Then he burst out, “Kieran, I don’t deserve you.”
Now it was Kieran’s turn to stare.“You don’t mean that.”
“Of course I do!I mean—look at you.You’re an incredible person who cares so deeply about others you’d risk your own magic to fix your mistakes.I’m a killer with a violent curse to match—”
Kieran shook his head.“I don’t care what you think you deserve, or what you think you’re worthy of.I care about what youwant,Sebastian.So tell me.”
For a beat, Sebastian choked on his words again.It occurred to Kieran that this kind of vulnerability couldn’t be easy for him—he didn’t have any sort of plan to execute, as he typically did.Just as Kieran was about to ask again, Sebastian met his eyes, expression wild, as if he were about to leap off into the abyss.
“You,” Sebastian finally said.Something about the word itself seemed to surprise him, making his face turn even deeper pink.The air grew more and more charged with every word.He gently added, “I want you, Kieran.Not just as a friend.I want all of it.I want all ofyou.”
Kieran’s heart nearly exploded.
The next moment, they rose from their chairs in tandem.Kieran grabbed Sebastian by the belt loop and pulled him against him, pressing a firm kiss to Sebastian’s lips and scraping his fingernails through his hair.Each move of his lips only drew Kieran closer, every point of contact crackling with electricity.Sebastian’s lips parted, and Kieran felt his tongue swipe his own.Immediately, it sent a shock of heat through him.He kissed back harder, wanting nothing more than to feel every inch of Sebastian against him.All the while, Sebastian’s words repeated over and over in Kieran’s mind:I want all ofyou.
Maybe it was time Kieran stopped lying to himself.
“I need you to know,” he said, pulling away just enough to nudge his nose against Sebastian’s, “that I was lying to myself, pretending I wanted something casual.I don’t think Icanbe casual with you.Hell, seeing Hélène nearly sent me over the edge the second I realized they’re your ex.”
“Trust me, there’s nothing between Hélène and me anymore.”Sebastian studied Kieran for a moment, kissed him again, and nodded.“What about Ash?You sure you’re done with him?”
Ash.Not long ago, hearing his name would have thrown off Kieran’s entire center of gravity.Now, though, it felt more like the accidental prick of a needle while trying to thread it, or the dull pain of a mostly healed bruise.Somewhere along the way, the deep ache that had accompanied his memory had dulled.
Kieran exhaled, and it felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders.“Ash moved on a long time ago.I think it’s time I did too.”
He pulled Sebastian back into their kiss.
And for the first time in a long time, all Kieran felt was joy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next day, an hour before sunset, the aeroship landed back in the airfield outside Gellingham.It was strange seeing the city come into view again.While the gilded skyscrapers looked the same as they always did, seeing it now felt different.When Kieran had left, he’d felt trapped by the idea of staying in the city.Simply walking through downtown would serve as a reminder of all the ways he had felt inadequate since moving there.Now, though, he had only one thing on his mind: getting Delilah back and making Elias pay for taking her in the first place.
A good night’s sleep had managed to quell the side effects from the poison, leaving only a distant ache in Kieran’s leg from where the ice had sliced it.The wound had felt deeper than it actually was, but it still ached with each step.With the dull roar of pain gone, Kieran’s brain jumped, over and over, between last night’s conversation with Sebastian and his anxiety about Delilah, like a strange game of emotional Ping-Pong.
“You ready for this?”Sebastian asked as the ship came to a halt in the airfield.The two of them, along with Briar and Seaweed, had gone out onto the main deck to watch the landing, scanning the snowy terrain.They’d woken up early, doing their best to plot out their plan of attack.Kieran had been grateful for Sebastian’s levelheadedness—without Delilah around to be the voice of reason, he and his twin had needed that.
“I’m going to make Elias regret the day he was born,” Briar said through her teeth.
Seaweed growled in agreement from her perch on Kieran’s shoulders.
“That’s the spirit,” Kieran said.“Come on—let’s grab our things.We don’t want to keep Delilah waiting.”
Not long after, the three of them said goodbye to Ariel and Santiago.Santiago made them promise to be back before the next morning; otherwise, he’d have Gellingham’s entire search and rescue force looking for them.Ariel, meanwhile, offered a particularly heavy wrench to Briar, just in case she needed something to hit Elias with other than spells.Briar considered it for a moment, then threw it in her pack.
“Do you have the Hilt and the Stave?”Sebastian asked Kieran as they headed down the gangway toward the trolley that would take them to the Pinwhistle Forest trailhead.
Kieran nodded, hooking a thumb toward his pack.“In here, along with a few of your throwing knives.Once we get the Crown from Elias, we should be all set.”
“Get Delilah, get the Crown, create the panacea, pass your Calling,” Briar said.She nodded.“Easy, right?”
Kieran tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry.It was going to be anything but easy, but at least he wasn’t doing it alone.
“Right.”Kieran nodded, making himself stand a little straighter and holding his chin high.“Come on.Let’s go get Delilah back.”
By the time Kieran, Sebastian, Seaweed, and Briar arrived at the vein, the sun had set.The moon was full and glowing with pale light.An eerie silence hung between the barren trees.Even at the point where the vein’s magic turned the landscape lush and green, it seemed as if there wasn’t a single living creature around for miles.The only living things were the towering pink mushrooms and the strange light they cast on the mossy forest floor.It was beginning to feel as if they’d be hunting for hours.
At least, until a muffled voice cried out in pain.
