Even if it had been the reason they came, it would’ve been more than enough. Just being here with him was all she needed.
Through the trees, she could see an outline of rocks glistening in the sun—the opening to a cave, she realized.
A wide stream fed into the cave, the water so clear that she could see the bottom of it; teal stones speckled with white, purple crystals practically glowing, and every color in between.
But they didn’t stop at the colorful stream. Instead, Daimon led them into the cave. The walls were damp and the ceiling barely high enough for Daimon to stand up fully in.
The deeper into the cave they walked, the darker it got. The sounds of the forest quieted behind them, leaving only the ripple of the water bouncing off the cave walls.
Somehow, it felt more secluded than being alone above the clouds.
“Just a little further,” he whispered.
They had walked far enough that there was no longer light from the opening to see the path before them. She could barelysee the outline of his body, let alone where they were going. He kept her close, his hand never leaving hers.
He slowed to a stop and sat down, tugging her hand to get her to do the same. Once she was seated, he released her hand.
It was pitch-black. Without his hand, it almost felt like she was alone. She only knew he was still there from the sound of his soft breaths.
“This is what I wanted to show you,” he whispered so softly she had to strain to hear him. He brought his hands together, a loud clap echoing off the walls.
“What are you?—”
Her breath caught.
Thousands of tiny blue lights snapped on and glowed so brightly that she could see him sitting beside her now. The lights lined every inch of rock and reflected off the water around them.
It felt like she wasinthe stars.
“What is this?” she breathed.
“Small insects that glow in the dark,” he explained. Their light began to fade and he clapped again, causing their light to brighten once more. “They live in dark, quiet places.”
She watched as their glow slowly dimmed, in awe of the tiny creatures. “I’ve never heard of a creature like this,” she whispered. “How did you find it?”
“During training with the fleet, we would take solo trips exploring with our wyvern.” He clapped again once the lights winked out completely. “Z found the lake and refused to explore anywhere else after. She kept bringing me here regardless of where I wanted her to go.” He chuckled to himself, lost in the memory. “Finally, I started to explore more and more, until I found this place.”
There were so many sides to Daimon that Evelina hadn’t seen in her time at camp. A softer side that he didn’t let others see.
“You’re not who I imagined you to be, Commander,” she said softly.
He turned to her, his eyes gleaming in the blue glow of the cave creatures. “And who did you imagine me to be?”
She reached forward and pressed her palm against his cheek. He melted into her touch as she said, “I thought I had lost the boy I once knew. I’m starting to see he didn’t go anywhere.”
The light above them dimmed and they were plunged into darkness again. This time, he didn’t clap. They sat in silence together, letting the darkness surround them.
“You’re not the girl I used to know,” he finally said. He wasn’t whispering anymore, his voice loud enough to cause a handful of the creatures to glow. She could see the curve of his lips, the upward tilt of his smile. “You know who you are—what you do and don’t want to be. Either way, I’m just as in love with you today as I was back then.”
Her breath froze in her lungs.
In that moment, she knew she had never stopped loving him. Even through the years of anger and pain that he had left in his absence—through the ache of losing him and never understanding why.
She never imagined he felt the same way. That the love she kept hidden in her heart for him mirrored the love he had for her.
“I don’t want to lose you again,” she said suddenly, loud enough that more of the creatures flared brighter. “If we make it through this wretched war, I don’t want you to disappear again.”
He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re still a princess, Eve.”
