorn Academy. Was that — Did you mean that?”

Kiva closed her eyes, realizing that, while he might have forgiven her, there were still layers of trust they needed to rebuild. She burrowed deeper into him and said, her voice quiet, “Aside from hiding my family and my magic, everything else I told you was true. So yes, in an ideal world, where Zuleeka and Navok don’t exist, where you never lost your magic and your kingdom, where everything is sunshine and daisies — in that world, Silverthorn is part of my dream.”

“Part of?” Jaren repeated.

Kiva rolled her eyes, knowing what he was really asking, but also grateful that his hesitation had vanished. “You might have a role in it, too. Maybe.”

A laugh huffed out of him, and he kissed the top of her head. “That’s good to hear, since you’re also in my dreams of the future. It’d be uncomfortable for us both if you’re imagining someone else.”

Kiva snickered, but cuddled him even closer, her heart full to bursting. “I think we both know there’s no competition.”

Jaren made another contented sound, but then his voice turned serious as he said, “Speaking of the future... we should probably talk about Zuleeka.”

Kiva tensed. “What about her?”

The hesitation was back when Jaren answered, but it was a different kind of hesitation now. “Tilda... Galdric... everyone has been saying you’ll have to confront Zuleeka, that you’re the only one who can. Even I told you that’s what I expect — and like everything else I said in the desert, I shouldn’t have made you believe that. It was unforgiveable of me to put that on you.”

Kiva’s brow scrunched. “What are you talking about?”

Quietly, Jaren said, “She’s your sister.”

When he offered nothing else, Kiva replied, “I’m aware of that. What’s the problem?”

Jaren shifted beneath her, before saying, with deliberate care, “Tor and Zuleeka are the only family you have left. If you don’t want to face her, if you can’t handle the idea of using your magic against her... I’ll understand. We all will. None of us will make you do anything against your will. We’ll find another way.”

With each word out of his mouth, Kiva’s tension had grown — and then dissolved.

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