Page 41

Keane

Late one night, Marigold and I sat together in a quiet corner of the library, the dim light pooling around us like we existed in our own little world. My phone said it was almost midnight, and we were the last ones here.

Uncle hadn’t wanted us spending time together—he’d made that clear during my last stabilization session—but I couldn’t seem to listen.

I couldn’t seem to stay away.

But my temples throbbed as I tried to stabilize the portals circling around us. Lately, they had been… off. My magic felt wrong, tainted, like it carried echoes of my uncle’s therapy sessions—like he was watching, even now.

Your magic needs constant maintenance , his voice rattled in my skull. Without it, you’ll become unstable. A danger to yourself. To her.

I clenched my jaw and focused on Marigold.

She was still here, still grounding me. If I could just stay in this moment, maybe I wouldn’t shatter under the weight of what was coming.

She sat cross-legged on the sofa, flipping through her father’s diary and her own notes. Scout clicked industriously at the pages, his tiny skeletal paw tapping out patterns like he was trying to decipher something himself.

The bracelet I’d given her dangled from her wrist, the key swaying back and forth like a pendulum.

“Have you figured out anything about the cipher?” she asked. “I can’t seem to make heads or tails of it.”

I swallowed. I hadn’t told her that Uncle didn’t want me helping her with the diary.

“I think he was using…” I started, but my mind blanked as she shifted, her knee brushing mine. Magic hummed where we touched, clean and right in a way that made my stomach twist.

Wrong. It wasn’t supposed to feel this right.

“Keane?” she looked up, and suddenly we were much closer than I’d intended. Close enough to see the hints of violet in her pretty brown eyes, the way her lips parted slightly when she was deep in thought.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly. “You seem distracted.”

I blinked.

“I’m fine,” I lied. I wasn’t fine.

I wasn’t supposed to be here. Not with her. Not when every moment with her made it harder to obey. Not when Uncle’s magic coiled deeper into my bones every time I left his therapy sessions.

“I’m just thinking about how naturally our magic works together.”

Her expression softened. “Like it was meant to.”

She bit her lip, and my eyes tracked the movement before I could stop myself.

Warmth flooded me.

“Kind of like now…”

The air between us felt charged, crackling with possibility. My magic stirred restlessly, wanting to reach for hers—not just power calling to power, but something deeper. Something that felt like destiny and danger all at once.

I reached out, taking her hands in mine, and my portals steadied. The shimmering silver light pulsed in time with my heartbeat, the way it had before the therapy sessions became so frequent.

“You make me better,” I said, not knowing exactly what I meant by it. I found myself lifting my hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. Her skin was warm beneath my fingers, alive with necromantic energy that called to my own power like a siren song.

“Keane,” she whispered, her voice grounding me like a tether. I pressed my forehead to hers, trying to memorize her scent, her warmth, the feel of her body against mine. This had to last.

“Don’t forget me,” I said quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. She blinked, surprise flickering in her eyes. Don’t let me forget myself.

When our lips finally met, it felt like every portal in the world opening at once—that same rush of power and possibility. But where our first kisses had been gentle exploration, this held deeper hunger. Her fingers tangled in my hair as I pulled her closer, need overwhelming caution.

Our magic rose to meet our passion—my portals shimmering with silver light while shadows deepened around us, responding to her power. The combination should have been discordant, but instead it felt perfectly balanced. Like two halves of something ancient finally reuniting.

I shouldn’t be here. Every second spent with her tightened the noose around my neck. Tomorrow, my uncle would sense this. He’d press harder, push the therapy harder until my magic bent completely to his version of stability.

But tonight? Tonight was mine. Marigold was mine. Even if I had to pay for it tomorrow in blood.

Marigold made a soft sound against my mouth, threatening what remained of my control. My hands slid down her back, tracing the curve of her spine as she pressed closer. I guided her into my lap, wanting—needing—to eliminate any remaining space between us.

“Tell me to stop,” I managed between kisses, though it nearly killed me to say it. “If this is too fast…”

“Don’t you dare,” she said. “I want you.”

