His jacket slipped from his shoulders to the floor; the buttons of her shirt came undone beneath his fingers. The kiss deepened as if they could devour one another, and he guided her back down on the desk, hovering over her.
For the briefest, most beautiful moment, there was only him. Onlythem.
Then a violent, searing agony ripped through Esmyra’s back, so sharp and sudden it stole the air from her lungs. She gasped against his mouth, the sound turning into a choked cry as her body arched off the desk. Her nails dug into his forearm, and she threw her head back against the wood as the pain blazed like fire along her spine.
“Esmyra!” His voice was panicked as he torehimself away, stumbling back a step. His eyes widened in horror. “What’s happening? Are you alright?”
She couldn’t answer, couldn’t even find her voice as the torment twisted, white-hot, like something inside her was trying to claw its way out.
“Kaelypso, this is a bad fucking time if you’re the cause of this.”Esmyra tried to will the words to the goddess locked within her.
The edges of her vision blurred, her body trembling violently against the desk.
Draevyn grabbed her shoulders to steady her, his face etched with fear. “Look at me!” he demanded, voice cracking. “What’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong so I can help!”
Her nails scraped weakly against the desk as she whimpered, tears streaking down her face from the sheer force of the pain.
“My spine—” She cried out as another wave hit, her body curling inward. “It feels like it’s snapping.”
His face went pale, but he acted quickly, slipping an arm around her waist to steady her. “Easy, easy. I’ve got you.” He carefully sat her up on the desk, cradling her close so she wouldn’t fall.
The agony dulled slightly with the change in position, the sharp, violent searing easing into a deep, throbbing ache. Her breath came in shaky pulls as she clung to him.
When the immediate wave of pain had passed, he glanced around, frantically inspecting the desk. “There’s nothing,” he muttered, running his hand across the wood. “Nothing sharp, nothing that could’ve—” He stopped himself and turned to her, his expression shadowed with something more than concern.
“Esmyra, baby… I need to see your back,” he said. “Please. I just need to make sure it looks okay.”
She hesitated, her pulse pounding wildly through her, but she eventually nodded. “Okay,” she breathed.
With trembling fingers, they worked together to peel her shirt away. Each of his movements were slow and careful, as if she might shatter under the wrong touch. The fabric slid over her arms, and she immediately folded them across her chest, covering her breasts asvulnerability crept in. It wasn’t even about him seeing her bare, but seeing her weakened.
Biting her lip, she turned slowly so her back faced him.
And then—silence.
Esmyra felt Draevyn’s stillness before she saw it. He didn’t speak, didn’t even move a muscle. The air around them seemed to tighten, heavy with dread.
“W-what is it?” she whispered.
He didn’t answer her, and panic began clawing its way up her throat.
“Drae?!”
When he finally exhaled, it was shaky, almost broken. “…Fucking Irah.”
She stiffened. “What? What do you see?”
The silence dragged on so long it made her stomach twist. She clutched her arms tighter over her chest, heart thundering as she waited for him to say something—anything.
Finally, his voice came, low and laced with horror. “Do you remember everything that happened when they captured you?”
Her brows furrowed, confusion cutting through her fear. “What?”
“Think.” His tone was sharper now, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her. “Do you remember what they did to you?”
“I—no. I don’t. I remember the fight breaking out in Anchorage Cove and Atlas cornering me. Then nothing.” Her fingers tightened against her skin as the memories swam hazy. “They knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, it was days later, and I was already on their ship. Everything in between is just…blank.”
He swore under his breath, a sound that sent chills through her. And then all the flame’s candles in the room burst brightly from his rage.
