“The celestial energy gives more than it takes. I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way.”
“If you’re with me, I will do it.” I spoke the words, for him—for the land, but I didn’t know if I could do it. There were times my magic didn’t respond at all.
Chapter 20
Golden embroidered flowers trailed the edges of my onyx gown—it hung off my shoulders. The fabric flowed behind me as I stepped closer to Lioran’s chambers. My hand lingered above the handle of his chamber door. All this time, he was in this room. So many times I passed it and wondered what lay behind the door, carved with intricate detail that matched mine. He was right here, with me—the whole time.
I exhaled, my breath catching in my chest. Before I could move, the door creaked open. His chrome eyes glittered even in low light—they entranced me.
“I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” he said. “But then I felt you lingering here.”
“What if I can’t do it?”
“Then you just enjoy the stars’ magic alongside me. It won’t hurt you to try.” He extended his hand to me, and as I slid my hand in his. The onyx’s heat dissipated. A crisp chill lay beneath it.
“You look radiant.” His voice lowered as he pulled me intohis chambers. His own inky black tunic shimmered in the candlelight's glow.
“I’m glad you like your dress choice.” I didn’t know where the dresses came from, but each one fit me exactly as it should—as if they were made for me. “Where did the dresses come from?”
“If I share all my secrets Aelira…” He rubbed his hands together. “Do you not like them?”
“They’re stunning, but are they for her? For your future wife?” I asked, even when I knew I shouldn’t. It didn’t matter—it shouldn’t matter, but every time I entered my chambers, and now his, I couldn’t break free from the thought.
That everything belonged to her. Even him.
The glimmer of light that flickered behind his eyes faded as I stepped back. “They are yours. All of them were made for you. There’s a fae in the Heart that uses her magic to craft clothing—yours and mine. She works very quickly.”
“How could she do that without meeting me?” I asked.
“Juniper gave her the outfit I found you in.”
I looked around his chambers, darker than my own, but just as ornate. Similar carvings, a similar hearth that glowed just as brightly as mine. Windows that overlooked the river just as mine did. I stepped back again, recoiling deep within myself.
“It’s all yours, just like the room is yours. I want you to have everything. I want you to be here. I choose you—only you.” He embraced me, pressing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “We get to have this, just us together right now. I am grateful for every moment.”
“As am I.” I was grateful for all of it. “Sometimes I just struggle with giving you my heart…knowing it will break. But I can’t stay away from you. I don’t want to even if I could.”
My fingers trailed down his chest, Iinhaled his scent—warm and familiar. It settled something within me I couldn’t name, until the knot in my chest slowly unraveled.
“This moment is just for us.” He pressed a gentle kiss upon my lips. I pulled him in closer, kissing him again. “I’m starting to wish no one was expecting anything tonight…why do they have to be all down there waiting?” His voice was low, it rumbled through me with each word he spoke.
A flutter rose in my chest—and suddenly it ran deeper, intertwining with my veins, pulsing through me. I nodded, unable to say anything else. He lingered close to me, before tugging me toward his open balcony.
“What do we have to do?” I asked, desperate to pry my thoughts from him.
“The starlight doesn’t just enhance the land—we must be conduits for its magic. Together, we can channel its power through the Verdant Alignment.”
“I still don’t know if I’m ready.”
“I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t think you were. Your gift is from the stars—their power won’t harm you.” He lifted his hand to me, and I slid my palm on top of his. “Before we begin, there’s something you must know. The celestial energy is powerful. It will awaken things in you…make you sense things with new depth.”
“What is it like?” I asked.
“It’s primal. If we partake in this together, it could heighten everything we feel for each other.” His hand gripped mine tighter. “You must decide if you’re willing to take the risk.”
Something had already awoken in me the moment I walked into his chambers. It was hard to weigh my thoughts when my thundering heart threatened my focus.
“What if we…can’t control it?”