Those words, more than anything physical, broke the last of my restraint. I caught her mouth again. But this wasn’t just passion—it was recognition. Understanding. Two people who’d grown up in the shadows of dead parents, finally finding something real in each other. And I needed this moment.

Our magic surged around us—portals gleaming silver, shadows deepening in response. The air pulsed with raw energy, something that belonged to us alone. My uncle’s taint couldn’t reach here. Not now. I kissed her fiercely, daring the world to break this moment.

She responded with equal fervor, her hands slipping beneath my shirt to trace patterns that felt like fire against my skin. Each touch sent sparks of magic dancing between us.

My lips trailed a path down her neck, my fingers gently undoing the buttons of her shirt. Then I spread it open, and traced the delicate lace edge of her bra reverently. She was here and she was real. I needed this.

Marigold’s breath quickened as I stroked her nipples through the thin material, her body arching towards me in response. When she did that she rocked herself against my hardening dick, and I swallowed hard.

“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, meeting her gaze.

She smiled and removed the rest of her shirt and bra, tossing them aside. I watched her, tracing every curve with my eyes.

“Do we need a condom or something?” she asked softly. “I’ve never done it with a witch.”

A warm chuckle rose in my chest. “Then you’re in luck, because there’s a spell for everything.” I traced the rune on her lower belly, and she took note of the details, then I leaned closer to her ear and whispered the words.

“Just that?” she asked in surprise.

Nodding, I said, “Protects from pregnancy and from disease. Not that I’m…” I blushed.

“I know,” she said. “I trust you.”

Desperately I wanted to be worthy of that trust, but I wasn’t sure if I could. Uncle… I pushed the thoughts away, needing to be here, now, with her.

Then her hands reached up to help me with my shirt. As my skin was exposed, she leaned in, pressing soft kisses across my chest, her fingers tracing the contours of my muscles. Each touch sent warmth skittering through me.

I lifted her chin, our eyes meeting, and I kissed her again, my touch gentle yet passionate. I leaned down kissing and stroking her breasts. They were perfectly sized, fitted to my hands, and the nipples hardened as I flicked my thumb across them.

Our lips met once more, and my hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer. Our magic continued to intertwine, creating a powerful connection that deepened with each passing moment.

Lifting her effortlessly, I turned and laid her back against the cushions. Then I kissed my way down her body, paying homage to every inch of skin with my lips and tongue. By the time I reached her navel, she was trembling beneath me, her breaths uneven.

I undid the clasp of her jeans, and Marigold lifted her hips, allowing me to slide the clothing off. She wore a simple pair of black panties underneath, and I couldn’t resist running my fingers over the lace edge

“Gorgeous,” I whispered and trailed kisses down her stomach. My hands roamed over her thighs, tracing patterns on her skin that made her shiver.

“Keane,” she moaned.

I nipped at the waistband of her panties before sliding them off as well. Marigold’s legs fell open for me willingly, and I took in the sight of her—bare and exposed to my hungry gaze. She really was beautiful and oh so real.

Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to the inside of each thigh, slowly working my way towards my ultimate destination.

Marigold’s breaths came quick and shallow as I teased her with light touches along the edge of where she wanted me most. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she reached down and tangled one hand in my hair while using the other to guide me to her apex.

I eagerly complied, dipping my tongue between swollen folds until she was writhing beneath me with pleasure. I worshipped her the way I wanted to—with my mouth, my hands, my everything. Licking her, savoring her, drawing every moan, every shuddered breath from her body like a prayer.

Her thighs trembling around my face as I pushed her closer, coaxing her toward the edge but never letting her fall too soon . My fingers slid inside her, and she choked on my name as her body arched off the couch.

Her hips bucked against me as she drew closer and closer to ecstasy.

When it hit, her body tensed, her back arching, her hands clenching in my hair as she came, moaning my name like it was the only thing anchoring her to the world.

I held her through it, my tongue working her through every aftershock, my fingers pressing deep until she was trembling beneath me.

