Page 81 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
She climbed forward with Kilian, stone by stone, meter by meter. The further they got from their opponents, the better she felt, and the more it sunk in that they had really escaped them.
She was alive, she was breathing, she could see, hear, and smell—especially Kilian, who walked in front of her and regularly turned around to make sure she wasn't falling behind.
She had been wrong. Master Clark's lessons hadn't been in vain. Although she hadn't been able to use any of the attack techniques in her fight against Elora, her speed and newly gained muscles had been more than useful against the mages. The same was true for their escape. How often had she crawled in the dust before Magg and then had to pick herself up again? And how many times had she just done exactly that to survive?
She was still alive only because she had tirelessly gotten back up, no matter how often she had fallen.
She didn't even feel her arms burning, her legs aching, or her breath coming in gasps. Her body was pumped full of adrenaline that was only slowly ebbing away. It wasn't until they had been on the move for a while that she noticed it was still night. Nevertheless, she could see the ground, every stone, every blade of grass that had fought its way up between the rocks.
It seemed like they marched and climbed for hours until they reached a plateau that nestled up against a rocky ridge and featured a small cave.
Kilian took a deep breath and surveyed the area. There was no trace of the castle. "We'll wait for the dragons here."
Ava nodded wordlessly. Her throat burned with thirst, and her chest heaved dramatically. But there was no water. They had no supplies with them, nothing except the weapons and clothes they wore directly on their bodies.
They reached the cave. Kilian had to duck to enter it, but the interior was high enough for him to stand upright. The floor had smooth outcrops with moss growing on top, and the remaining areas were covered with sand and small stones.
He slowly turned to face her. His chest rose and fell heavily as he looked at her. She wanted to say so much to him, wanted to thank him, ask questions, but she couldn't. His gaze captivated her, the heat of his body invited her, called to her, and she could do nothing against it.
She took two steps toward him, and at the same time he closed the remaining distance and their lips crashed together. She opened her mouth hungrily, felt his tongue pushing against hers, his lips moving over hers, and his stubble scratching her skin.
His hands moved up her back, tangled in her hair, and she embraced him eagerly. She ran her hands over his chest, felt the hard muscles working under her touch, and clawed at his shirt.
The kiss stirred her as he stroked along her neck and his lips followed. He caressed her arms, moved to her stomach, and pushed up the tunic until he was touching her bare skin. An electrifying tingle followed, heat shot through her lower body, her heart pounding wildly. He stroked her stomach, her hips, and her lower back. Shivers accompanied his touches, continuing through her body.
She was on fire, couldn't think anymore, didn't want to. She ran her hands under his leather clothing, slipped the armor off his shoulders, and pushed the leather vest upwards. In one fluid motion, he took off the vest and was already loosening the laces of her corset. As soon as he had untied it, he lifted it over her head, pulling the tunic off with it, and her hair cascaded far over her shoulders. He gently ran his fingers through the strands, then looked at her admiringly before conquering her lips again.
Ava didn't think, she only felt. She did exactly what she had regretted in the face of death. She felt, she lived, she opened her heart. She smelled, she saw, and she loved. She pressed her body against Kilian's, felt his bare skin on hers, felt his hands relentlessly roaming over her body. Her heartbeat accelerated as he kissed down her neck and touched her in her most sensitive places. And suddenly it was all so simple. Completely clear. She gave herself to him. With all her soul, with all her feelings, with all her being. She held nothing back, immersed herself in the emotions, and cast all doubts aside.
They made love for hours, maybe days. She didn't know. Time and space didn't matter. They were together, they held onto each other, and they gave themselves to each other in complete trust, because that's exactly what you should do when blessed with the gift of true love.
At some point, the sun rose and cast its rays into the cave. They tickled Ava's shoulder and brushed over Kilian's upper arms as they held her. He held her tighter than she had ever beenheld before. He gave her support, and yet she didn't feel weak or helpless, but stronger than she ever had.
As the warm colors illuminated the rocks and the mist rose, the rocky landscape looked as if they were in an enchanted, magical land. A land where everything was possible, even a love between the two of them.
"You're cold." His voice sounded rough and deep. It vibrated in Ava's body as if he wanted to ignite her desire anew.
"I know, but I want to feel you for a moment longer."
The sentence hung between them and awakened their thoughts, though that hadn't been her intention. Kilian's grip around her body tightened, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck and deliberately breathed in his scent. These were the last minutes, for their dragons would arrive at any moment.
They both felt it.
Ava felt Draco's heartbeat merge with hers like a wake-up call, and she could no longer escape into the moment. She pushed Kilian's arm off her body, lovingly caressing the small dragon tattoo on his forearm as she did so, and pulled the tunic closer to slip into it.
Kilian sat down beside her, slowly pulling on his clothes, and looked at her for a long time. She felt his gaze, avoiding it until she was fully dressed. Then she took a deep breath and looked at him. The fire in his eyes immediately sent her pulse soaring to unprecedented heights, which was why she leaned forward once more to kiss him. One last time.
Kilian leaned towards her, cupped her head, ran his fingers through her hair, and gently caressed her cheek.
Eventually, they pulled apart.
She didn't know what to say. There was so much, and yet everything had been said. But there was one thing she had to make clear so he would understand.
"I won't be your mistress."
He nodded. "I know." Taking a deep breath, he looked at her before turning his gaze towards the horizon. "If I had a choice, Ava, I would choose you."
But he didn't. A quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered: "See? You're not enough to be lovable." It was the voice she had listened to all her life. The voice that wanted to convince her that she wasn't destined to be loved. As if the higher powers wouldn't allow it.
