“I think I know where we can go.” Evren dragged his hand down her spine. She shivered at his touch, leaning closer to him. “Somewhere we’ll both be safe.”
Her brows knitted together. There wasn’t anywhere in Teravie she’d truly be safe. But those were questions for another time. Now, all she could think about was her body on top of his. The hands that were dancing along her back. The lips she so eagerly wanted to claim.
“We can’t just hide while others suffer,” she challenged, her hips rolling forward. Evren’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment at the movement.
“I know,” he said with a nod. “But we must start somewhere. And if we’re to help others, we must help ourselves first.”
Tallulah nodded, pushing her hips selfishly forward again. Her eyes fixed on his mouth.
“I’ll leave tomorrow.”
This doused the heat between herself and Evren in an instant.
“Leave?” She pulled herself backward.
“Yes.” His hands ran up and under the shirt—hisshirt still on her. Her skin pebbled under this soft touch. “I’ll head to Davenport and send word to my uncle. It’s the only place we can go?—”
“How do I know…” She looked away, her words lost. She wanted to trust Evren. And she supposed she’d trusted him all these weeks. Her magick was back, but she hadn’t once thought to use it. She’d never once felt sheneededto use it. Not like when they first met.
“I’ll keep you safe.” His arms wrapped tightly around her. “I promise.”
His eyes locked on hers and she found no hint of deceit. No lies. That voice deep within her mind screamed at her, but she ignored it and leaned forward. She placed her lips on his and it was the final push into the descent into madness.
The kiss wasn’t soft like yesterday’s had been. She didn’t want soft. She wanted to devour him. She wanted to kiss him so deeply they could both forget what they faced outside the greenhouse.
Evren moaned against her mouth, his hands sliding further over her before he pulled the shirt from her completely.
The crisp morning air bit against her skin, but she hardly felt it. All she could feel was him. His confessions. His promises. She was drunk on them.
She slid off him momentarily so he could discard his pants. As soon as he did, she was back on his lap. The friction of their bodies together set every nerve of hers on fire. She would never tire of the way his breath changed each time she touched him. Or the sound he made when she slowly slid herself onto him. She wanted to savor this, but the nagging voice in her mind reminded her that time was the one thing they didn’t have.
Evren kissed along her neck, and she moaned, her head falling back. Rocking her hips forward, she braced her hands on the back of the sofa as he clung to her hips. His fingers dug into her flesh while his lips trailed kisses over her body. Their releases erupted between them, and despite the chill in the air, their bodies were slick with sweat. Reluctantly, she pulled herself from him as they both took up their normal places on the sofa. Evren at the back and Tallulah tucked carefully to his front.
Evren, breaths still heavy, brought his arms around her, caging her in.
“You’re beautiful, Tallulah.”
* * *
Darkness still coveredthe greenhouse as Evren woke and dressed himself. He bent down, brushing a kiss to Tallulah’s brow. She sighed in her sleep before turning away from him. He had no doubts that he was doing the right thing by leaving to send word to his uncle. But still, in his heart, he worried about what might happen while he was away. Who might find her.
He didn’t have a choice, though. She couldn’t come to Davenport with him. It was too much of a risk. Outside of Valebridge, Davenport housed the largest station of royal guards in all of Teravie.
She couldn’t be seen.
And they wouldn’t make it all the way to the Jade Guild without a horse and supplies. So, leaving this early to beat the morning rush in the city was the best decision. He’d send a page to his uncle and hope he’d receive the message in time.
He looked to Tallulah again, pulling the blanket over her before heading for the door.
Eighteen
Tallulah knewEvren left that morning for Davenport, but it didn’t make his absence any easier. She awoke with a hole in her chest. A longing in her heart. It’d been a month now of each other’s company and every moment without him felt too quiet.
She quickly dressed and braided her hair before finding a bag to pack a few of her things. As she reached for her favorite notebook, a piece of parchment folded in half fluttered to the ground.
Tallulah smiled, knowing Evren must’ve left her a note. She sank to the ground, pressing her back against the wall of the greenhouse before she opened it.
Tallulah, the captor of my heart,
