Page 55 of The Book of Legends
I scramble to my feet, pressing my back to the stone wall, clutching at the skirt of my dress as I smooth it over my thighs.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice unsteady.
He closes the door behind him, slow and deliberate. Then he walks toward me with that unnerving calm that makes it impossible to think straight.
He reaches out and gently tilts my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes.
Black. Endless. Unforgiving.
My skin tingles under his touch, a surge of heat cascading down my spine and settling low in my belly. His thumb grazes my jaw. The pads of his fingers are calloused, warm—grounding.
“You didn’t eat,” he says.
Of course. Keeping me alive serves his purpose. Can’t have the bait starving.
“I’m sorry I left so suddenly,” I whisper. “I just... I needed a moment. But thank you—for the food. And for saving my life.”
“More than once,” he reminds me.
I start to look away, but he holds my chin firmly. His stare doesn’t waver.
“And I’ll do it again,” he says, voice low. Certain.
The words catch me off guard. My heart hammers against my ribs. Something in the way he says it—like a promise, not a warning—makes me ache.
I wish I didn’t want him to mean it.
I wish I didn’t want him.
“Thank you,” I say again, softer now.
His gaze drops to my lips. I feel his thumb brush the corner of my mouth.
Then he leans in.
His lips touch mine—soft at first, testing. Then firm, claiming. His other hand threads into my hair, anchoring me to the moment. My breath catches. His kiss deepens, and when his tongue finds mine, my knees nearly give out.
My fingers fist in the fabric of his shirt. I taste heat and hunger. Every part of me trembles.
“I can’t give you flowers,” he murmurs against my mouth. “But I think you’d rather have this.”
His lips press to mine again—slower this time. Intimate.
And then he pulls back. Steps away. Vanishes like mist.
I’m left standing there, breathless, dazed. Wondering if it was real.
The ache between my thighs and the taste of him on my tongue confirm that it was.
A knock startles me.
I drop my fingers from my lips just as the door opens again. Nieve steps in, a tray balanced in her hands.
“He said I should bring this to you,” she says with a knowing smile.
The tray is piled with everything I’ve eaten since arriving here—fruit, bread, cheese, nuts.
She sets it gently on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be back soon. Newt wants to make sure you’re alright.”
