Liora felt a flicker of anticipation spark through her, equal parts excitement and mischief.
“Well,” she replied lightly, lifting her chin, “lead the way.”
Maldenis’s expression held that same knowing curve as he turned, his serpentine form gliding smoothly ahead.
And as she followed, Liora couldn’t decide which she was more curious about: the spring he promised…or the basilisk leading her there.
They emerged through a side exit of the bar and out into the open night, where the warmth of Solkaris wrapped around them immediately, thick but softened by the late hour. The sky above stretched wide and endless, impossibly clear.
She slowed, tilting her face upward. “I love how you can see the stars so clearly here,” she said softly.
“No light pollution,” he followed her gaze. “We prefer our nights untouched.”
“It’s amazing,” she murmured.
The starlight was bright enough to guide their steps, casting a pale glow over the ancient ruins surrounding the restaurant district. Broken columns and crumbling archways rose from the earth like the bones of some long-forgotten civilization. Time had smoothed their edges, but magic still hummed faintly through the stone.
“You bring all your overheated guests this way?” she asked lightly.
“Only the interesting ones.”
“Oh? And I qualify?”
He glanced at her, red hair catching starlight like embers. “You qualified the moment you didn’t flinch.”
“From what?”
“From me.”
She smiled at that, stepping closer as they walked. “I don’t scare easily.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
Before them was a tall iron gate set between two thick stone pillars. The metal was old but sturdy, locked with a heavy chain.
Liora stopped. “Is this the part where you admit we’re turning back?”
Maldenis looked almost offended. “Trust me,” he said.
She barely had time to say “Yes—” before his arms slid around her. The movement was swift and effortless. One moment, she was standing beside him; the next, she was lifted securely against his chest. She let out a surprised gasp as his powerful coils tightened beneath them, his serpentine lower body anchoring and rising in a smooth, controlled motion.
The gate proved no obstacle.
With fluid precision, he maneuvered upward, tail gripping stone and iron alike. His strength was undeniable as he carried them both over the barrier.
Liora clutched instinctively at his shoulders, heart racing, not with fear, but with exhilaration.
And then they were descending.
He landed silently on the other side, lowering her with deliberate care until her feet brushed the ground. Except he didn’t immediately let go. She found herself still in his arms, the ruins quieter here, the air cooler. The faint sound of flowing water reached her ears from somewhere beyond.
She looked up at him, breath slightly uneven, a bright smile breaking across her face. “Well,” she said, laughter lingering in her voice, “that was dramatic.”
“You did ask for adventure.”
“Wait, pretty sure I didn’t ask to be carried over anything.”
His mouth curved. “You did not object.”