Only when she finally sagged against the cushions, her breathing ragged, did I lift my head, pressing one last reverent kiss against her thigh.

She blinked at me, dazed, her lips parted. “Keane…”

I stood, taking off the rest of my clothes. Then I kissed my way back up her body, letting her taste herself on my lips as I settled between her legs. My cock throbbed with need, but I didn’t rush.

I never wanted to rush this.

She reached between us, wrapping her fingers around me, and I groaned, pressing my forehead to hers. Her touch was tentative at first, then bolder, stroking me slowly.

“Marigold—” I caught her hand, stopping her before I lost the last of my restraint.

She laughed breathlessly, utterly wrecked but still teasing.

“Now Keane,” she whispered. “I want all of you.”

A shudder racked through me at her words. She didn’t just want sex. She wanted me .

I lined myself up, pressing in slowly, inch by agonizing inch, watching every flicker of emotion cross her face. I felt her stretch around me, felt the moment I was fully inside her, buried in the only person who had ever made me feel whole.

I thrust into her slowly at first, savoring the way she clenched around me, the way her nails raked down my back, the way she breathed my name like it was salvation.

“Stars above,” I groaned against her neck, “you feel so good.”

“Keane,” she gasped, rocking her hips experimentally, and I lost the last thread of my sanity.

She met my rhythm, her body moving with mine, and it wasn’t just making love. It was something deeper, something carved into my bones, something that felt like fate.

I wasn’t careful anymore. I couldn’t be.

I pushed deeper, harder, dragging her against me with every thrust, needing her closer, needing all of her. My hands gripped her hips like she was the only thing keeping me from falling apart, like she was the only thing anchoring me to this world.

Her moans grew louder, more desperate, and I felt her unraveling beneath me. “Keane, I’m—”

“I’ve got you, love.”

And then she shattered.

Her orgasm tore through her, her walls clenching around me so tightly I nearly came with her. But I held on, watching her fall apart in my arms before finally letting myself go. I came with a groan, burying myself inside her, my body shaking, magic surging around us.

Later, we lay tangled together on the cushions, my portals shimmering softly overhead, forming a dome of privacy.

Her necromantic energy pulsed gently around us like a protective barrier, her dead things keeping silent watch.

Scout had curled up beside Wisp, both familiars nestled together, radiating a rare sense of peace.

Marigold’s fingers traced lazy patterns across my chest, her touch grounding me. “That was…” She sighed contentedly and nuzzled closer. “We should probably do that again. Soon.”

A soft laugh escaped me, the sound surprising in its rawness. I tightened my arms around her, letting myself breathe her in, letting myself believe I could stay like this—stay whole —just a little longer. “That’s a plan I can get behind.”

She tilted her head to meet my gaze. “I care about you, Keane.” The words were simple, but they carried a quiet strength that hit me harder than I expected.

“I care about you too,” I said softly, the admission pulling something from deep inside me. I brushed a kiss across her temple and whispered, “More than I should.”

Her smile was soft but knowing, as if she understood all the unspoken fears between us. She didn’t push me to explain. Instead, she simply whispered, “Stay with me.” Not a command, just a request—one that somehow meant more than any promise.

“I’m not going anywhere tonight.” But I couldn’t promise her tomorrow.

Wisp shifted at the edge of the portal dome, its form shimmering uneasily as the silver light began to pulse with irregular shadows. The edges of my portals began to waver and crack, growing more unstable by the moment. A warning. A reminder of what was creeping ever closer.

“What’s wrong?” Marigold’s voice was quiet but alert, her hand pausing on my chest.

I shook my head, forcing the tension from my jaw. “Nothing. Just… tired.” It was a lie, and she probably knew it, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not now.

She hesitated, her gaze lingering on me for a long moment before finally settling back against my shoulder. “Okay,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin.

I swallowed hard, trying to push away the creeping fear, the echoes of my uncle’s magic clawing at the edges of my mind. Just a few more hours. Just a few more moments where I could pretend this was real—that I wasn’t already slipping away from her. From myself.