Page 89 of Swords of Soul and Shadow (Gate Chronicles #3)

Hallie laughed even as her cheeks burned. Kase glared daggers at his brother and sister-in-law as Clara pulled Jove away, but Kase’s brother still managed to get in a: “I wouldn’t say yes until you’ve seen his grammar school portrait!”

Kase’s fingers tensed on her waist as Hallie asked, “Grammar school portrait?”

Kase slung a deadly look in his brother’s direction.

“The technology was rather new, and well, as we went to one of the wealthier schools in the city, they’d been testing out the newest flash portrait maker, something the First Settlers called a camera.

I was eleven, and well…I may or may not have… ”

“Spit it out.”

“Eravin dared me. I swear.”

“Kase, just tell me.”

His face was bright red, but he ground out, “I may or may not have flashed the man taking the portrait.”

“Kase Shackley!”

“I’m going to kill Jove.”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed so hard she could barely breathe.

Kase was still blushing as dark as a mazelberry, but he joined in.

They couldn’t stop for a while, and a few people gave them strange looks.

The laughter broke the last of the tension, and she caught her breath, wiping her tears when they finally calmed down enough to start dancing again.

“The funniest part is that it doesn’t even surprise me. ”

He shook his head, chuckling. “Mother was livid. Almost as much as the time we broke the window playing cricket in the courtyard. Got Zeke to take the blame for that one, though.”

“Seems like you and Jack would’ve gotten along quite well. I only got him to take one flash portrait with me as a gift for Papa. Had to pinch him to get him to smile for it.”

Kase brushed a thumb over her cheek, wiping away one of the stray tears of laughter that had escaped her own fingers. “I’d have liked to meet him.”

The moment grew heavy, laden with everything they’d lost. Hallie wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t try; instead, she allowed Kase to lead her through the dance once more.

A few moments later, she remembered what they’d been talking about before Jove had interrupted. “But why?”

“Hmm?”

“Why was the tattoo a stupid idea?”

He spun her out and back in, almost to avoid answering because she knew that wasn’t the next dance step. “Told you I regret a lot of things.”

She wasn’t dissuaded. “Didn’t you say something earlier about proving you love me?”

“Yes.”

“This is your first test.”

“You’re rather frustrating. You know that, right?” He put his hand on her waist once more and guided them further away from Jove, who had spun his way back around the circle again, creeping ever closer. Hallie bit back a laugh.

“One of my many virtues.” Hallie said, allowing a smile to creep across her face.

“All right,” Kase said, a small roll of his eyes. “The one Jove referred to is a small dragon on my shoulder. Looks more like a tortured worm. Got it with Skibs after we graduated from the bikes.”

“Bikes?”

“Hoverbikes. New pilots ride them to learn the controls before they’re allowed real airships.”

Hallie tangled a few fingers of her right hand into the curls at the nape of his neck again. He moved his head a little, and Hallie laughed. “Like that, don’t you?”

“Feels nice, what can I say.”

They danced past a few Jaydians, who gave them appraising looks.

“You said the one Jove referred to.” Hallie raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean there are more?”

He spun her out again, and she tripped. He caught her and brought her back smoothly. “Seems you don’t know this dance very well.”

“I’ve never heard this song.”

“Maybe I should change your nickname to something more appropriate?”

“Birdy was a stupid one to begin with, and besides, you’re being evasive, Master Pilot.”

“Now that’s an absolutely ridiculous nickname if I’ve ever heard one.”

She placed a finger on his lips. “Tell me about your other tattoo.”

He sighed. “The other one…” He kissed her finger before removing it with his other hand, kissing her knuckles instead. “It’s one I got after the Eudora mission.”

“And?”

“It might be worse than the dragon one. I was feeling poetic.”

She laughed, imagining a floral pattern. “It’s something frilly, isn’t it?”

“Never.”

Hallie thought for a moment. What would he have? She doubted it was another dragon. Maybe something from a book? The Odyssey ? But what would be embarrassing about that? “It’s my name.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I was so enamored by the only woman who dared spurn me that I got her name tattooed right above my—”

“If you finish that sentence, I will slap you for a third time.”

Kase threw his head back and laughed again.

Was that the third or fourth time that evening?

She really liked this side of him. It was as if he’d finally let go.

Whether that was from their honest discussion or the fact she’d told him she loved him, she didn’t know, nor did she care. She never wanted him to stop.

“When I got back,” he finally said, “I used reading as an escape for…everything. And a recent find of my mother’s was the complete works of J.R.R. Tolkien, a First Earth fantasy author.”

Oh no….oh no…surely not.

“So help me, if you have Tom Bombadil on your chest, I will never speak to you again.”

