“If that is what you wish.” I felt my blood heat up in anticipation of what was to come. I’d been without him for too long, and I missed him so much.
His lips found mine slowly, not rushed or ravenous, but reverent, as if he was afraid I might shatter if he pressed too hard. The kiss carried weeks of absence, yet it was gentle—like a promise whispered against my mouth. I melted into him, my hands buried themselves in his hair tightly, but not out of desperation.
More out of relief for his safe return.
He tasted like rain and warmth, familiar as home. The slow press of his mouth softened something that had been wound tight inside me, loosening the ache I hadn’t let myself feel until now. I breathed him in between kisses, tears burning at the corners of my eyes, and he brushed them away with the lightest touch of his thumb, never breaking the fragile rhythm of our kiss.
When he finally pulled back just enough to look at me, his forehead resting against mine, his smile was small but steady. And in that soft, unhurried kiss, I felt it—the ache of parting, the relief of return, the quiet certainty that whatever storms waited, he was here.
He was mine.
I woke breathing hard with a warmth that still lingered on my lips and a single tear rolling down my cheek. As I lay there trembling, caught in the bittersweet knowing: that kiss wasn’t mine to keep, yet it had always belonged to me.
As I drifted back into sleep, I knew one thing: the kiss had been real.
Not in this life, nothere—but somewhere long ago.
Chapter 9
Reverie
Ispent the rest of the day dozing on and off, then half the night trying to understand what I’d seen, staying awake to avoid the nightmare of reliving Selene taking my mark and the real possibility she had sent it to my Faction.
That last part was too horrific to dwell on. Although I believe the glimpse I had of each of them feeling my pain was real. As horrible as that possibility was, did that mean our ability to communicate was returning? So many questions that needed answers…Was I truly Queen Lilibet, reincarnated? Could that really be possible? Her name kept surfacing in connection with the rare abilities I had acquired. And the dream that didn’t feel like a dream was beyond strange.
These questions had made for a fitful sleep, and now I was rushing to the dining hall to grab breakfast before heading out to train. I wanted to dwell more on the dream and what it could mean, but I had a battle at the coliseum this weekend. If I knew anything about Selene, it was that my next fight would be the most difficult yet. I’d defeated everyone they’d thrown at me so far, and I knew it pissed her off as much as it had pleased her. She was a person full of contradictions, and none of them were pleasant.
Honestly, I could use the distraction of pushing my body to the point of exhaustion. Maybe if I were tired enough, I could return to the place I visited last night in my dreams and find more answers. It may be the key to getting out of this place.
My gut warned me that my time was running out; I had to hope that either my abilities grew stronger at a faster pace or that I would find a way to leave as soon as possible.
“Hey, fancy meeting you here again.” Torren was smiling as we both entered the hall, coming from opposite directions.
“Fancy that.” His presence rattled me, but I returned his smile, trying to shake off my thoughts enough to engage in everyday conversation.
“You look better today.” I saw an emotion in his eyes that I wasn’t able to identify before he looked away. “Do you want to train together?” He grabbed a plate and handed it to me as we approached the buffet.
“Sure, if you have time.” Neither of us mentioned how he’d booked it out of here the other day. I grabbed several pieces of bacon and a large spoonful of potatoes and eggs. I was starving after spending the whole day in my room yesterday.
“Absolutely, I’ve been thinking of some moves that would really help you with those short swords you favor.” He filled his plate, and we sat down.
We both reached for the salt, and he jerked his hand back before our fingers touched. That was a little insulting; I guess I was right, and he was looking for bigger fish than me to bond with. Which wastotallyfine…I had more than enough on my plate to deal with at the moment.
I knew I was only lying to myself.
“Do you have any abilities you use when fighting?” He paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth, waiting for my answer.
I took a moment to think about how to reply. Since I didn’t know much about Torren, I couldn’t trust him. I only used the simplest abilities, because using my stronger ones would draw attention—especially from Selene and Ubel, since they knew I hadn’t taken any serum, and my Faction was far away.
A whole world, in fact.
The only thing that would force me to reveal my hand would be a life-or-death situation, and only as a last resort. I had to depend on my physical abilities and skills to keep me alive, and so far, that had been enough.
“Only the most common, levitating, strength, and teleporting for small distances.” None of the things I’d named would lead to the scrutiny I was hoping to avoid.
Torren looked at me with narrowed eyes, seeming slightly irritated with my answer, then his expression cleared as he nodded. “I can work with that. Maybe when you’ve taken a few more doses of the serum, you’ll develop some major abilities.”
I shoved a whole piece of bacon in my mouth, then mumbled, “I can only hope.”
