Page 93 of Souls We Rip

I took his hand, its warmth giving me the courage to move further. For the first time since I gained powers, I travelled us to my favourite place in this small world.

The cold air pushed my lungs, and in the next second, my feet touched the grass of the hill that overlooked my village.

I was with my sister the last time I climbed this hill and watched the sunrise. Right in front of us stood the church of the village. The holy place where my parents got married and where Angelica and I were baptised. It was over three hundred years old and was built when we knew of no king. Priest Neagu organised a restoration ten years ago. He hired painters to depict St Mihail and Gavril as they were the patrons of the church.

“Do you come here often?” he asked, releasing my hand.

I looked at him, sending daggers with my eyes.

“Oh, right. I am sorry about that!” He dipped his chin, watching me through his lashes.

“I brought you here to see the place I felt most comfortable in my entire life,” I said, taking a seat on the wet grass. My eyes travelled briefly to my house, but shaking my head, I returned my attention to the church. “There I ran either alone or with Angelica, to hide.” I swallowed, not moving my gaze. “When she was little, I used to take her away to this same field. But soon, she understood why we were running.”

Tiberius sat next to me, his eyes on my cheek, his fingers brushing mine.

“Priest Neagu tried talking to my father, but he never listened. After all this time, I realised that my father would let all of us go to church, because the sermon was at the same time as he had to meet with his drunk fellows.” I pulled my knees to my chest. “The thing is that the love of God not only gave me hope, but it also gave me comfort. I had something of mine, where I could hide.”

I blinked, freeing some of the tears gathered in my eyes. “My mum, of course, was mine and Angelica’s support during those times, but she was alone in doing so. I tended to her wounds multiple times. She blamed herself every time Angelica or I was hit. In the end, we were too afraid to leave.”

Swallowing, I wiped my tears. “You have to understand, Tiberius, the love for God kept me afloat.”

We stood, listening to the bells of the church ringing, as if they were calling for me. I dreamt of spending the most important events of my life in that church. Now, I could only dream from afar.

“And yet, you’re there.”

He took a deep breath, which reached my skin. “Where am I?”

“In my soul, in my mind, in every breath I take. You’re there to hold my hand and make me smile and feel as if I were worth anything.”

“Ana,” he said and kneeled for the second time in front of me, “you deserve everything pure and golden in this world. If I see that, with all my wrongdoings, you need to see it too.” He took my hand in his, kissing my knuckles. “I might not understand the deep adoration you feel for your god because I had none. But you made me believe in something other than my own selfish purpose.”

“And that is?” I whispered, leaning closer to him.

“Love.”

I thought I stopped breathing for a few moments. Besides my mum and my sister, nobody else told me that they loved me. And I was sure not to expect it from anyone else. Let alone the eternal Goat Man. My eyes roamed over his face in search of the mockery, but I had found only the purest feeling of them all. I knew the same resided in my soul for him.

“I know it is difficult to accept that a man who destroyed your life might nurture feelings for any beings other than himself,” he whispered. “And I know you said that I had a place in your heart.” He made me stand by tugging my hand gently. His fingers found my chin and brushed it. “I do not want your whole soul, inimă, I only want to be a part of your journey on this Earth as you’ll be part of mine.”

My eyes closed, imagining that I could have it all. I just needed to let my walls come down. At least to taste what could possibly be.

“I said to you that I don’t think myself pure anymore,” I whispered, lifting my eyes to him. “And that is because you are in my soul as well as God is. Nights, I stood and pondered if this was my path. Maybe God steered all the men at the Girls’ Fairs away. He must have known that I would meet you. And you made me feel and see so much in the last months.” I took a deep breath, my eyes searching his. “You were never my darkness, Tiberius.”

“But you were always my light, inimă. I knew from the moment I uttered that word that maybe someday, I would have one.”

We stared at each other, letting our eyes speak.

“Will I ever kiss you, Ana?”

As I pressed my lips lightly to his, a part of me flourished. The taste of him was unique, made just for me. My eyes closed to capture the moment better.

His hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. My hands flew to his neck, my fingers curling around his dark locks. I didn’t need to breathe; he would give me his air if I needed it. His lips moved one inch, opening mine, giving way to possibility. An endless abyss I would lose myself in.

I loved every second of it, and I wanted more.

So much more.

I felt as if we became one while our lips searched, tasted and found themselves.