Page 97 of Cursed Dreams
The sound of her name, whispered like a blessing, she let out a sigh of relief.
Turning to the direction of his voice she took off again and stumbled into a wide clearing bathed in moonlight. Finally, she could see him, tall, radiant, heartbreakingly beautiful. Something in her chest eased.
He stood still at first, looking as though he was questioning if she was real. She ran to him, and he caught her in his arms pulling her tight against his chest. Her hands curled into the fabric of his coat, his body warm and solid against hers. “I couldn’t find you,” she whispered, breathless. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’ve been trying,” he murmured franticly into her hair. “Every night. I’ve reached and reached but something’s been closing you off to me.”
Thalia pulled back, just enough to look into his face. “I’ve been praying to see you every night. Hoping when I closed my eyes you would be there. I had to go to the temple. I needed to see you, Caelum.”
His expression softened, and he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “I felt you tonight. Like a door unlocking. I knew you were coming.”
“I missed you,” she said, voice cracking.
“I missed you more than you can imagine,” he said, his words a whisper meant only for her.
Thalia was sure she could feel magic pulsing around them, the clearing fell achingly still as though even the stars above them were holding their breath. Finally, the weeks of built up tension coiled in her chest began to dissipate .
Caelum gently stoked her face as he guided there forehead together. touched her face.
For a moment, they didn’t speak.
There were no words to describe the loneliness she had felt or the comfort she was now experiencing just from being held by him. No words for the impossible depth of this bond, this unspoken knowing that had wrapped itself around her heart.
He was hers.
And she was his.
Even if the world hadn’t caught up yet.
Thalia leaned into his touch, her breath catching as Caelum’s fingers traced the edge of her neck slow and reverent, like he was learning all the places that make her heart skip. His eyes, piercing pale blue and luminous in the moonlight, held hers as though they could see straight through to her soul.
“I have something to tell you," she whispered, her voice soft and a little breathless. “I’ve been searching. In the archives, the oldest texts I could get my hands on…”
Caelum’s lips curved gently. “Of course you have.”
“I found a mention,” she continued, “just a sliver of a record, but I’m sure of it. The Temple of Kek. There’s a chance it still exists, somewhere.”
His calm, serene expression changed, just for a second, a flicker of stillness took over his features, before he smiled a dazzling smile at her that made her heart stutter.
“You brilliant, relentless girl,” “You never cease to amaze me.”
Her cheeks flushed at his praise, before she could reply, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then her cheek. Then, achingly slow, the corner of her mouth.
“You’re fierce,” he whispered, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. “You’re so clever. And gods, Thalia… you are beautiful.”
The world tipped beneath her feet. Her heart slammed in her chest, she couldn’t breathe for the longing that wrapped around her so tightly it hurt. She tilted her head closer to his desperate to feel his lips on hers. His kiss was slow at first, almost unsure, as though he was giving her the chance to pull away. His hand slid to the back of her neck, holding her steady as their mouths moved together, soft and gentle at first, then quickly growing deeper, hungrier.
Thalia moved her hands behind his head, pulling him closer. His black hair slipping through her fingers like silk, she tugged lightly and was rewarded as he groaned into her mouth, the sound low and raw. When they finally broke apart, they were both left breathless. His forehead rested against hers, his voice was rough with restraint.
“If we keep going…”
“I don’t want you to stop,”
Caelum pulled back just enough to look at her. His pale eyes were burning—soft and wild all at once. “I’ve thought about this. Every night. Every moment I could feel you slipping away.”
“I’m not slipping,” she whispered. “I’m here.”
His hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing her lips. “You are everything I never thought I could have. Everything I never dared to dream for.”
