Page 173 of The Fifth Heir

“Say it again.”

“Bastian.”

He lowered his head.

“May I kiss you?”

“Yes.”

His mouth touched mine.

The kiss began with the same caution he applied to unfamiliar runes. Light pressure. One hand holding mine, the other resting at my waist without pulling.

I leaned into him.

His control broke.

The change thrilled me. Sebastian examined every impulse before allowing it into the world. Bastian kissed me as if my permission had opened a door he had been holding shut with both hands.

Bastian’s hand slid to the back of my neck. He kissed me again, deeper this time, his body pressing against mine while Shadow gathered around our feet.

I released his hand and gripped the front of his coat.

He made a quiet sound against my mouth.

The Shadow rose around us, dark enough to hide the bookshelves and instruments while leaving the glass ceiling clear.

We stood beneath the stars with the rest of the room gone.

His Shadow did not trap me. It gave us privacy, holding the academy and all its questions beyond a soft violet-dark edge while starlight continued to reach my skin.

When the kiss ended, his forehead rested against mine.

His breathing was no steadier than mine.

“Was that another experiment?” I asked.

“No.”

“Did you learn anything?”

“Yes.”

I waited.

He touched my lower lip with his thumb.

“I like when you call me Bastian.”

I smiled.

Color moved through the scale at my wrist.

Chapter 23

Rafe

The Trial stores had three locks, two guards, and one ventilation shaft.