I lean forward and lay a kiss on Seismet’s cheek as he cranes his neck back toward me.
The smile on Riven’s face as he slides off Verlet’s back has my chuckle fading. He approaches my side with his arms stretched up toward me and I hesitantly lean into him.
My feet hit the ground and my knees wobble as they get used to holding me up once again. Between the run followed by the power that pulsed through me from Seismet, they’re as limp as a blade of grass.
He drags his hands away from me once I get my balance and his small smirk causes an ache to form in my chest.
“Nice flying, angel.”
“Thanks,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ear and glancing over at where our Veilatara are huffing and stomping at one another.
“You won. We can go back whenever you’re ready.”
I force my gaze to meet his.
He means it.
He won’t stop you this time.
“Can…is it okay if we just sit out here for a minute?”
“If that’s what you want to do.”
He tries to hold in his breath of relief, but I catch the way his words hitch.
Wordlessly, I lower myself to the ground and cross my legs beneath me. I stare at the stars while twirling the meadow grass through my fingers. He spreads out on his back with his hands behind his head.
For a long moment, we sit here.
A snap has me twitching, then glaring down at the plate of cookies that just appeared on his belly. He’s already shoving one between his lips. His groan has my mouth watering and my hand stretching toward them.
My lids drift closed as I suck the melted chocolate off my finger. The sweetness burst across my tongue, and I fight the searing burn that spreads in the back of my eyes.
This is the first time food’s had a taste in two days.
“You okay?”
I exhale.
“I…I don’t know what’s real or fake anymore, Riven. I don’t even know if this is actually happening. Maybe it’s a dream or another cruel imagination that’s about to go sideways.”
His hand lies against my forearm and a panicky breath escapes me.
“I’m really here. Everything that just happened, really happened.”
I blink my eyes open.
And immediately wish I never had.
Ice slithers through my veins as I stare down at the shadows around his wrist. Sweat breaks out across my skin and true, unrelenting terror takes hold.
No, no, no.
Not this again.
Please no.
I snatch away from him and crawl backwards as fast as I can.
