“Meet me outside the wings in five minutes,” he said, leaving me standing alone by the octet, my heart beating just as erratically as the music pulsing in my ears.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ahthimil
MAGNOLIA
Hael was already waiting for me by the time I made my exit, my heart pounding so hard against my chest, it hurt.
I knew it was a good thing he was walking me back to my room because I was drunk. I couldn’t even deny it anymore.
Five minutes was how long I walked in circles around the ball, and I nearly tripped seven times. The last drink hit me out of nowhere. I knew it was possible. It was one of the warnings that came with alcohol—it could creep up on you so fast that you wouldn’t even realize you were on your back, passed out and vulnerable, until it was too late.
But I didn’t care tonight. I wanted to not think. The alcohol was making me numb again, while simultaneously helping me forget about Dahes, and I loved it.
“Hmm?” I asked Hael, completely missing what he said. We were somewhere toward the southern tip of the castle now. I only knew from the glimpses of the Dome through the open windows.
He glanced at me. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
I stopped walking. My heels clicking against the marble had one resounding echo before silence followed. We were so far from the ball, so far from everyone now. The halls were eerily empty.
“What’s not a good idea?”
“This. Me walking you back.”
I bit my lip as I pressed my back against the wall, not realizing I had been backing up as he spoke. “You were the one who suggested it.”
“Fuck. Don’t do that.” His eyes were honed in on my mouth. In a single step, he stood before me, his fingers grazing across my lips.
My breath stilled. I wasn’t even sure I could fully inhale if I wanted to.
“I want to touch you, Nollie, so fucking bad that it’s messing with me,” he whispered.
Hewastouching me. I was all too aware of his hand still against my face, of the fact that my Token was so far from my mind that I was completely tangible.
I knew I should be asking more questions. I should be focusing on his weaknesses, but every thought left my mind as fast as it came, and all I could focus on was his single touch and how I wanted more.
I’d never wanted anything so badly in my life. I couldn’t think about anything else but him. Maybe my body knew before my mind did—I’d never gone transparent around him.
“And that’s a bad thing?” I whispered, finding my voice again and trying to piece together the bits of our conversation. He said walking me back was a bad idea, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why.
He shook his head like he was fighting something. “I don’t want to… I don’t want to hurt you…” His voice was strained. “You don’t want to be touched and it’s all I fucking want to do. I want…Fuck.” He pulled his hand away. Then took two steps back like I burned him.
A bead of sweat dripped down his temple and my gaze snagged on it.
“Idowant to be touched…” I admitted, then forced myself to swallow. “By you.”
His eyes widened. I watched his own chest rise in ragged breaths. “Nollie. Don’t?—”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t say something you don’t mean.”
“I mean it.” When he still didn’t move, I added, “Touch me, Hael. Please.”
Everything was a blur. He pulled me into his arms, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, and tilted my head up to his. His lips crashed into mine, consuming, devouring, demanding?—
I lost count of the amount of times my back slammed against walls as we kissed our way back to my room. If anyone saw us in the halls, I didn’t notice,couldn’tnotice. He was all I could focus on. All I could see, taste, feel, think about.
