She couldn’t believe she’d just done that. She couldn’t believe she’dagreedto do that. She panted on her hands and knees for a minute until her heart calmed down, and then, silently thanking Gaia for not letting her fall, she brought herself to her feet and turned around to look down to where Ty still waited.
He was grinning up at her so widely it warmed her heart all over again.
“I did it!” she called down to him, starting to feel incredibly proud of herself now that the adrenaline was wearing off. She’d never done anything like that before, and even though her arms were weak and her fingers would certainly be sore tomorrow, she felt infinitely stronger. Gaia help her, but earning the admiration of this boy and meeting his challenges was becoming addictive.
“See? I was right,” Ty said cockily as he approached the rock wall and started to climb.
Ena rolled her eyes in response, but quickly couldn’t look away as Ty scaled the cliffside like he was made for it. His large hands gripped the rocks as his forearm muscles tightened, ascending the rock wall like it was as easy as walking. In an embarrassingly short amount of time compared to how long it took Ena, he pulled himself over the top just as she had.
“Wow, you must climb a lot,” Ena said, not bothering to hide the admiration in her voice.
“Yeah, there are a lot of…caves and stuff back home. I grew up climbing,” he said nonchalantly as he caught his breath.
Ena was once again filled with curiosity about Yalta and what it was like, but the questions died in her throat as she watched Ty take in the view from the top.
Trees as far as the eye could see blanketed the valley floor. Far below them, the river gorge cut a dark, meandering ravine through the sea of green until it ended in the blue, flat haze of the Endless Ocean in the distance. Looming tall behind them were the Chasm Mountains, their snowy peaks cutting through the horizon, dwarfing the cliffside they stood on.
“This is gorgeous,” he said, looking out across the landscape with a contented look on his face.
“I know,” Ena said, matching his reverential tone. “I come up here sometimes just to look at the mountains and the ocean. They make me feel…” Ena trailed off, not knowing how to put the feeling into words.
“Make you feel what?” he asked, turning to look at her.
She looked back, meeting his gaze as he waited for her to continue. As if he were hanging on every word. “Small. Insignificant in the Turning. Just one tiny being in a much, much larger world. But…” she added, staring towards the ocean again, “safe somehow. Like I have a place here. Like I fit.”
“Hmm,” Ty said, sounding skeptical.
“What? Does that sound dumb?” Ena replied, smirking.
“No, not at all,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s just, I don’t think you’re small at all. You seem like a force of nature to me... Maybe that’s why you fit.”
His gaze turned serious now, the intensity of it reminding her of the way he’d looked at her last night. The sun was already starting to get lower, turning the sky a deep blue with a layer of orange and yellow along the horizon. This high up, away from the forest, blue was all Ena could see behind him, and his green eyes seemed to glow in the light.
Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Ena turned away. “Do you see the ocean?” she asked, changing the subject and pointing to the hazy blue line in the distance. “Sometimes on a really clear day, you can see the white caps on the waves.”
“Hmm. No, I can’t see.” Ty bunched his brows together, squinting like he couldn’t quite make it out.
“Seriously? Look,” Ena said, grabbing his arm and tugging him next to her. Standing up on her tippy toes, she put her face right next to his and turned to stare at the horizon with him, pointing in the direction of the ocean. “See?” she said. “Right there.”
Ty turned his face away from where she was pointing to look at her instead. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “Now I see,” he said.
She turned towards him, their faces just inches apart. Ena couldn’t help but look down at his mouth. His full lips were quirked upwards on one side in a devastatingly handsome smile. This close to him, she was surrounded by his scent, as she had been last night. Cedar, stone, woodsmoke, and honey. Unintentionally, she inhaled deeply, letting her eyes flutter closed as she appreciated the heady combination. Realizing what she’d just done, embarrassment jolted through her. Her eyes snapped open as she went to turn away, but Ty reached out with his hand to cradle the side of her face, holding her there.
His eyes locked with hers as he gently stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Can I kiss you?” he asked.
Ena wanted nothing more in that moment, but butterflies filled her stomach. Was this real? She wasn’t sure. This felt like a dream. Not her real life. Everything since she’d seen him last night at the Litha gathering had been a blur.
But, even if it were a dream, she realized she didn’t really care. She’d already achieved an overwhelming high byclimbing a cliff. How could she resist throwing herself off this one?
“Yes,” she replied, heart hammering.
Ty pulled her face close to his and lowered his head. Already on her tippy toes, she placed her arms on his shoulders and closed her eyes as their lips touched.
His mouth was warm and soft and felt like home and the greatest unknown at the same time. The kiss was light and gentle, as if he were holding back, but it didn’t matter; the feel of his lips moving against hers overwhelmed her senses and teased her in a way that sent shivers down her spine. She instantly felt an ache settle between her thighs and was acutely aware of how close their bodies were.
Then Ty pulled back. He looked into her eyes and didn’t move a muscle, as if he were waiting to see what she would do next. They stared at each other, a million unspoken things passing between them. They could stop right here, not go any further. She could step back and walk away, change the subject. But Ena didn’t want to do any of those things.
“Kiss me again,” she said.
