After I light a few candles and heat the water with my fire magic, making it steam in the small enclosed space, Severin and I climb into the tub, sinking into its warm embrace together. I settle against his chest, his heart beating out a steady rhythm against my back.
“Would you like me to wash your hair?” he asks.
The offer makes my chest warm, and he must feel it through the bond, because he reaches for the small vial of soap on the shelf beside the tub. It smells like lavender when he pours it into his hand, and my eyes close as he begins to work it into my hair, massaging my scalp, being careful not to snag his fingers in the strands or pull too hard.
“The bond is different now,” I say. “I can feel you more clearly. Like there’s no space between you and me.” Soap bubbles dance in the candlelight. Nibbling my bottom lip, I skim my fingertips across the top of the water and ask, “Do you think I’d feel it? My lifespan changing?”
Severin’s fingers pause for a moment, then resume their washing. “I don’t know.”
I turn to face him, making the bathwater slosh around us. “What does your life feel like?”
Hands covered in soap bubbles, he sits there quietly, seeming to consider this. “It feels... like it’s not in a rush. Time doesn’t move slower, but it feels less urgent. Like I have time to wander.” He reaches for a cup on the shelf beside the tub, then uses it to pour warm water over my head, rinsing the soap from my hair. “Though I’m not sure if yours will feel the same.”
He sets the cup aside, and when I meet his eyes, I find that even without answers, I’m not afraid. Instead, I feel settled, okay with the not knowing.
With a sigh, I lean back against him, cuddling against his bare chest, reclining in the warm water.
“Severin?” I say quietly as he traces the line of my throat with his fingers.
“Mm?” He sounds sleepy, and for the first time since our bond started to fray, I feel a calmness to him, a sense of... peace. Like he’s a warrior who can finally lay down his sword and rest, knowing the danger has passed.
“What happens when we go back? I don’t have any classes with you next semester.”
“Then we will have to be more intentional with seeing each other.”
I tip my head back against his chest and look up at him. “I know a little inn where we can stay.”
The corners of his mouth tilt up. “Is that so?”
Rising up, I press a gentle kiss to his jaw. “The beds are comfortable.” Then I press a kiss to his throat, feeling his pulse beneath my lips and within my chest. “And they serve an amazing potato soup.”
He rumbles with a tired laugh. “Then I will ensure we have a standing reservation—every Saturday night, just the two of us.”
“And after that?” I lean back, meeting Severin’s crimson eyes. “What happens after I graduate?”
He reaches out and lifts a strand of wet hair from my shoulder, twirling it around one finger. “What do you want to happen?”
“I want to be with you.”
His lips lift in a smile. “Then you will be with me. Wherever you go, whatever happens, I will not be far behind.”
The tiny fluttering worry in my chest calms, like a bird alighting upon a sheltered branch after a long flight.
Whatever happens, we will be together.
And that is all the comfort I need.
Chapter 65
Maeve
SPRING ARRIVES SLOWLY AT COVEN Crest. It starts with a melting of snow, with a scent in the air that hints at the life trying to spring up from the frozen ground. The air is softer, and as the frost loosens its hold on the earth, tiny green shoots begin to unfurl from the soil, reaching for the sun.
Inside the castle, the energy doesn’t feel so different.
Second semester always feels more energetic, with longer days and shorter nights. And as we leave the winter months behind, marching closer to the end of the academic year with each finished class period, excitement mounts.
Even now, as I walk through the bustling corridors, a cluster of vibrant first-years jostle past me, their voices and eyes bright as they discuss plans for the summer holiday.
