He tilted his head. “So … a dragon.”
Elizabeth laughed. “It seemed like the only way to get you back.”
He smiled and reached over to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. “My brave, brave woman. You know, hardly any demons have gotten close to a dragon and lived to tell the tale?”
She smiled. “Only a little worse than riding Draugr.”
He burst out laughing, and then quickly sobered, his expression growing serious. “I was so focused on saving you. I spent every hour in that castle worried, trying to get out, so that I could come back and help you. And in the end, you savedme.” He looked at her for a long moment. “I am—I am in awe of you, Elizabeth.”
He leaned forward, and his lips found hers.
They kissed slowly, hands searching for injuries, reassuring themselves that the other was real and safe. Caspian deepened the kiss, drawing a small sound from her throat.
Elizabeth splayed her fingers over his chest, gripped his shoulders and back, clutching him to her as if he might disappear.
She fisted a hand in his tunic and pulled him close.
He pulled back and placed a hand upon her cheek. “I swore if I ever saw you again, I would tell you something. I think—I think I’m in love with you.”
She swallowed, overcome with emotion. Her heart warmed and had never felt so full.
“Aren’t you going to say anything back?” he asked, voice sounding a touch unsure.
She rose and stood before him. She unbuttoned her nightgown in answer and let it pool at her ankles. She undid her breast band and let that fall away too. She slid off her undergarments and stood naked before him.
He looked at her as if he had never seen a more beautiful sight.
He rose to stand before her, and she pulled off his tunic. She ran her hands over his back, trying to memorize the firm muscles beneath her hands. She pulled at his waistband, a silent order, and he obliged her.
He slid his trousers to the floor, and they stood naked before each other. Somehow, it felt more intimate and vulnerable than ever before. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly, as if awed she still let him hold her, still allowed him to touch her.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
She had never wanted anyone more in her life than this man who had just told her he loved her. Today, he was not a demon. His eyes were seafoam green as he gazed at her in adoration.
He held her face and kissed her tenderly.
He slipped a hand under her knees and scooped her up, cradling her against his chest, carrying her to bed. “I love you,” he whispered. “I really do.”
Elizabeth brought his lips to hers in answer.
***
After spending the night wrapped up in each other, Elizabeth woke, dreading the day. She snuggled into his shoulder, wanting him to hold her just a moment longer.
But her mind was already working, processing everything she’d learned. Leviathan’s alliance with Raziel. Their invasion plans. Charlotte’s destiny as the witch from the prophecy. Ambriel’s betrayal.
She knew in the pit of her stomach that whichever path she chose after today, her life was about to change irrevocably.
Eventually, they untangled themselves from each other’s arms, dressed, and headed for lunch in the city.
She took him to one of her favourite spots for lunch, a cozy restaurant that felt like a cabin nestled in the snow. They sat in large, squashy chairs by a fire, and Caspian watched her eat warm bread and soup laden with root vegetables and chunks of venison.
His expression warmed. “My face hurts from smiling so much,” Caspian confessed, and she smiled in return.
They spent much of the meal in happy silence. The weather was beautiful for once, with blue skies overhead and snowcapped mountains in the distance.
“What now?” she asked tentatively.
