Page 62 of Hunger & Harmony

“Mhm.” His lips ghost over mine. “Say it.”

I’ve been given enough time to stop this. Enough chances to walk away. I’m not taking them, and neither is he.

“Niko,” I whisper, his name dulcet on my tongue.

Everything stills. Time itself gives us one moment, just enough to savor the feeling of our lips meeting.

He tastes like devotion. Achingly slow, he leads the kiss. My hands find his back again, and he pulls me in closer.

After pulling me onto him, we find a rhythm, the only one I’ve ever successfully kept up with. His hands hold me steady, and I let my fingers thread in his dark hair. It’s happening so fast, and too slowly all at once.

When my mouth opens for him, his fangs ghost along my bottom lip. I tremble, unable to suppress the whine that rolls between our tongues. He groans quietly in response, and for a moment, I feel his control slip.

“Cadence.”

The kiss started like a promise, but ends like a warning.

Only a small mistake—the moment he pierces my bottom lip, I falter.

“Oh . . .”

It’s not that bad ‌a cut. There’s barely a drop of blood pooling on my lip.

“Cadence,” he murmurs frantically, pushing me off ‌him and dumping me onto the couch.

He stands, and before I can even say a word, he stumbles out of the dressing room. The door doesn’t even close all the way after him.

It wasn’t the kiss that scared him. It was my blood.

It’s me.

Clutching the necklace, I let my tongue run over my blood-stained lips. And feel every bit of how hot the pendant is in my hand.

15

CRUMBLING

Maybe he’s a good friend. Or maybe Ezren is just sick of my moping when he flops onto the couch next to me. His blond curls are damp, and he smells like cucumber soap.

“Hey,” he says, adding a little wave for good measure.

All I can muster is a half-smile in response.

Awkward isn’t the right word. Tense is better, but still not enough to describe the past two days. Niko locked himself away and made it abundantly clear that only Arteria can enter his room on the bus.

“You doing okay?”

I’m halfway through shrugging when I’m smushed into a hug.

“Cadence! This is weird,” he whines. “Where’s Little Miss Sunshine?”

“She’s a bit more of a rain cloud right now,” I mumble into his shoulder.

Ezren pulls back, his face scrunched in worry as he grasps my shoulders.

“Is it Sancte Noctis?” His brows slide together earnestly. “I know it’s intimidating, but we’ll protect you. You’re not the only human, either.”

I wish I could tell him yes. Maybe I should be more concerned about the city shrouded in mystery and blood. Instead, I’m tending to the wound on my heart.