He huffed. “I feel bad about a lot of things.”
She inclined her head, and as she studied him, all she could see through the relic was the way the wind played in his hair, how the wild strands stuck out everywhere. She could see where his nose was, but not the precise shape of it, and she knew his lips were full, but didn’t know the shade of them.
“You...” she whispered.
She felt a rush of heat start in her fingers and spread through her arms, her shoulders, and down into her chest. Her hand closed around the relic. There was a pull in her stomach, an impulse that told her she needed to hold on to it, never let it go, never let people with bad intentions get their hands on it. It was hers now, and Seraphina would protect it, be the keeper of this mysterious bone that would one day reveal its secrets to her.
“You,” she said again, more firmly.
Rune cocked his head, his eyebrows lifting in anticipation of what she was about to say.
They’d done it. They hadn’t let the gruesome nature of the act of desecrating graves hold them back, and they’d done it. They had an apex relic in their possession, and from here on out, everything would be easier. She didn’t know how, but she felt it in her soul.
There was another thing she felt as well – gratitude. No matter what she did, where she went, and no matter what she neededfrom him, Rune never said no. Well, except when he refused to let her touch him. But that was not something that bothered her. Truly, it didn’t. She could understand, she could have patience...
“You, kiss me.”
Seraphina didn’t know why she’d said it. Her elation at having finally succeeded at something flooded through her, and she wanted to redirect it, release it, pour it into him through a shared breath.
Rune took a step forward, then another, until he was crowding her space, his wide chest touching hers. He cupped her face with his big hand, pulled her toward him, and crashed his lips to hers.
Seraphina gasped. She hadn’t expected him to heed her request. She stood frozen for a moment, not knowing how to react when his mouth moved against hers. His lips were plump and soft, like something she could sink her teeth into. His breath smelled like flowers, and she knew hers did too, as they’d both drunk purified water before leaving Langenbach. They’d had to, so no one would suspect they were immune.
His other hand came around her waist, and now she was pressed flush against him. She could feel the hard muscles under his clothes, his chest rising and falling, and his pelvis ground lightly against her. He was kissing her like he was a starving man, not only with his lips, but with his entire body.
Seraphina released a shaky breath and finally moved her lips against his. She’d never been kissed before, not on the mouth, and certainly not like this. In theory, she knew what she had to do, but in practice, she felt clumsy and unprepared. She’d asked him, and didn’t regret it, but now she worried that while it was great for her, because he seemed to know what he was doing, it was awful for him.
She parted her lips, maybe to try and say something to him, she wasn’t sure, and he took it as an invitation to push his tongue into her mouth and explore her thoroughly. She let out a groan,feeling her knees like jelly. Everything below her waist felt liquid, and she felt a trickle down her inner thigh. She pressed her legs together, seeking friction. He pressed against her, as if feeling what the kiss was doing to her, and she felt his hard length push into her stomach. He moaned into her mouth, and she drank the sound, her senses soaring like they’d never had before.
The kiss lasted minutes. They were both out of breath, neither of them wanting to pull away. Rune caught her tongue between his lips and sucked, and Seraphina clung to his cloak. One hand went around his neck, and she lifted herself on her toes to reach him better. But her lungs were starting to burn, her jaw ached, and the kiss was turning into something more painful than pleasurable.
She found the strength to pull away. Rune sought her, his mouth not wanting to part from hers, but Seraphina untangled herself from him and took a step back. She was panting, one hand pressed to her chest, her thudding heart and the lack of air making her feel dizzy.
“Rune,” she breathed, not believing what had just happened.
“Seraphina...” He was panting as well. Then he seemed to regain his composure, and when he said her name again, it sounded different. “Seraphina... I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know why I did it. I...”
“No, no... Why? I wanted it. You wanted it. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“You don’t understand... These lips...” His hand came up to touch his mouth. “You shouldn’t want them on you.”
“I do!”
She moved closer to him again, reaching out for him, but he pulled away and shook his head.
“Rune, I do,” she repeated.
She grabbed his sleeve, and that seemed to anchor him. His head was slightly bowed, as if in shame, and he looked at her from underneath his lashes. It was as if he expected her to admonish him, but all Seraphina wanted was to pull him in her arms and kiss him again.
“Do you regret it?” she asked. “I don’t.”
“N-No... I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time, but I was afraid you...” He let out a deep sigh. “You might regret it one day.” He said it like he was almost certain that would be the case.
“No, never.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “I promise.”
It started snowing harder. Seraphina slipped the relic into her pocket and pulled the hood over her head.
“Do you believe me when I say that?” she asked as she reached over to pull his hood up as well.
