Page 62 of Beyond the Storm
“Explain.”
“You see…” He touched his chest again. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been hollow. I feel nothing. I used to believe it meant I had no soul. But on the battlefield, surrounded by thousands of men, I felt something strong, as though Zeus had thrown his lightning bolt directly into my heart. It nearly brought me to my knees.” His eyes softened around the edges, the dark pools reflecting the stars above us. “That’s when I saw you.”
My throat constricted. “I saw you as well.”
And I hadn’t looked away since.
Time seemed to slow around us, just as it had amidst the battle. I didn’t fully understand all that he’d told me. I had more questions than answers. Yet, none of that mattered as we stared at each other, suspended in a single moment.
I slowly leaned in, stopping a hair’s width from his mouth. “May I kiss you?”
“Since when does a Spartan ask for permission?” His voice came rougher.
“I would never take what isn’t mine to take.” My hands came to rest at his hips, and the tips of our noses touched. “If you do not want this, Kallias, tell me now and I’ll let you go.”
A strangled little sound tore from his throat. “Not many things frighten me in this life. I have faced countless enemies and witnessed true evils in the world. But this, with you?” He shakily exhaled against my lips. “I am terrified, Elasus.”
An ache slashed across my sternum. “Frightening you was never my intention.” I started to pull away. “Forgive me.”
Kallias wound his arms around my waist and held me in place. “Do not leave.”
“But I frighten you.” Was my voice raspier than usual? It was like the pain had risen to my throat, constricting my vocal cords.
“You misunderstand me, foolish Spartan.” Kallias smoothed a hand up my spine before resting it on the back of my head. His fingers burrowed into my hair. “I am frightened because I yearn for this. For you. And I have never desired anything in all my years.”
I relaxed against him, his words soothing that sharp ache. “I yearn for you too.”
We both felt something neither of us could explain. After a battle, warriors were known to seek out warm bodies to indulge in so they could celebrate being alive by fucking until dawn. However, this went beyond carnal desire and physical attraction. When I held Kallias, when I felt his breaths on my skin and heard his voice, it was as if my soul found peace.
“You may not be a god,” I whispered, pressing our foreheads together, “but I believe the gods sent you to me.”
Kallias lightly shuddered. “Kiss me. Please.”
And then, I did.
The moment our lips touched, a powerful force slammed into my chest. It was as if I’d been walking through a dark forest with no light to guide my way, and then suddenly, sunlight broke through the dense covering of twisted branches and shone down on me. Kallias was blinding in his beauty, yet I couldn’t close my eyes for fear he’d vanish.
As our lips slid together, his gaze met mine. Whimpers rumbled in his chest. I deepened the kiss, reveling in the taste of him. The feel of him.
I had heard tales of souls finding their missing halves. Whether that was true, I wasn’t certain. But now that I had found Kallias, I couldn’t fathom walking away from him. Be it the work of the gods or something else, our fates were intertwined that night.
Fates that were sealed as we kissed beneath moonlight.
Chapter Three
Kallias
Such a simple thing, a kiss. The joining of lips. Shared breaths. Never did I imagine how powerful one could be. The press of his mouth against mine awoke a hunger deep inside my core, one that had me tugging him closer.
“Elasus,” I whispered between kisses. His name was like a prayer on my lips.
He kissed down my neck. His hands slid up my back, the rough callouses on his fingertips and palms proof of his life as a warrior, of long days under the unrelenting sun swinging a sword and holding his shield. Spears were an extension of a Spartan’s arm. Yet, his hands that had ended lives and wielded those weapons touched me so gently.
My fingers dug into the back of his short brown hair, and I groaned as his teeth grazed my throat. The scent of olive trees and earth enveloped me. Elasus reminded me of springtime, the first warm breeze that replaced the frigid cold of winter, welcoming a new season as life returned to the land. He made me feel alive for the first time.
“Home,”Melancholy whimpered.
My sin’s behavior stunned me. In all my years, he had never shown interest in anything or anyone. He had lain dormant inside me, only surfacing to drag me back down to the depths of sorrow in the few instances when I’d tried to find happiness. Yet, Elasus awoke something in him too.
