And oh, how terrible, howwonderfulit was, like electric currents coursing through me, resonating with my essence. Smoke, sweet oil, and my own burned flesh mingled in the air. Though it was but a moment, I swam in it for an eternity, nothing more than a fly caught in the web of the Prince’s magic, all too eager to be envenomed and devoured.
As suddenly as it started, it was over.
The light faded. Sitri’s hold on me relented. I collapsed onto the bed, chest heaving, body aching, bathed in sweat and candlelight.
“All done, Lillia. No more pain, I promise. Now, tell me—how do you feel?”
“Fuzzy,” I murmured, my voice hoarse. “And dizzy. And… warm. Really, really warm.”
The Prince chuckled. His fingers played over my shoulders, down my sides, raising goosebumps in their wake. His touch was so intense, yet so faint. Everything spun. My heartbeat in my ears drowned out my labored breathing. All my senses felt fractured, like I was looking through a broken window.
But Sitri was here, his presence a promise of safety, and his weight made me feel secure.
When he shifted to release me, a pang of panic shot through my chest.
“Don’t go,” I whispered.
Sitri froze. A moment of silence hung between us.
“I must put these tools away, but I swear I will return. Stay here, darling. I shall be right back.”
He stood, and cold air closed in. A thin blanket fell over my back, teasing my fresh wounds. Then came the clanking of glass and the thud of heavy wooden drawers. True to his word, Sitri returned to my side and cradled me in his arms. I shuddered as he caressed my burns. Though my own embrace was weak, I tried to return the gesture.
I wanted to be closer to him, to the steady rise and fall of his chest, the slow hammering of his heart. I needed him physicallyinsideme; I ached for him to take my body, not just claim my soul. But his pants remained a barrier between us, and I wasn’t ready to voice that need. Not yet. I settled for pressing every inch of myself against him, savoring his tautness.
“My Prince,” I murmured.
The words came to me as naturally as I breathed. Sitri’s lips landed against my temple, a gentle kiss to soothe my mind and soul.
“Yours, darling,” he whispered in my ear, “and now you are mine as well. Rest, recover. Tomorrow, your new afterlife begins.”
At last, I had someone to call my own, a place to call home. That idea brought me comfort I had never known. There, in his arms, I was safe. Things were going to be okay.
I pressed my face into Sitri’s chest, drinking him in, letting my senses fade until all that remained was his faint aroma and his warmth. For just a few hours, I would abandon the world. When I returned, Sitri would be waiting for me, and we would meet the future together.
