“Ash,” Silver said eventually. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“When you cast that spell... when you were twelve... what did you imagine your true love would be like?”
I thought back to that night in my grandmother’s attic, to the desperate loneliness that had driven me to attempt something so far beyond my abilities.
“I didn’t really have a specific image,” I admitted. “I just... I wanted someone who would see me. Really see me, not just the weird kid from the cursed family. Someone who wouldn’t care that my magic was strange or that my parents were ashamed of me.”
Silver’s arm tightened around my shoulders. “That’s all you wished for? Just to be seen?”
“Pretty much.” I felt my cheeks heat at how pathetic that sounded. “I told you it was stupid. I was just a lonely kid who wanted someone to care.”
“It’s not stupid,” Silver said firmly. “And for what it’s worth, I do see you. All of you. The brilliant shadow witch who can break through ancient wards, the guy who gets embarrassed when I compliment him, the person who’s trying so hard to do the right thing even when it terrifies him.”
My throat tightened with emotion. “Silver...”
“I mean it,” he continued. “Bond or no bond, spell or no spell, I see you, Ash. And I like what I see. You’re cute as fuck in all the best ways.”
I turned my head to look up at him, finding those silver eyes already gazing down at me. The intensity in them made my breath catch all over again.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked softly. “Just once. I promise I’ll stop if anything feels wrong.”
Every rational part of my brain screamed that this was a terrible idea. We should be keeping our distance, not testing the limits of the bracers. But my heart… mytraitorousheart, wanted nothing more than to feel his lips against mine again.
“Yes,” I whispered.
Silver leaned down slowly, giving me plenty of time to change my mind. But I didn’t want to. Even if it was reckless, even if it was dangerous, I needed this. Needed him.
His lips met mine gently at first, a soft press that sent sparks dancing across my skin. The bracers grew warmer on my wrists as my magic surged in response, but they held. My shadows swirled around us both, caressing but not overwhelming, contained but present.
Silver’s hand came up to cup my face, his thumb stroking my cheek as he deepened the kiss. I melted into him, my free hand clutching at his bare shoulder. The electric current between us intensified, but it felt controlled somehow, channeled through the kiss rather than exploding outward.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, I realized we were still in Silver’s room. No unexpected teleportation, no holes in the wards. Just the two of us, tangled together on his bed, my magic safely contained.
“The bracers actually work,” I said, slightly amazed.
“Told you,” Silver grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “Professor Blackwood knows what she’s doing.”
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in days. “Okay, you were right. Happy?”
“Never been happier,” he smiled back. “And glad we can make out now like horny teenagers. All we need now is some wine coolers and a stolen pack of cigarettes and we’ll be the biggest rebels on campus.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. I wiped tears from my eyes, still giggling at the mental image Silver had painted. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” he conceded, pulling me closer. “But I made you laugh.”
My smile faded as reality crept back in. “Silver, we still don’t know what we’re going to do about... everything. Your family, my spell, the fact that I’m human and you’re?—”
“Stop,” he interrupted gently, pressing a finger to my lips. “We agreed to take this one step at a time, remember? Right now, this step is working. Let’s not borrow trouble from tomorrow.”
I wanted to argue, to point out that tomorrow was coming whether we were ready or not. But the warmth of his body against mine, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear… it all made me want to believe him. Made me want to pretend, just for a little while, that we could have this.
“Okay,” I whispered. “One step at a time.”
Silver shifted, settling us both more comfortably on the bed. I found myself lying with my head on his chest, his arm wrapped securely around me. My shadows had calmed considerably, no longer straining against the bracers but instead pooling contentedly around us both.
“You should come to the football game tomorrow night,” Silver murmured, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my shoulder. “I’d love to have you cheering me on in the stands.”
