Lilith ran deeper into the woods, even as her slippers splashed in puddles and dirt kicked up her skirt. Her throat turned sore from yelling Amelia’s name, hoping her plea would echo far enough through the branches. She circled around looming trees and pushed through foliage, straining to find the princess in heavy rain. The weather turned unforgiving, the undergrowth crackling beneath her shoes. A rush of footsteps came from behind. She spun around and ran into Ezran’s chest. He steadied her by the shoulders as she gasped for breath.
“Slow down,” he said. “Are you sure it wasn’t a trick of the light?”
“It’s Amelia. I’m certain of it!”
Despite her insistence, Ezran led her beneath a canopy to shield them from the rain. He draped his coat over her head, so that the water from the leaves would not drip on her. He was always like this, putting her first and center in his world. She counted her breaths to pace herself, but frustration seeped from her dry throat as she said, “I just wish she knew she didn’t need to run away.”
Rain dripped from Ezran’s temple, and his damp cheeks took on a sheen under the moonlight. His silver eyes stewed in thought.
“Maybe she’s right for running away,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
They stared at each other in weighted silence until he stepped close enough for her to feel his breath. His palm cupped her cheek, and he looked at her tenderly like she was the most important thing in the world.
“We could do it, too. Abandon it all,” he murmured. “We’d finally be together. There wouldn’t be a need for me to take over as king or marry Amelia. I don’t care about ruling any kingdom, as long as I’m with you.”
He steadied his hand over hers, but she could still feel the squeeze of his fingers, the pressure of his skin on hers. She knew he meant every word. Ezran would have done anything for her. It was the kind of hopeless devotion that any lucky woman would dream of. But the declaration also came from desperation. He had no other option than to run away with her. If Amelia didn’t show up, there would be no heir. If Amelia did appear, he would have to stay married to her. There were no other circumstances where Ezran and Lilith could be together.
She took off his coat, drenched from the rain, and handed it back to Ezran. “We can’t.”
“We can.”
“Let me correct myself. We can. But I won’t.” She tightened her grip on his hands and stared deep into his eyes for the truth. “I want to make a difference in the world. Don’t you?”
There was a hitch in his throat. “No,” he rasped. “I only want you.”
Lilith let go of his hands. The weight of his hold lifted everything away.
“I’m sorry, Ezran,” she said. “That’s not good enough for me.”
He stared at her with a pain-stricken face, like she had just ripped his heart out and he didn’t understand why. It was the same expression he wore the day she had told him goodbye and married Victor. Lilith clenched her eyes shut, if only to block out the pained look of the broken boy, or else risk hearing her heart crack in two. She needed to stay firmly rooted into the ground, not let her feelings be easily swayed by the turns of the wind. There was a reason why dreams were only for sleeping. Why they only met at the thick of night, between the sleepy haze of reverie and wishful thinking.
“You should go,” she said, departing from the canopy’s shade. She wanted to return to the castle and alert the guards that she’d seen Amelia. Perhaps they would find the princess if Lilith recruited another search party tonight. She barely made it past the tree when Ezran grabbed her by the wrist. He pulled her back, demanding her to face him again.
“Kiss me,” he said. “Even if it’s the last time. Please. Before you say goodbye.”
Lilith held her breath, afraid that any exhale would push her forward into his arms and let her sink into his embrace. Water trailed down his cheeks, and this time, it wasn’t the rain. His mouth twisted in anguish. The wait looked like it was killing him.
She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, where his tears slicked the tip of her thumb. Their noses brushed against each other, and their faces finally met in the rain. He tasted like air at night, heavy with the weight of autumn storm. Salt tinged their lips, a mixture of rain and tears, his kiss like a flame that wanted to swallow her whole. He tasted just like the boy in her dreams.
But that was all they were: dreams.
A shriek pierced the air, pulling Lilith away. Behind Ezran, at the entrance of the forest, stood Amelia’s godmothers silhouetted by candlelight.
“Run,” Lilith urged. “I’ll stay, so they won’t catch you.”
Ezran shook his head. “I’m not leaving you—”
“Someone needs to find Amelia,” she whispered fiercely. “If you don’t leave now, I’ll never forgive us for losing her.”
She didn’t promise they’d see each other again, because there was no guarantee. But he must have believed it from the flicker of hope in his eyes. His lips twisted in regret, while his feet staggered backward. A mental battle raged inside his mind. She shoved him back, forcing him to commit to their plan.
“Protect my treasure.” This wasn’t a plea, but a demand. “Find Amelia. It’s always belonged to her.”
CHAPTER 33
THE SUNSET HURT to watch. Corin’s eyes remained swollen long after crying, and the light didn’t help.