“And of course, I wouldn’t want that.” She hit him lightly on the shoulder again, and he smiled, almost shy. “It’s ‘aure entuluva.’”

She stared at him for a minute. Oh, that wasn’t bad at all. “Day shall come again.”

His eyebrows rose. “Impressive, Miss Walker.”

“Tolkien created at least fifteen languages and dialects, including Quenya, so as a student of linguistics and etymology, I based one of my term papers on him.”

His eyes sparkled in the firelight. “As one does.”

“I got full marks.”

“Well, I would’ve never given you the time of day if you’d received anything less.”

He brushed a stray hair behind her ear. She leaned into his hand. “So only two?”

“Only two. The Elvish is on my upper inner arm.” His fingers brushing the line of her jaw. Hallie shivered.

“Why?”

“I needed to do something besides spiral, and a very wise but frustrating scholar once told me I had to learn to keep on living.”

“Quite pretty, too, I hear.”

“And humble.”

Hallie laughed. Kase pulled her even closer, the space between them almost nonexistent.

He hooked his finger underneath her chin once more.

She could feel the heat of his body, the smell of woodsmoke and leather filling her senses, and she was certain her heart was going to leap from her chest. Unfortunately, her father chose that moment to walk right past, leading her mother to a seat.

Her mother glared at Kase. Heat pulsed in her core.

Kase relaxed his grip, letting his finger fall and allowing more space than needed to come between them.

Why wouldn’t he just kiss her already?

“I’m beginning to think they’re doing that on purpose,” Kase said dryly.

Her mother took a seat nearby and kept a sharp eye on their dance. Hallie blew out a sigh, turning her back on her mother. “I’m an adult, for stars-sake.”

Kase pulled her into the next step, a little loop and spin together. “My mother and yours will get along splendidly, I think. All proper and such.”

Hallie shot a glance behind her with the next twirl. Her mother’s eyes didn’t leave her, though her father tried to pull her into a conversation with Niels, who was pointedly not looking in their direction.

Kase’s hand whispered over the curve of her waist. Her mother narrowed her eyes.

Hallie huffed and grumbled under her breath, “We ain’t doing nothing wrong.”

Kase missed a step and just caught himself. “I’m sorry. Did you just say ain’t ?”

Hallie’s face caught fire. She’d worked very hard to hide her accent when she knew she’d be going to the capital. It’d taken her months to mask it enough. “I…well…”

Kase allowed a slow grin to curl across his face. “Normally, such an egregious breach of grammatical etiquette would be cause for ridicule, however, when you say it…well, it’s rather attractive, if I do say so myself.”

“Hush, you,” Hallie managed to grind out even though her face probably rivaled her hair.

“And if I don’t, are you going to bless my little heart? I’ll let you.”

Hallie swatted his shoulder. “That’s not even the right context.”

Kase just laughed. She willed her face to return to its normal color and cleared her throat. “As I was saying, we weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Sure thing, darlin.” Kase’s eyes twinkled. He was proud of himself. Blasted man.

“I’m rolling my eyes at you.”

“Of course you are.” He pulled her closer. “Now, back to what I was saying…define wrong…”

Oh no.

“Kase…”

He glanced right and left, his smile listing more to the side and becoming a smirk. Hallie shook her head. “Whatever you think you’re about to—”

He slid one hand into her hair, the other pulling her to him, cutting her off.

And then his lips were on hers, no hesitation, no what-ifs or teasing.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she melted into him, tangling her fingers in the front of his shirt.

She’d most definitely get an earful later, but at that moment, she didn’t care. She’d missed this so badly, it hurt.

He kissed her as if there hadn’t been any before it.

His thumb traced lazy circles at the tender spot beneath her ear, each stroke memorizing the skin beneath his featherlight touch.

His lips were full of yearning and fear and passion.

They were firm and desperate, as if he dared stop, she would simply disappear.

If every kiss was going to be like this, she might forgive him for just about anything. For this one moment, she could actually believe they’d have a future, even if it was a short one.

Someone whistled nearby. Another few followed.

Kase pulled back slowly, his arms still wound around her. She very pointedly did not look in her mother’s direction. “That illegal…that be….” She took a breath. “Give me a moment.”

“Told you my kisses were good,” he whispered in her ear.

Hallie bit her lip. He wasn’t wrong, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. Her fumbling words didn’t help her case. “That might be against society rules. Just a little.”

He gave her a short but sweet kiss that did not last long enough for her liking. His grin said he knew exactly what she was thinking. “You should know by now I never play by the rules.”

She went to sleep that night knowing she would give him the world if he asked, and he would give her the stars. They just needed to figure out how to get there first.