Page 105 of Tower of Ash and Darkness (Tower of Ash #1)

CASPER

L ailah moves her body closer to me, the warmth of her skin against mine, as we lie in the quiet of the cave. The only sound is the soft crackle of the fire nearby. I pull the furs up around her, the cool air making me want to keep her close, sheltered from everything.

Her hands find their place on my chest, her fingers tracing the lines of my tattoos, moving slowly in soft, circular motions. A shiver runs down my spine at her touch. Normally, I don’t let anyone in this way, but with her, I crave it. It's everything I never knew I wanted.

I kiss the top of her forehead gently, and she stops her delicate movements, shifting so that her chest is pressed against mine.

She gazes up at me from beneath her lashes, and I can’t help but lose myself in the depth of her eyes.

They hold so much—so many questions, so much pain—but also a faint glimmer of hope.

“Tomorrow we have to go back to reality,” she says.

My jaw tightens as I pull her closer, unwilling to let go. Jason met with Sarris and his father two days ago, and after four days of waiting in this cave, the moment for answers feels agonizingly close.

"What if this were our reality?" I ask, my voice a low ache .

She hesitates, biting her lip, her brows drawing together. I tilt her chin gently, guiding her eyes back to mine.

"There’s no one else. Only us," I whisper.

She pulls away slightly, the confusion and fear in her eyes making my heart ache.

“You and me,” I say, my voice trembling with what I’m proposing, but I can’t stop myself from wanting it. “We can leave. We take different names. We go far from here, where no one will find us. No crown. No responsibilities. Just us.”

Her eyes soften, but there’s still hesitation there, deep in her gaze.

“We can’t just disappear,” she whispers, as if the very idea terrifies her.

“Why not?”

I want this with every part of me.

“It’s not about the things we leave behind, Lailah. It’s about what we’re looking for. We don’t need anything but each other. You can choose your life—your real life.”

Her brow furrows, masking something she’s afraid to say.

“You don’t understand,” she says, her voice cracking, her hands trembling slightly in mine. “My father... the stone... if anyone gets their hands on it—if anyone finds out what I am…”

She looks at me with fear in her eyes, her breath shaky, her vulnerability laid bare. I know the risks, but I’m not afraid. Not of her. Not of the truth she holds within her. I kiss her softly, my lips trembling against hers as tears slip from her eyes, salt mingling soft skin.

"It’ll never end," she whispers, looking away, fear evident in her trembling voice. "I’ll never be safe."

Her words cut deeper than she knows, a desperate edge rising as she looks at me. “They’ll come after us," she says, her voice breaking. "They’ll tear us apart."

I can see the agony play across her face. But I won’t let her carry this alone. I won’t let her be right.

“I won’t let them.”

I pull her closer, letting her fear seep into me as I hold her .

“I’ll never let them take you, Lailah. We don’t have to stay in this world, bound by the past. We can be free, together. ”

Her eyes search mine, torn between fear and something else—something softer, like hope. But there are still too many questions in those eyes for me to answer.

“What if running away isn’t the solution?” she asks, her voice breaking, her heart so exposed. “What if we live this short, beautiful life together, hiding from everyone, only for you to be running from this decision for eternity? I won’t put you through that.”

She’s afraid that by choosing this—choosing us —I’ll end up sacrificing more than I’m willing to bear.

And that thought terrifies her, because she loves me enough to not want to be the one who keeps me chained to a life of fear and hiding.

I pull her close, my hands trembling as they find her face, gently lifting it until her eyes meet mine again.

I can’t hide the way I feel any longer.

"I’m not scared of this world, or the evil that comes with it," I confess. "I’m scared of losing you. Only you ."

The silence that follows is heavy, aching. I’ve spoken these words before, but never like this—never with this kind of unguarded truth.

“It’s not fair to you,” she whispers, the remorse in her voice so cutting, so fragile. “You deserve more than just... this . A lifetime for me is a moment for you. And when mine ends, you will still carry the weight of it.”

I swallow hard, every word she speaks landing like an arrow lodged in my chest. The fear I’ve been holding inside fights to escape.

“I’ve endured a hundred lifetimes without you. I can’t bear another one. If it means running, I’ll run. If it means hiding, I’ll hide. But as long as you’re with me, I’m not afraid. I’m not running from anything anymore. I live for you , Lailah. Only for you.”

Her breath hitches in her throat, her eyes filled with a vulnerability I can’t look away from.

The battle between love and fear plays out in every inch of her.

And I can see the anguish—the unbearable thought of losing me, of watching me remain while she fades away.

I want to take that pain from her, to make her understand that I’m not afraid of the future anymore.

“Time may wither your body, age may steal your breath, but I will not leave. I’ll stand by your side, watching as you fade, and I’ll take every moment with you.

When death comes for you, I’ll be there— he can try to take you, but I’ll follow you into his grasp.

No matter how twisted, no matter how dark, I’ll walk through it with you.

Because even death himself will never take you from me. ”

Her tears fall freely, hot against my skin, and I pull her deeper into my embrace, wrapping her in every piece of me. I can feel her trembling, her body shuddering with the burden of everything we’re facing. I know she’s scared. I can feel it in the way she clings to me, the way her heart races.

But I’m not scared. Not now. Not with her in my arms. I pull her closer, as if holding her closer can erase the fear and stop time from slipping away.

“I’m not afraid of this,” I whisper against her hair, my voice low, filled with an ache only she can soothe.

“Not anymore. You are mine, and nothing— nothing —will ever take you from me. My soul calls to yours, and even if one day you turn from me, I will still be here, waiting until you come back home. To me .”

I hold her as she cries, her tears soaking into my skin, refusing to let go.

I tighten my arms around her, offering the only comfort I know how—my presence, my love.

She doesn’t say anything more, but I feel her trembling, quiet sobs wracking her body.

And slowly, as the tears continue to fall, she drifts into a restless sleep in my arms, her breath steadying as exhaustion finally claims her.

I stay awake, my heart heavy with the promises I can’t fully make, but I know this much. I will never leave her.

As she sleeps, I hold her close, every part of me silently vowing to protect her, no matter the cost.

She’s mine. And I am hers.