Page 11 of Touched By Darkness

“We know all those colors, too.”

“It was a metaphor.”

His lips twitch with a smile before he lets it loose to dance across his mouth.

“What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious.

“Nothing.”

This side of Oliver is one I haven’t seen before. He’s charming and playful.

His eyes settle on me once more, and we share a soft, rueful smile. “Why did you run away?”

Hesitating, I decide my best option is just to be honest. Oliver deserves as much now that I’ve dragged him down with me. “Freya found a black feather.”

His eyes widen.

“In fact, she found several.”

Oliver is lost for words. I would show him, but I can’t on this branch.

“You’re turning,” he whispers.

“It would seem that way.” I don’t mention that he will, too, soon. Judging by the morbid curiosity in his eyes, I think he already knows.

His throat jumps as he looks back out at the forest beyond the wall. I wonder what’s going through his head.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I shouldn’t have touched you.” My apology is inadequate, but it’s all I’ve got.

“Why don’t you turn away from the darkness? Deny it.” His blue eyes are back on me.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried? Of course I have.”

“But?”

I sigh, avoiding his searching gaze. “I’m not sure I want to.”

There it is. My truth. I don’t want to deny myself the pain and pleasure I felt outside the gates. I don’t think it’s possible to deny that newfound part of me. Not anymore. Once you’ve tasted sin, there’s no turning back, even if the choice is there.

“You don’t want to?”

I look back at him, his lips. My head shakes softly. “No…”

Swallowing thickly, he leans in, ever so slowly, to taste the desire on my tongue. Our lips brush and our breaths dance in the crackling space between us. He erases it, his hand cupping the back of my head and pulling me into him. A soft whimper escapes me as he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth.

I let him explore my mouth with slow, deep kisses that set my heart aflutter. When we break apart, Oliver’s blue eyes, heavy with lust, sweep over my face before settling back on my kiss-swollen mouth. “I don’t think I want to either.”

His words wash over me like a bucket of ice water. Frowning, my eyes fly up to his. “What?”

He explains. “I don’t want to go back to how I felt before… you know? Before we—”

“Oliver,” I interrupt him, “yes, you do! This is your home.”

Now it’s his turn to frown. “Don’t you mean itwasmy home? You touched me, remember? Do you think I can go back to how things were?”

I climb down, and he follows, undeterred and hot on my heels. As soon as his feet sink into the soft grass, he seizes my arm when I try to walk away.

“Where are you going, Aurelia? This place isn’t exactly big.”

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