Silas's tongue darted out and wet his bottom lip. "I'll keep that in mind, muse." He stepped to the side and allowed me to pass by him before he climbed onto the left side of the bed.
My chest tightened. Following orders so blindly wasn't a positive way to live. I didn't like the idea of anyone living that way, especially Silas, but I couldn't figure out how to get him to see it my way without an argument.
"Is anyone else not tired?" Bastian shuffled his feet, standing by the door.
The rest of the guys funneled into the bed, exhaustion plastered on their faces.
"I'm not tired." I unsnapped my robe and laid it on the floating hook near the door.
"Would you mind going for a walk with me?"
"Is this you finally making a move on her?" Casper asked, delight fueling his tone.
"I'm so proud!" Jasper gave a battle cry of excitement, shifting his suggestive red eyes on me. "You should absolutely go with him."
"It would be good for you to get out and walk. Maybe it'll take your mind off everything," Aimon added.
Silas grunted what sounded like his agreement from where he was facedown on a pillow.
"A walkdoessound really nice."
"How do you feel about checking out the garden?" Bastian held out his hand before pulling it back as if he had just remembered the scars on them.
My heart dropped. "The garden sounds lovely." I reached forward and took his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. "Good night," I called back to the rest of the guys.
Each of them murmured their good nights to us as we stepped out of the room, and we strolled down the extravagant halls of the manor until we reached outside. The back entrance led directly into the garden.
Both of us paused at the threshold of the door.
"This is stunning," I murmured, stepping forward and soaking in the scenery. Under the pale light of the crescent moon, the manor's garden glowed dimly but enough to admire its beauty.
"No more stunning than you are." Bastian ducked his head down. "Sorry, that was cheesy."
"Itwascheesy," I chuckled, face flaming with heat. "But I liked it."
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of towering trees, carrying the scent of jasmine and roses.
"I can't wait to see everything in the garden." Bastian tugged me along the cobblestone pathway that meandered through the garden. The path was barely illuminated by the moonlight, casting long shadows upon the ground.
"I've seen this garden before during the day, but something about coming out here at night makes it even better."
Bastian squeezed my hand as we strolled deeper into the heart of the garden.
Glow wisps and moonlight cast fleeting glimmers upon the flowers and statues. Above us, a canopy of ivy archways formed an intricate lattice, filtering the moonlight into a tapestry of light and shadow, reminding me of the twins.
The dappled illumination painted Bastian's face with a soft glow, and my chest clenched. He looked so at peace here. I didn't think I'd ever seen him so relaxed.
We rounded the corner, and a large rose garden unfolded before us. The velvety petals of crimson, blush, and ivory caught the luminescence around us, and the glow wisps stayed near them. They looked like beautiful colored stars fallen to Hexarium.
For just a moment, I allowed myself to be spellbound by the sheer beauty of it all. The intoxicating floral scent bloomed around us, wrapping us in a fragrant embrace, and Bastian was exactly the person that I wanted to share that with.
"What are you thinking about?" Bastian stopped walking.
I looked into his pink eyes and realized that I wouldn't be alone for these moments anymore. Witnessing the beauty of Hexarium was humbling and wonderful, but to be able to witness it alongside another person was precious.
"Immortality." The word was bitter on my tongue, but nowhere near as bitter as it had been the past four centuries.
"Hmm. I admit, I've been thinking about immortality a little more often than I thought I would since we bonded."
