Page 140 of Liminal

So there’s no telegraphing my move. I simply…throw myself at him.

“You did great,” I choke out as my arms wrap around his body. Then I jerk like I’ve touched a live wire.

Feeling erupts, like I knew it would; the blade of it is so sharp that it cuts.

Catches.

Tears.

This much sensation after so long without it is pure agony, but I fight past the pain and tilt my head back to claim his lips.

One final kiss.

A loving touch to finish it. I wanted that much, at least.

He cradles me like I knew he would. It’s a balm to the pain immobilising me, but it can’t vanquish it.

“What are youdoing?” Leo shouts.

“Kyrith!” Dakari chokes out.

Lambert draws back—is yanked away by a glaring North, of all people—and my eyes fall on Jasper, heart breaking as I read the sad realisation there.

My lips part, to apologise, to thank them, I’m not sure which. Then the pain escalates again, and it all goes black.

Forty

Lambert

My arms are wrapped around her, the way she fits there so uniquely satisfying that I grin and pull her closer.

North is yanking on my collar like he’s trying to strangle me. He’s probably jealous. If I had half a brain left after the game and the thrill of victory, I’d tell him not to be. I can share.

Unfortunately, my mind isn’t working right. Or maybe it’s my eyes?

I blink, trying to banish the cracks spreading out from her lips. For a long second, I wonder if it’s the flickering Christmas lights playing tricks on me. The coldest—and most anticipated—kiss of my life is everything I hoped it would be and more.

She’s kissing me.Kyrithis kissing me like I’m the last man alive, and damn, I’m into it.

But she’s stiff as a board, her expression fraught with pain as she falls back, and North finally manages to pull me off her.

They are cracks, I realise, grimacing as I realise whatever’s wrong with her, it’s getting worse. But why is everyone lookingat me with horror? Why is she looking at me like… likethat? All relief and pain and acceptance and…

Nothing makes sense.

The black lines spread from her lips, breaking in all directions across her face. I trace one as it forks across her nose, and then ricochets through her eye. I glance down to check on the other cracks, and the place where my arms were wrapped around her is worse, too.

Me? I did this?

I’ve just put two and two together, ice feathering through my veins in a way that has nothing to do with her closeness, when her expression glasses over.

She shatters.

I’ve never seen her fly apart into mist like this, but one second, she’s there, and the next…

Gone.

No. That’s… That wasn’t… I won the game. I won, and she was supposed to be happy. Any minute now, she’s going to pop out and declare this is some elaborate joke.