“Don’t say that,” Eyden commanded. Gentle fingers lifted her chin, determined eyes meeting her own. “Wearenotgiving up. We’ll fight till the very last second. Till onlyhisashes remain.” His eyes were fierce and strong; they made her believe, made her want to fight whatever odds came at her until the very last second.
“It’s a deal,” Lora said, the corner of her mouth tipping up.
“How do you feel about getting out of here for a bit?”
Lora immediately shook her head. “I can’t. What if someone notices I’m gone? They might suspect I had help escaping, that you can get in uninvited.”
Eyden removed a crystal from his pocket. He turned to the bathroom door and put the crystal on the floor next to it. As he got back up, he faced her. “If anyone comes close to this, the other crystal that’s in my pocket will sound an alarm. Lock the door. If anyone comes into your room, they’ll think you’re in the bathroom, and I’ll drift you back in a matter of seconds.”
Another risk…some might say a stupid one. But she’d been confined to this place for so long. A prisoner. A means to an end. It was late at night; the chances were good that no one would come looking for her anytime soon.
And what if they did fail? What if this was her last night of freedom?
Eyden extended his hand, palm up, an invitation she longed for.
Shutting out her fears, Lora took his hand. The brilliant grin on his face was worth almost everything.
* * *
Eyden brought her back to his apartment. As the mist around her settled and her feet touched the wooden floor, Lora took in the once-familiar space. It felt like a lifetime since she’d been here, yet it looked the same.
His closet was closed, but she still remembered the secrets Eyden kept there. The small kitchen table was empty, the curtains behind it drawn shut. Her eyes travelled to the midnight black sofa and then to the room divider—his bed behind it was unmade. For a second, her thoughts caught on the last time they were alone in a room with a bed, right before she was taken to the palace. It was a memory she had replayed more often than she should admit.
A tug on her hand made her glance down to where Eyden’s hand was still holding hers. He stepped closer, not letting her go. Lora realised that this was the first time they were truly alone with no one around the corner waiting to catch them. Catching the fire in Eyden’s gaze, she knew he was thinking the same thing. His other hand landed on her arm before moving up, tangling in her hair that had come partly undone from the messy bun.
Tingles spread all through her body, a delicious anticipation building up inside of her. Lora tilted her head up at him, his lips so close she could almost feel the awaiting kiss.
But there was something more important she needed to do first.
“I have questions,” she said even as her eyes still lingered on his lips. Lora dragged her gaze up to him, forcing herself to push down the fire starting in her blood.
“What kind of questions?” Eyden asked, his hand cupping her face now, warming her skin.
“I want to knoweverything,” she said, quietly but sternly. “Ineedto know everything. Otherwisethiscan’t happen.”
“This?” he asked. His lips quirked up, making him even more irresistible.
“This.Us.Whatever we are.”
“I like the sound ofus.” Eyden’s hand was still holding hers, the pressure slightly increasing. She fell into the depths of his striking eyes, the honesty and care so loud she wanted nothing more than to lose herself completely in him. But not yet.
“Then tell me,” she said. “No more holding back.”
“What do you want to know?” Eyden stroked a finger across the back of her hand, electrifying her system. It was utterly distracting.
Looking to the kitchen table, she forced herself to take a step back. “Let’s sit.”
Eyden smirked. “Do you think we need a buffer? Don’t you trust yourself around me, special one?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Maybe it’syouI don’t trust to behave.”
His answering laugh went under her skin, right to her heart—and lower. “Fair enough. If that’s what you need to tell yourself. But I seem to recall a table can lead to somedistractionjust as well.” Eyden lifted his brows at her.
“Sit,” was all she could force out as her mind kept getting lost in the past.
With one last smirk, Eyden turned to the table. He pulled back his chair, took a seat, and then proceeded to remove two small knives hidden in his sleeves. He put them on the surface in front of them. Lora wished she still had her dagger, but she knew she’d never get it back now.
Lora hastily sat across from him, willing herself to concentrate.
