“My real name…” He took a deep breath. “It’s Kaspar.”
The admission hung between us, fragile and significant. He was offering me something real—his true self. Only his given name, not his family one. Nothing truly identifiable. But it wassomething.Something precious.
My heart pounded against my ribs. I could step back, maintain the distance I’d always kept. Or I could meet him halfway.
“Maximus. But you can call me Max,” I said, suddenly desperate to hear that name again.
“You can call me Kas,” he said, the curve of his beautiful smile on full display.
“Nice to meet you, Kas,” I said, extending my hand toward him.
His palm slid against mine, warm and calloused, and the touch sent a jolt through me.
“Nice to meet you, Max,” he replied, his voice wrapping around my name in a way that made my chest tighten. Nobody had called me that in years—not since before my disgrace, before the Reaper was born. Hearing it now, from his lips, felt like reclaiming something I’d thought lost forever.
Our hands remained clasped longer than necessary, neither of us quite willing to break the connection. The moonlight caught in his copper hair, turning it to flame, and his face broke into a grin, his freckles lighting up like stars. My fingers ached to reach out to touch his face, to map the constellation of dots.
Blood pounded in my ears, as I was suddenly struck by a feeling so foreign I almost didn’t recognize it.
Hope.
“You’re staring,” he whispered, not pulling his hand away from mine.
“Hard not to,” I admitted, voice raspy. “You’re quite something in the moonlight.”
A blush crept across his pale cheeks. “Well… so are you,” he replied, his eyes traveling over my face with an intensity that made my breath catch. “When you’re not scowling or threatening someone with cleaning the cannons.”
A laugh escaped me. “I smile occasionally.”
“You don’t.” His thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand. “But that’s what makes it so special.”
Below us, the ship creaked and settled, the familiar sounds ofThe Black Wraitha constant backdrop to this moment suspended in time. Tomorrow would bring its challenges—Viper, the crew, the constant dance of survival. But tonight, in this crow’s nest under the stars, something new had taken flight.
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to savor the warmth of Kas’s hand in mine. For the first time since losing my leg, since becoming the Reaper, I felt like I could breathe freely. Up here, with Kas, I wasn’t just surviving—I was living.
Without warning, I felt the press of Kaspar’s forehead against mine. The gentle weight of it anchored me to the moment, making everything else—the ship, the slap of the sea battering against the wall, my leg’s phantom pain—fade away. His arm slid tentatively around my waist, his touch so light I might have imagined it if not for the heat bleeding through my shirt.
His breath ghosted across my cheek, smelling faintly of spiced rum. My heart thundered in my chest with such force I wondered if he could feel it.
If I opened my eyes, I’d see him too close to maintain any pretense of friendship. I’d see those green eyes looking at mewith an invitation I wasn’t strong enough to refuse. It would be a lost cause.
Kaspar made a soft noise, rolling his forehead against mine, dropping his hand to cup my face, the pad of his thumb stroking against the length of my jaw.
The realization hit me like a tidal wave—Kaspar was about to kiss me. Andholy phoenix tails, I wanted him to. Wanted it with a desperate, aching need that terrified me.
I should stop this. Should pull back, explain all the reasons this was a terrible idea. Yes, we’d made a pact to help each other. But this? This was dangerous. For both of us. If Viper found out, if the crew discovered their Reaper had a weakness… And what about when Kas left us at Asteris to create a new life for his family? Better to not remind myself what the touch of another felt like.
But I didn’t say a word. Didn’t move a muscle. Remained statue-still, relishing the feel of his arm around my waist, his forehead against mine, listening to his unsteady exhale that mirrored my own.
Was I shaking? Or was it him? I couldn’t tell where my trembling ended and his might begin.
I forced my eyes open. This close to him, I could count every freckle scattered across his cheeks, each one a point of light that begged to be mapped and memorized.
My traitorous hand moved of its own accord, sliding up to cup the nape of his neck, fingers threading through the copper hair I’d longed to touch for weeks. It was as silky as the finest cloth. Kas made a sound—part sigh, part whimper—that sent fiery blood coursing south.
His nose brushed against mine, a tentative caress that made my breath hitch. The slight tremor in his hand as it cupped my jaw betrayed his nervousness, but his eyes—those emerald-green eyes that had haunted my dreams—held nothing but certainty.
Time seemed to slow as he tilted his head, angling his face toward mine. My heart pounded against my rib cage like a wild bird seeking escape.
