“Keane?”
Keane takes a small step forward and reaches a hand for my chest, grabbing my arms and pulling them down.
“I’m just in awe of you, Alexis…” he says quietly.
He snakes a hand behind my neck and pulls me to him, his lips crashing into mine in a fevered heat. I’m thrown off by the action and give a small gasp in surprise, feeling his tongue take advantage of the entry before it darts into my mouth. I moan and push my body against his, letting him kiss me with such passion and force that my legs give a small tremble. His tongue takes control of mine in a relentless dance, and I find myself thinking he may just be the best kisser I’ve ever had.
Keane’s grip on the back of my neck finally softens, as do his lips. He rolls his tongue in my mouth one last time before pulling away, his brown eyes landing on mine.
“Complete awe,” he murmurs.
I run a finger along my lips, savoring the kiss.
“Go take your bath, Alexis,” he reaches down and slaps my bare ass, “I’ll fill you in.”
I walk back to the tub and step in slowly, letting my full body and head sink under the hot water in a single go. The warmth envelopes me like a perfect blanket and soothes my sore muscles, the hot water washing away the last traces of cold from my time spent in the library. I scrub my hair before coming up to the surface, spotting the baby beast still perched on theedge and watching me as intimately as Keane does. Keane himself takes a seat on the stool at my side, his hands holding the bar of soap I brought and bringing it to his nose.
“This reminds me of you,” he inhales.
“A shop in the Palisades,” I smile and take it from him, “vanilla and cinnamon.”
I run the soap through my wet hair. “Tell me what I missed.”
Keane leans forward and skims his fingers over my bruised knee, eyes tracking my hand holding the soap as I clean myself off.
“The first two days you were gone were normal and expected. Desmond and I had various meetings throughout the day with McQuoid and members of his court, while Clair greeted us every now and then and gave us small updates that she received from McQuoid’s grandmother on how you were doing. It wasn’t much, just little things, like how lunch or dinner was being brought to you or where you were in the library. One time, I think it was the second day, she told us you had made it half-way up the mountain.”
“They were good updates,” he says softly, “and it was nice to hear that everything was progressing…”
I smile in understanding and tip my head back to rinse the soap from my hair, my chest breaching the surface in the process. Keane snakes his hand through the water and pinches one of my nipples gently, smiling as he resumes his story.
“We didn’t hear much on the third day. I didn’t see Clair at all as Desmond and I were spending the morning and afternoon in the town outside with McQuoid. We were at a pub for lunch when we noticed the sky turning grey. Dark, massive clouds moved over the city in a speed I had never seen before, the whole sky looking to be the bringer of storms. It wasn’t surprising that the full town decided to lock up and let it pass, so the three of us rode hard for the fortress so we wouldn’t be caught in it…”
My eyes flick to the baby beast at the edge of the tub, remembering those same grey clouds that rolled over the mountain through the opening.
“When I tell you that the clouds and sky did not look natural, Alexis,” Keane shakes his head slowly and looks at the baby bird, “it would be an understatement. The full sky of the city turned the deepest of grey, and the clouds were so thick that the sun couldn’t shine through. They moved with such speed that our horses couldn’t keep up, even in a gallop. And when McQuoid noticed that their direction was heading over the peak in the mountain…”
Keane sighs and brings his brown eyes back on mine.
“I’ll never forget the look of dread that washed over him when he stared back at me from atop his horse. I didn’t need him to tell me what was happening, just asked that he take me through the quickest route to the library. We were already close to the fortress so he decided to use the tunnel from the throne room again. We left Desmond behind in case our groupneeded to make quick preparations to leave Red Falls, and were just about to take the to the tunnel when someone started screaming from the balcony...”
He takes a deep breath and watches me in wonder.
“Alexis… the sky was rainingash.”
I nod at him solemnly, “I remember thinking of you in that moment. I was looking up at the sky and saw the grey flakes falling down. I thought it was snow.”
I avert my gaze from his and stare at the water around me, the resurgence of the feelings from that room finally rearing their heads. Happiness hit me, from knowing in my gut that I found the book King Zander had sent me to find, while confusion was next, because the book turned out to not be a book at all but a blank paper-filled jest. Then hurt,ohthe hurt of my limbs and heart, watching as the book turned into itself and filled my hands with ash. Disappointment and then more hurt, my emotions so scattered that they carried me into a deep hysteria. Then shock, maddening shock, not comprehending the ember that was giving life to the black bird who now sits in front of me. And finally, as if my body knew itself better than my mind ever could,exhaustion. Pure, unbridled exhaustion that took me over in one fell sweep.
That thirty-second height of Red Falls’ library will forever be etched into my memory as a cold, frost-bitten room filled with both delusions and reality. I’m not sure if I’ll ever look at it as a friend again, and I most certainly won’t ever enjoy the cold any more.
I groan and sink back under the water.
Keane is watching me intently when I come back up, the baby beast giving a small chirp as well that almost feels like affection. I give him a small smile in return and lean over the tub towards the Prince, crossing my arms on the ledge as I lay my head on top.
“Tell me what happened after the balcony,” I ask quietly, closing my eyes in my arms and letting the warm water hold me.
Keane brings his fingers to my shoulders and traces them down my back.
