Page 135 of Kingdom of Chaos
My fingers find the front of his shirt and then climb up his chest and wrap around his neck, pulling him closer until there’sno space left between us. His tongue brushes mine, and I feel the air rush from my lungs like he’s pulled it with that single touch.
When we finally break apart, we’re both panting as we stare at each other with a mix of hunger and awe.
In the dim light, I catch something wild in his eyes, like shards of ice catching fire, splintering through the blue-gray.
“I needed to do that,” he says, his voice hoarse and low. “For me.”
That probably shouldn’t make sense, but it does.
Reaching up, he brushes his thumb gently across my cheek, his eyes searching my face like he’s trying to memorize every detail, every line, every breath.
“I love you,” he says, and my heart stutters in my chest.
This isn’t an implication or a half confession. It’s real. Clear. Undeniable. And it makes something inside me bloom with joy.
A smile breaks across my face, wide and uncontrollable.
“I—” I start to say, but he silences me with another kiss. It’s swift but sure, and it still leaves me breathless.
Kissing Talon is addictive, and something I desperately hope I get the opportunity to get used to.
When he pulls back, his voice is low, steady. “You can tell me after.”
Will there even be an after? What if this is the only chance I’ll ever get to tell him how I truly feel, and I let it slip by?
“There will be an after, I promise,” he says, and the words are so in tune with my thoughts that I blink at him in surprise.
“Can you read minds?” I ask, half joking, with genuine curiosity. Maybe it’s another hidden power I didn’t know he had.
He chuckles softly, low and warm as he brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. Then he takes a step back, and with it, the warmth of his body leaves mine, making the space between us feel colder.
“It’s just written all over your face,” he says with a small smile.
I take in a breath, worry rising again. “But Talon . . . we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen out there.”
His expression softens as he closes the distance between us again, reaching out to cradle my cheek. “You don’t need to say it, because I already know, Freckles. I’ve just been waiting for you to figure it out. I want to wait to hear it from those beautiful lips when this is all behind us. When your head is clear and we can finally have the beginning we always should’ve had. No fear. No battles looming. Just us.”
My throat tightens, and I nod, pressing my hand over his where it still rests on my cheek. I want that too.
He gives me one final look, intense and unwavering. Then slowly lets his hand fall away.
I square my shoulders, forcing my feet to move. “Okay. It’s time.”
“Come back to me,” he orders, and I nod.
“I will.”
The look he gives me is one of pride. One that gives me the extra boost I need, because I can tell Talon really does believe in me. Believes I’ll defeat Kerrim and come back to him.
Talon steps back into the shadows, his presence still wrapped around me like a second skin as I turn and walk toward the open field.
The night air is cool, the grass damp beneath my boots as I cross into the clearing where everything changes.
Where it ends . . . or begins.
Thirty-Seven
I stepinto the center of the clearing, my feet barely making a sound against the damp earth. Trees stand sentinel on all sides, forming a wide, shadow-draped circle that feels more like an arena than a natural grove. Beyond the treetops, the tallest skyscrapers of Manhattan rise like silent watchers, their spires piercing the night sky with cold, indifferent grace.
