Page 21

Chapter Twenty-One

I n the hollowed quiet of the ancient tree, Caelum’s mouth was insistent on mine, hot and hungry. Every touch, every graze of his fingers at the nape of my neck pulled me in deeper.

He coaxed me against the rough internal wall of the hollow tree, capturing both of my hands above my head as he nipped at my jawline, my earlobe. I was losing myself in the feel of him—the warmth of his hands, the weight of his body pressed against mine, grounding me as much as he was setting my whole world spinning.

An insatiable frenzy rippled through me. I was lightning trapped in a bottle, and I needed release.

“Let me go,” I whispered between ragged breaths, straining against his hold on my wrists.

He listened. With my hands free, I clutched at his arms and spun him, so his back was against the wall now. I shoved him against it, hard. I thought maybe too hard, but when I looked up at him, his eyes were wide with delight.

I dug my nails down his chest, and he groaned, pulling me taut against him once more. He yanked my head back by my hair, forcing my neck to be exposed. His mouth left rough kisses along my collarbone and up the column of my neck, leaving flames in their wake. I ran my hands through his hair, grinding my body against him but finding no relief.

I wanted him closer, so much closer.

I drew his mouth back to mine, my tongue slipping in, desperate to taste more of him. A low, eager sound rumbled from his throat, sending another bolt of need through me.

“Eedy,” he whispered against my lips, his voice rough, his hands in knots of my hair. “Gods, I want to stay here with you for the rest of my life.”

The words should have thrilled me, wrapped me in the possibility of an endless promise. But instead, they cut through the haze, sharp and unforgiving.

For the rest of my life?

A harsh reminder of my reality, that I might’ve claimed him here, now, but he wasn’t mine to keep.

I pulled back, meeting his startled gaze, my heart pounding with something between fury and heartbreak. I forced the words out, trembling. “I shouldn’t have done that. We shouldn’t...we can’t...”

He reached for me, nodding his head, his eyes still wild pools of desire. “Yes, Eedy. We can .”

I pushed his hands away, my anger flaring. “I don’t think your betrothed would agree. She should have a say in who her future husband kisses, Caelum!”

“She doesn’t have anything to do with this,” he proclaimed, frustration in his eyes as he reached for me again. “Please, Eedy, I can?—”

But I’d already backed away against the other edge of the hollow tree, swallowing the shame that clawed its way up my throat. I’d given in to him, to the deep need inside of me, and now I’d lose my heart. He’d rip it out when he left.

I needed to restore my walls; I needed my defenses back to protect me.

“Just go back to your lavish tent, and your proper fiancée, and your heaps of money, Caelum,” I hissed. “Leave me alone .”

He looked stunned for a moment, his mouth working to form words that wouldn’t come. And then his face hardened, and he straightened his spine to his full height, towering over me. “Are you implying heaps of money solves everything, Eedy?” His voice was taunting. “Would heaps of money be able to bring back your father?”

Anger flashed hot under my skin, and I stomped forward, slapping him across the face. “Don’t you dare bring him into this!”

A red welt appeared on his cheek, but still, he didn’t give up his assault.

“Well, would it?” His voice was a quiet fury, turning back to face me.

A heavy silence coated the hollow space, and I hated myself for not having a proper retort, for feeling so exposed in front of him.

“In case you haven’t been paying attention,” he went on, his voice cold and raw, “there are loads of problems that even heaps of money cannot—will never—be able to fix. It cannot bring your father back to you. It cannot stop my uncle from whipping me on a whim. It cannot even buy us an answer to this magical crisis. So, go ahead and lie to yourself. Tell yourself that the rich rake of a prince could never understand you. That feeling of being trapped. Stuck. Unable to climb the mountain that you so desperately want to.”

He took a shaky breath, his voice full of restrained anger. “If it helps you sleep at night, Tempest, then do it. Recite it to yourself like a prayer. But know this: no matter what you do, you know— and I know —it isn’t true.”

He turned to leave, but he paused after a few steps. Glancing back, his eyes shimmered as his voice dipped lower. “I thought we’d moved past you equating me to the dirt under your boots. Even though I’ve never had anyone in my life to tell me, I know I am worth much more than that.”

His words echoed unforgivingly in the cavernous space. The pain in his eyes mirrored something in my own chest, something I’d tried to ignore. I saw past his title, past his charm and arrogance, to the bruised, yearning soul that I’d been so desperate to avoid.

Because it reminded me of myself.

Without another word, Caelum stormed out of the hollow tree, leaving me standing alone in the shadows, my heart still pounding, and my eyes still burning, and my lips still tingling with regret.