He spreads one of the blankets flat, arranging the cushions at one end, then comes and tucks the other blanket around my shoulders, my hair lifting with the speed of his movement. Then he stands to the side, holding out his hand. I sit on the blanket, patting the cushion next to me. He sits beside me, shifting his weight to rummage in one of his pockets. ‘One last thing.’
He pulls out a small candle in a glass holder, then retrieves a box of matches from another pocket and lights it, the flickering small flame protected by the fragile bubble of glass. There’s something sweet about the small pool of golden light, a spot of warmth in the chill night. He smiles at me, and we stare at each other for a long moment.
‘I missed you, when I was gone,’ he murmurs. ‘Did you get my note?’
I nod. ‘Yes. Do I really taste like roses?’ I blush as soon as I ask the question, but I don’t try to control it. Not with him.
One corner of his mouth quirks up. ‘Hmmm.’ He leans in, brushing a kiss across my lips. Then his arms come around me, pulling me closer, and he bends his head once more. ‘I can’t quite remember. Perhaps I need to taste you again.’ Then his lips are on mine, my mouth opening to his as we kiss, surrounded by the music of the wind and stars and our hearts, my sorrow sliding away into the night, lost in the beauty of the moment.
Then I push him away.
‘What is it?’ he says.
‘I need your help,’ I say again, wanting to get the words out before he can distract me again.
He takes my hand, bringing it to his lips. His eyes are a gleam of silver between smoke-dark lashes. His tongue flicks against my fingers, cold fire. ‘You know I’ll do whatever you want. But what can the heir to Raven possibly need my help with?’
‘That’s just it,’ I say, struggling to keep focus. I want him, desperately. But I also want this. ‘I might be the heir, but I’m powerless, mostly. A human. And?—’
‘Humans aren’t powerless,’ Kyle says. His arm slides behind me, lowering me onto the cushions, his weight delicious against me, his hands moving on me, distracting. It’s difficult to concentrate on what he’s saying, but I try. ‘The fact they’re still rebelling, more than fifty years after the Rising, is proof of that.’
And there it is. The perfect lead into my question. I take it, before I lose myself entirely. ‘I want you to help me get off the estate.’
‘What?’ Kyle’s hands stop moving. ‘You… you want to leave?’ There’s a strange thread in his voice, like excitement.
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I want to see what it’s like, for humans. Want to see how they live. It… it’s what I’ve wanted for a long time. But now,’ I take his hand in mine, threading our fingers together, ‘after everything that’s happened, with my father, and the bomb, I also want to understand.’
‘Understand?’
‘You said to me, in the woods… the thing is, I’ve seen how humans live, but not in real life. Yet here they are blowing things up and… and I just want to know what I can do to help. I can’t stop the Moon Harvest, but if I can understand it, can speak to the North Wind, maybe I can stop the rebellion.’
He pulls back, staring at me. ‘Are you serious?’
I nod. ‘So will you take me to see it?’
His eyes widen further. ‘To see… the Moon Harvest?’
I nod.
He rolls off me, sitting up. ‘Are you mad? I can’t take you anywhere near a Moon Harvest!’
I sit up as well. ‘I need to do this. To bear witness.’ My voice shakes. ‘If I can’t stop it, I need to see it. They can’t die alone.’
Kyle shakes his head, but there’s something in his silver gaze. ‘It will be a massacre. You won’t be safe.’
‘I’ll cover myself with anti-feed! It’ll be fine. Please. I swear, I’ll do whatever you say.’
‘Whatever I say?’ One corner of his mouth curves, and he leans in, kissing me. ‘I have to keep you safe, though. It’s my job.’
I recoil. ‘Your job?’
His hand goes behind my head, his lips on mine again. ‘It’s my job to look after you,’ he murmurs, against my mouth. ‘But you know it’s more than that. I can’t bear the thought of you being in danger.’
‘You can’t?’ His hands move on me again, and it feels so good.
‘I can’t. You mean more to me than…’ He is all violets and fire, his body against mine again as I lean back onto the cushions, his mouth descending on mine again.
‘You mean a lot to me, as well,’ I gasp against his mouth, his touch. ‘So much.’
