The moment had enraptured Tavia so much that she hadn't even thought about the repercussions of kissing Lucius.
Her body moved on its own, drawn to the dashing fae in front of her.
Any doubt, any worry, had disappeared two songs ago.
They had been dancing, lost in the music. His lips were as soft as she imagined, and when his mouth opened, and his tongue touched hers, her world alighted into something new.
In all the ways she had imagined her first kiss, she never thought it would be like this: dressed in the finest gown she would probably ever own, in abeautiful ballroom filled with lights and music, and a handsome fae at her side.
Both of Lucius’ hands were now at her waist as he kissed her deeply. Tavia hadn’t known what to expect from a kiss but never thought she'd want more. This kiss seemed not to be enough for her, and how she wished Lucius would end the heist and sweep her away into the night.
He continued kissing her, lost in the moment with her. Her hands went to his neck, playing with the curls of silver hair near his ears. He pulled away, breathing heavily, and she didn’t want him to stop anymore.
“We’re calling this off,” he said heavily, his breath warm against her skin.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” she whispered back.
He chuckled softly. “No. Should we?”
She thought about it, but they were halfway through. “What’s so important about this artifact?” she whispered.
Lucius swayed, keeping his mouth close to her ear while continuing to dance. “It’s sentimental, but it has a power that’s unique.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It has the power to heal any ailment.”
Tavia’s ears perked at that. She had never heard of an object being able to heal any ailment. “Heal?”
“Supposedly.”
She stopped an idea forming in her head. “What if it can heal you?”
He paused as if he had never even considered the possibility.
She grabbed the sides of his face and looked at him. “What if it can heal you?” she said again.
She knew he missed the simple things, like enjoying a piece of chocolate.
His expression furrowed. “That would be too great a hope to wish for.”
And suddenly, the heist became more critical. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted this curse removed. If there was any possibility that the artifact could do that, they had to try.
“Then we stick to the plan,” she said, holding his face in her hands.
He shook his head, placing one of his hands on topof hers. “I don’t care anymore. We can go. I’ll return with you. I’ll go wherever you go. We’ll check on your home. We’ll—”
“No,” she said.
“Tavia,” his voice deepened. “It’s not worth the risk anymore.”
There was a deep ache in his voice, and he leaned back over her, kissing her again as if they weren’t in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by people. He kissed her deeply, urgently. This time, she pulled away, his mouth moving to the side of her face, kissing her cheek.
“I won’t risk you,” he said. “I don’t care.”
She knew why he suddenly didn’t care—she could feel the tether between them as if that one kiss had sealed something profound. She knew after that kiss that she would never kiss anyone else, and somehow, she sensed he could feel it, too. Their meeting was more than destiny.
Somehow, she had been searching for him.
