Page 63
Her shoulders drop back. “What?”
I grab her waist exactly the way I’ve been picturing it in my head, spinning her around by her hips.
“Do you know how often I lie awake trying not to think of you because I know just how wrong it is?” I run my hand up the nape of her neck and bring my nose close to her temple.
A shiver runs through my aether, a test, an invitation to step past a boundary into something forbidden. She wets her lips, and I bend down to claim her mouth again.
She tastes like the ocean, like bread and salted jam and bliss. She tastes like my Mer-Princess.
The crowd moving past us ceases to exist. There’s only the two of us, and this attraction neither of us can resist.
Our world stands still on a starless night, swinging between the last full moon and the next. The reality of what’s coming when this lunar cycle ends slowly seeps into the moment.
She pulls away, breathless, the mauve paint rubbed off her lips.
“I have to think,” she croaks, taking a few shaky steps back. The low heels of her boots tap out a staccato rhythm as she races away from me.
Except she can’t really get away from me, so I slip into an alleyway and swirl into the air to give her some semblance of privacy.
15
CORDELIA
Irun away.
Not because I’m angry or upset, but because there’s too much going on in my head. I need some space, some time to think.
My feet ache, but I don’t slow down until I get away from the noise of the nightlife.
The new moon sky is an inky swirl behind the clouds. Tomorrow, we’ll begin to tilt closer to my wedding and my permanent transformation.
The street darkens as it twists away from the village, but subtle nudges from Zephyr push me in the right direction. They’re trying to be discreet, but I know they’re here.
They’re always right here with me. That’s why it’s always been so important for us to uphold certain boundaries.
In the earliest days of our bond, I forced myself to archive my silly notions, the admiration I held for them after hearing so many of my sisters’ tales about Zephyr the fearless. It wasn’t a hard task once I realized how badly their time in stasis had affected them. But something is different now, and a wall is crumbling between us.
Hooves clop along the base of the hill I’m climbing. I scurry off the path before I’m seen, ignoring the pain in my feet to crunch over twigs and dead leaves. The trees are all barren and scraggly. I choose the biggest one and hide behind it.
The cloaked rider stops his horse near the crest of the hill and swings his lantern into the shadows. My heart skips a beat, and Zephyr’s essence sits close to my skin.
“I’m right here if you need me,” they whisper.
“Dee, is that you?” Ross calls. “I saw you down in the village, but I thought my eyes were deceiving me.”
I breathe a little easier knowing I’m not being followed by a stranger, but being caught at this hour is still a problem. “I went for a long walk because I couldn’t sleep.”
He glances behind him. “Where’s our friend, Professor Tommelise?”
“I don’t know.” My chest knots. “Probably in the library.”
“Did they arrange their own carriage and leave you to find your way back from the village? That seems rude after sharing such a passionate kiss.” He stares accusingly, and I try to explain myself.
“Darcy and I have an agreement. She doesn’t require me to be exclusive.”
“She might’ve told you that, but I grew up with her, and I know how jealous she can get. I can tell you she won’t be happy to hear that the professor is tupping her bride-to-be.” He sets his lantern down, the light shining off of his boot buckles. “It could make our little trip to hunt the ice dragon more awkward than it needs to be. She might even call off the wedding.”
“Please don’t tell her,” I whisper, shame crunching my insides. I don’t like deceiving anyone, but my ability to remain on land depends on our marriage.
