Page 229 of A Winding Wave of Magic
He looked away as he pushed himself up to sit. “Did I?”
It was a question, but not really. Full of so much hopelessness and self-loathing that it nearly broke my heart.
Unable to help myself, I crawled from the bank and into his lap, straddling his hips, then took his chin and turned his face to mine. “You did. You saved us. That power—I couldn’t do anything with it.”
He met my gaze, uncertainty flickering in his eyes before he finally nodded. “You are magnificent.”
“We’re magnificent.”
I was rewarded with a small, melancholy smile.
We satwith that for hours, clinging to each other as our clothes slowly dried, and we waited for Jonathan’s magic to return. The warmth of our bodies kept us from shivering too much, especially since, despite the chill of the water, the cave wasn’t horribly cold this far underground.
We sat long enough that eventually we drifted off, holding each other there on the rock.
Sometime later, I awoke to find Jonathan watching me, his hand gently brushing my hair down my spine.
I sat up. “Anything?”
He shook his head. “No change.”
I tried not to let it pull me under. A touch of the water told me the river was still silent too.
There was nothing left to do but wait.
Jonathan brushed an errant bit of hair out of my face, taking a moment to rub his thumb over my bottom lip. Then he leaned in as if it were the most natural thing in the world and kissed me.A chaste kiss, though still filled with the longing that was always present there. The constant desire for more. Even in this cave, dark and lonely, there was always that.
Fear.
Dread.
Love.
Lust.
Something stirred in both of us, here at the end of the world. Something primal.
“Well, if I have to be stuck here, I suppose it’s best with my…mate,” I said.
His mouth curved into a smile against mine. Relief flowed through him. “Are you accepting it?”
I touched my forehead to his. “Sort of feels like I have to.”
“It’s my fault. You weren’t ready.” He sighed. “I can’t hide a thing from you if you don’t let me, you know. I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out.”
Knowledge welled in my heart. I did know. Maybe I had known from the beginning. Maybe even before, when I had seen him in my dreams.
“There’s nothing more to hide,” he murmured into my shoulder. “Not anymore.”
I lay my cheek on his shoulder and closed my eyes. “We’re going to die here, aren’t we?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Acknowledgment shivered through his body, through my cheek, my hands, my chest.His hands drew me even closer.
“Cass,” he whispered.
“I’ve never been afraid of death,” I admitted quietly. “I grew up with it.”
The truth hung heavy in the air between us, a stark reminder of our mortality in this unforgiving place. We sat together in the cave, surrounded by ancient markings and the lingeringpresence of powerful magic. Despite the uncertainty of our fate, there was a strange sense of peace and warmth that settled over me as I leaned into Jonathan’s embrace.
