Page 85

Draevyn shrugged a shoulder as if it were nothing. “Seemed like a good idea at the time,” he murmured, his touch lingering, knuckles resting against her cheek.

Every nerve in Esmyra’s body lit up, and she wondered if he could feel her heart pounding as he leaned even closer. Her mind warned her to pull back, to remind herself of everything at stake—but the feeling of his hand sliding to the back of her neck had every sensible thought melting away.

“In fact, it still does,” he added softly, his eyes falling to her lips.

She held her breath, her heart beating wildly as she leaned into him.

Draevyn caught her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together in the water, the warmth of him making her feel dizzy as the world around them blurred.

Then his lips met hers, and everything evaporated.

The gentle pressure of his mouth sent a thrill through her that she couldn’t control, couldn’t temper.

Her hands reached up instinctively, fingers tracing the line of his jaw.

The roughness of his stubble was foreign to her fingertips as she tried to ground herself in the reality of this—being in his arms as he held her like she was everything he’d ever wanted, and everything he’d ever need.

Esmyra’s hands slid to his shoulders, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away .

And then her mind emptied entirely. She forgot the secrets they had uncovered, the visions of memories, and the dome trapping them in Maerinys.

Draevyn consumed her—the sensation of being held by him, of letting herself sink into his warmth.

As they slowly pulled away, their breaths mingling, she found the fire within his eyes blazing. A rush of panic flickered through her, the first time in her life feeling out of control.

“Bad idea?” he whispered, a breathless grin hinting at his lips, still only inches from hers.

Esmyra let out a shaky laugh, still catching her breath, feeling as though she were caught in a free fall. “Terrible,” she answered softly, but her fingers traced down his arms, unwilling to let go.

Beads of water slipped from his slicked back hair, falling along his throat and down his chest—she imagined herself tracing the droplet with her tongue.

Draevyn shifted closer, his hands slipping beneath the surface to grip her thighs. Her breath caught as he lifted her, pulling her legs around his waist, holding her to him as he waded further into the lagoon.

Every nerve in her body felt alive, hypersensitive to the feel of his hands on her and the steady strength of his hold. Her fingers clung to his shoulders, and every heartbeat echoing between them felt as if they merged as one.

Esmyra’s mind raced, consumed by a whirlwind of confusion and need.

She barely registered their surroundings as he led them around the curve of a rocky alcove.

The merlights mimicking the moon slanted down in soft beams, filtering through the overhanging vines, making the area feel somehow more secluded.

Draevyn reached a flat stone that jutted from the water’s edge and placed her on it just above the waterline.

Esmyra’s heart thundered as he stood between her legs, her hands sliding down to meet his as his grip held her waist. She was breathless beneath his gaze as he brushed his thumbs over her hip bones .

Neither of them spoke, and for a moment, she didn’t dare breathe, the weight of the silence threatening to suffocate her.

She leaned down, her fingers threading into his hair, and as their faces drew close again, she whispered, “What is it that you want, Drae?” Esmyra could have sworn a shiver ravaged his body as his name left her lips.

“Something entirely forbidden in all sense of the word,” he murmured, his hands tracing along her spine, settling her fully against him.

Her lips grazed his like a phantom, and a raging inferno ignited behind his irises. “And what might that be?”

“You,” he breathed. “It appears that hasn’t been obvious since the moment we met.”

Esmyra refused to believe the words as they reached her ears. It had to have been a lie, a trick. She had never used her power on him. Never once compelled him into lust for her. She just never felt the need to, even back at Anchorage Cove.

Was it because deep down, she always knew it was there beneath his heated stares? Or was it because this cursed attraction toward him was something else entirely?

She never pursued men, aside from having them fall into her tricks when needed. But from the beginning, she’d never had the desire to use that on Draevyn.

The world sharpened as her eyes shifted, not by choice or from rage, but from the unbearable amount of emotions that crashed into her like a raging storm. Draevyn was the only card she had to play in order to get her father back, and suddenly the thought of letting him go became unbearable.

“Why?” Her eyes searched his as the word left her in a breath.

“Consider me under your spell, Wildfire. Those talons of yours sank into me the moment we met, and by all the gods, they refuse to let me go.” The note of vulnerability in his voice caught her off guard, as if the truth had slipped from him before he’d had the chance to contain it .

Her breath hitched, the weight of his words sinking in. “I’ve never used it on you. Not in that way. I swear to you.”

Draevyn subtly shook his head, the softest smile forming as he watched her. “It was a poor choice of words. What I should’ve said was the spell of…well, you .”

Esmyra wasn’t supposed to let herself care for anyone—not like this, not with so much at stake.

And yet here she was, tangled up with him, pulled in by the raw honesty in his eyes and words.

She wanted to resist it, to pull back and remind herself of everything that could go wrong, of the danger and thousands of unknowns they were both wrapped up in.

But instead, she slid her hands down his shoulders, welcoming the heat radiating off his skin as she leaned into him.

When Draevyn brought his lips to hers again, the world fell away once more.

It was just him, here, holding her in this hidden alcove.

The sensation of his mouth on hers, the way he pressed her body to his in an undeniable sense of need, was more than she’d ever let herself consider with someone before.

Her hands fell to his waist, her fingers digging in, as if to ground herself from the dizziness his touch brought to her.

Their kiss deepened, and she lost herself in the feeling—of his flesh against hers, and the strength in his arms as he held her close. His hands traced her skin as though memorizing every inch, every detail.

Draevyn suddenly broke the kiss, his hands balling into fists next to her hips, resting on the rock.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, her pulse quickening.

“Gods, no.” There was a growl in his voice, as if he was holding himself back. “I just don’t want to take this too far. I don’t want to force this on you.” He let out a breathy laugh. “It’s not as if we haven’t had our fair share of trying to kill one another.”

Esmyra brushed her nose against his before nibbling on his bottom lip, earning a groan from him. “Do you really believe I would tolerate your touch if it wasn’t wanted?”

The blaze in his eyes surged. “Perhaps not.”

The soft murmur of laughter and voices filtered through the quiet of their alcove, pulling her back into the present with a jolt. They stiffened, her gaze darting toward the sound echoing along the path beyond the lagoon.

They barely dared to breathe as the voices grew louder—clearly people wandering home from the celebration.

She quickly sat up on the stone, her cheeks flushed from the intimacy they just shared and the abrupt interruption.

Draevyn shifted, glancing back towards the path as he listened. “Looks like we’ve got company. Again,” he grumbled.

“Aye,” she said on a breath, still looking in the direction of the noise. “It appears the lagoon isn’t as secluded as I thought.”

Esmyra sank back into the water next to him before they moved to hide behind the cattails and lily pads once more.

And then a splash sounded from across the lagoon—several mer-tails lifting from them as people dove into the lake. Both of them whirled in its direction, and Esmyra’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as she considered diving beneath the water to see what was occurring.

But then Draevyn’s touch halted her.

He ran his hand gently down her arm. “Perhaps I should get you back to the palace before people notice.”

Esmyra huffed as she rolled her eyes. “So noble.”

Draevyn stepped around her in the water and flashed a teasing grin as he held out his hand for her. “Allow me to escort you, Wildfire.”

She couldn’t help her smile as she placed her hand in his.