I feel my heart skip a beat when Maxon flinches. They are hurting him trying to get to me. A magical electric charge fills the air, making my skin tingle and my hairs stand up. Anxiety tightens around my chest at the thought of Maxon being hurt.My vision wavers and my breathing becomes rapid, making Maxon pull back to look down at me.
In my mind’s eye, I picture the vines on the castle walls growing and lengthening, weaving an intricate pattern around Maxon and I. Creating a barrier, a sanctuary.
Suddenly, it’s as if the world has been silenced, and all that remains is a faint echo of sound.
Maxon slowly raises his head, his eyes scanning the area around us. “What in Aine?”
I blink, momentarily disoriented, as he lifts his weight off me, my jaw dropping in awe. Thick vines form a dome like barrier around us, just like I envisioned, shielding us from the outside world. As I sit up, one tendril snakes out and gently wraps around my wrist, caressing my palm as if checking to see if I’m okay.
Maxon kneels before me, and I can feel the weight of his gaze. I take my time to meet his eyes, not ready to answer the questions I know he must have. His expression is like a blank canvas, revealing nothing. His eyes dart around my face, lingering on the strands of hair that escaped my braid and are now tickling my cheeks. Slowly, his hand reaches up and touches my ear where the Vurien bit me. The warmth emanating from his touch banishes the slight throbbing I have been feeling. And when I reach up to touch my ear, it is completely healed, causing my eyes to just about pop out of my head.
“How?” I whisper in awe.
But Maxon’s gaze is locked on my arm. He takes my wrist firmly in his grip, pulling my arm nearer to him. The warmth from his touch travels up my arm and settles in my chest. I take a peek at my arm to see what has caught his attention. Mybirthmark has darkened, the faint mark pulsing against my skin, almost like it’s glowing. How? Why isn’t the makeup working?
I’m ready to tear my arm away, but then his other hand appears and lightly traces the mark, causing my breathing to accelerate. My stomach flutters, and I’m completely captivated as his fingers move from my forearm to the inside of my elbow. They continue up, brushing my hair away from my shoulder and lingering on my neck. I peer up into his eyes, taken aback by how near we are.
His voice is deep and almost angry when he speaks. “You are her, aren’t you?”
“I– I don’t know who you're talking about.”
Leaning forward, Maxon brings his face close to mine, our noses almost touching. My heart has been pounding from the moment he rolled on top of me, but now it feels as if it is going to explode out of my chest. Violet silver rimmed eyes fill my entire vision as we stare at each other.
I can’t feel his emotions right now because my own are overriding everything. Maxon’s chin dips as he leans in, making my breath catch as his nose runs along the column of my neck. Having his lips so close to my skin is making me dizzy.
“What– what are you doing?” I stutter nervously, clenching my hands in my lap to keep from grabbing him.
“Your scent is different. It’s only a slight change, but I can smell it.” He pulls back.
What? He knows my scent?
The revelation is so unexpected that my heart speeds up and all thoughts flee my mind. But was I not thinking the same of him moments ago? My lips part slightly, and his gaze falls to my mouth. The rapid thudding of my heart is making me feellightheaded. I lean into his touch, my eyes falling closed when a loud thud makes me jerk back.
“Your Highness. Are you okay in there?” Raiden hollers, followed by two more hard thumps.
Maxon drops his hands, and I drag in a long-ragged breath, resisting the urge to fan my face.
“We're fine. What about the Vuriens?”
“Asleep. Some are already being rounded up and put in cages as we speak. Ready to be transported back to the caves.”
Despite Raiden’s voice being slightly muffled by the vines, we can still make out the distinct syllables of his words.
I shift my weight and move onto my knees. Normally, I would be filled with a sense of dread due to my claustrophobia, but it is surprisingly absent. I wonder if it’s because Maxon is trapped here with me. We can’t stand up, as the top of the dome is only a foot above my head. Running my hand over the vines, I feel a gentle tremor beneath my fingertips as they respond to my touch.
“Everly.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my cheeks flushing red, and give a low hum without looking at him.
“Stóirín, look at me.”
I push down my nerves and lift my gaze at his command, immediately wishing I hadn’t. My breath hitches, Maxon imposing figure, seems even more so trapped in this dome. The air around him seems to crackle with tension. Something flickers in his eyes, and I swallow roughly. Whatever I think I saw in his eyes is gone too quickly for me to figure out. Gripping my chin with his fingers, he tips my head further back. A long, tense moment passes as his penetrating gaze roams over my face, as if searching for an answer to a question I don’t know. Then his eyes igniteand my stomach hollows at the small rumbling growl that makes its way up his throat.
Maxon’s fingers slide away from my chin to gently encircle my wrist, pulling me closer. His thumb moves in slow circles along the inside of my wrist, sending a tight, bewildering shiver through me. Simultaneously, his other hand reaches up and delicately cradles my face, filling the air with a subtle buzz of energy. The warmth emanating from his hand acts as a soothing balm, enveloping me in its comforting embrace. I let out a contented sigh and lean into his touch. Maxon’s grin widens as a fiery intensity flickers behind his eyes. His hand then drops to my waist, and when I startle, Maxon only tightens his grip on my waist, as if restraining himself from pulling me onto his lap. I can feel his desire mirroring my own. If there weren’t a group of people just beyond these vines, I have no doubt that he would have me undressed in an instant.
“You’re so beautiful,” his voice is a low hum in the silence.
I reach up to brush some hair off his forehead and delicately trace the intricate lines of the tattoo on his temple with my finger. Maxon’s eyes fall shut at the touch and his jaw clenches. Worried I’ve done something wrong, I quickly drop my hand and mumble an apology.
