She thought he might kiss her today...but he hasn’t. He’s barely come close to her at all. But she doesn’t dare ask him about it. If she did, he’d probably retreat beneath those layers he hides behind.
After a few minutes, his flames grow weaker until they flicker out. The first time that happened, she asked if he’d used up all his fire magic, and he chuckled.
His fire really does have deep magic stores.
As he steps closer to her, he finds her eyes again and holds out his hand. “Do you trust me?”
She glances from his face to his hand and back again. A strange mix of vulnerability and longing shines in his eyes, and hesitantly, before he can change his mind, she places her hand in his. It’s cool to the touch. At least, it feels cool compared to how warm his hands usually are.
Is his heart racing?
“Don’t be frightened,” he says softly as he pulls her to his chest.
Now her heart is pounding. What is he planning?
When vines appear out of nowhere and wrap around them both, she bites back a scream. “Cerian! Are you doing this?”
“It’s all right. But I’ll stop if you want me to.”
The vines slow their movement, and she clutches his shirt. “Why are you tying us together?”
“Do you trust me?” he asks again.
Swallowing, she searches his eyes. They’re so open right now, but the longer she takes to answer, the more shuttered they become.
“Yes. Yes, I-I trust you.”
“I won’t let you fall.”
“You what?”
The vines bind their bodies so close that her cheeks flame, but she barely has time to dwell on every part of him that’s pressed against her when the ground drops away, and she gasps.
“You showed me your observation deck,” he says as his vines carry them higher and higher. “Now I want to show you mine.”
Her fingernails dig into his chest as the ground grows distant, and she slides her eyes shut. She’s never thought herself squeamish about heights, but usually she’s not flying through the air, suspended by vines.
Magic vines.
When they stop rising, her eyes flash open, and she gasps again. It’s...a treehouse. Grown into the side of the tree.
His vines lower them to an open balcony surrounding a small enclosed space on three sides. Thank the heavens there’s a solid railing attached. As soon as their feet hit the floor, his magical vines unwind and retreat, but she doesn’t loosen her hold on his shirt.
The view is breathtaking. No wonder he chose this tree. It rises above its neighbors, offering stunning vistas for miles. The tease of a sunset to the west promises gorgeous colors swimming across the horizon. And to the south, if she looks hard enough, she can almost pick out Nunia in the distance where the forest ends. The thought leaves her homesick.
“What are you thinking?” he asks. His eyes are a little clouded, and she blinks a few times to clear her head.
“Food. I should feed you. You must—”
“I’ll be all right. We...we should save what’s left for...”
She gazes up at him, waiting for him to finish.
He glances away and exhales slowly. “This was a bad idea. Forgive me. I should have—”
“Cerian. Were you planning to stay up here all night?”
When he turns back to her, there’s a guarded hope in his eyes. He probably could use some food by the look of him, but if he wants to...to sleep up here, they should save what they have left for morning.
