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??The Price of Protection

Dorian

Ember had been quiet most of the day and that wasn’t normally like her. Last night, something happened.

Our bond was getting stronger by the day, which would explain the dream she had and why I was able to see it.

Of course she hasn’t told me about it yet. But I knew something shifted.

She was even quieter now, not with anger or fear, but with the weight of something bigger settling behind her eyes. Something ancient. Something familiar.

And still, she sat across from me in my study, legs curled under her, my shirt swallowing her frame, fingers flipping through a book older than most civilizations.

Her hair’s a mess. She smelled like lilacs and sleep. And I’d never wanted anything more in my life.

She bit her lip in concentration, eyes skimming the page like the truth might leap out and slap her. She didn’t even notice when her fingertips began to glow faintly, silver sparks, like static. Feral. Untamed.

She was starting to wake up.

And it’s beautiful.

“You’re doing it again,” I said, voice low, teasing.

She looked up, startled. “Doing what?”

“Using your power. You’re reading that page like it owes you something. The book’s responding.”

She glanced down. The silver light flared again, dancing along the tips of her fingers. Her breath caught. “That… that wasn’t me.”

“Yes,” I said gently, “it is. Your bloodline wasn’t just about survival. Your mother was a Watcher. And now, so are you.”

She swallowed, trying to hide how the words sank into her. “And what does that mean, exactly?”

“It means you don’t just see the monsters,” I said, crossing the room to kneel in front of her. “You’re meant to expose them. Protect what’s left of the light.”

Her lips twitched. “You’re talking like I’m some kind of holy warrior. Which is ironic, considering I’m sleeping with the monster.”

I grinned. “Sleeping is generous.”

Her smile faltered. She looked down at the book again, the moment stretching between us like a fraying wire. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Because if she had, they would’ve come for you sooner,” I said softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. “And she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop them. You were too young.”

Her eyes met mine, and this time, she didn't look away.

The power between us wasn’t just magic. It was gravity. And when I leaned in, when our lips met, it was soft.

Tender.

A kiss that didn’t demand anything. A kiss that asked.

I pulled her into my lap, her legs wrapping around my waist as my hands slid beneath the oversized shirt. Her skin was warm. Electric. Alive with something not entirely human anymore.

And when her hips rolled against mine, slow and deliberate, a growl slipped from my throat. “Ember,” I breathed, my mouth brushing her collarbone, “you don’t know what you do to me.”

She leaned back slightly, her voice a whisper. “Maybe I’m starting to.”

I pushed the shirt off her shoulders, my hands roaming her body like I was learning her all over again. She moaned when my mouth found the curve of her breast, when my fingers slid between her legs and found her already soaked for me.

“You want me?” I asked, voice low, dark with reverence.

She nodded, biting her lip. “I want us . Even if I shouldn't.”

That was all it took. I lifted her slightly, unbuckling my pants and guiding myself into her in one slow, deep thrust.

She gasped, arms tightening around my neck, her forehead pressed to mine as I moved inside her.

The rhythm was unhurried, sensual, every motion a promise that I wasn’t just taking, I was giving. Letting her feel every ounce of control she thought she was losing.

“Dorian,” she whispered, “I think… something’s happening to me.”

“It’s supposed to,” I murmured, brushing my lips over hers. “You’re unlocking what’s been buried. You’re not breaking, Ember. You’re becoming.”

Her magic pulsed under her skin, wild and raw, a silver glow faintly humming at her collarbone. I trailed my fingers over it, slowly, reverently. She wasn’t just beautiful right now. She’s transcendent.

And she’s mine.

She arched up, mouth parting as I sank into her one last time. Her hands gripped my back, pulling me closer, whispering something against my lips I couldn’t even hear. But I felt it.

We moved together, not frantic this time, but slow. Deep. Intentional.

Like we were trying to memorize each other with every thrust.

I kissed her neck, her chest, her mouth. I murmured her name like a vow and she breathed mine like a confession.

And when she came, it was soft. Shattering. Her body arched, magic flaring. I followed with a groan, holding her close as I spilled into her, lost in everything we had become.

Afterward, I didn’t leave her.

I stayed tangled in her, my hand cradling her bare waist as she curled into me, cheek pressed to my chest. Her heartbeat slowed in sync with mine.

She should’ve pulled away by now.

But she didn’t.

And that alone told me she’s slipping. Not into fear. But into us .

“I shouldn’t want this,” she whispered, eyes closed.

“But you do,” I murmured against her hair.

She didn’t deny it.

She just exhaled softly and drifted off to sleep in my arms.

And for once… I let her go first.

Ember

The moment sleep took me, the world around me changed.

I was no longer in Dorian’s arms. No longer warm, or safe.

I was standing in a place that felt both infinite and enclosed, like a void filled with whispers I couldn’t quite hear.

Everything glowed faintly violet. The stars were too close. The air, too still. And then I felt him. Before I saw him.

“Kreed,” I said aloud, even though I didn’t know how I knew.

He stepped out of the mist like he belonged in this world. Pale hands in his pockets, eyes gleaming silver like a reflection of mine. He didn’t look dangerous here.

He looked like knowledge dressed in temptation. “You’re dreaming,” he said casually. “But I didn’t come to scare or try to kill you.”

“Then what do you want?”

“To help you.”

I laughed bitterly. “That’s rich coming from the guy who killed my mother and tried to kill me, too.”

“I didn’t break in. You called me here,” he said, tilting his head. “Not with your mouth. With your power.”

I folded my arms. “If this is about trying to turn me against Dorian, don’t bother.”

His smile was slow, patient. “I don’t want you to leave him, Ember. I want you to learn what he can’t teach you.”

“I don’t need you to learn how to use my powers.”

“You’re not just using powers. You’re awakening an inheritance. And Dorian, for all his strength and brooding charm, was never a Watcher. He doesn’t know what it means to carry that bloodline. To be the bridge between realms.”

I faltered, just slightly.

He stepped closer, eyes sharp but not unkind. “There are things he doesn’t want you to know. Things he’s afraid you’ll remember. Your mother knew it. That’s why she tried to hide you.”

My throat tightened.

“You’re not normal, Ember. And you’re not meant to be caged by comfort. You’re meant to protect the Veil, and what’s waiting to tear through it.”

He reached for me, but stopped before touching. “When you’re ready to see the truth… find me. In dream, or in flesh.”

Then the dream began to collapse around us.

“Wait!” I started.

But he’s already fading.

His last words echoed through the air like a whisper written in lightning: “Dorian can love you. But only I can unlock you.”

I bolted upright in bed, breath caught in my throat.

Dorian stirred beside me, murmuring my name, fingers sliding along my arm.

“You’re okay.” he whispered. “It was just a dream.”

And I wasn’t sure, but still, I nodded.

But it wasn’t.

Not just.

And for the first time… I wasn’t sure I was ready to tell him.