Page 243 of Interion

He lifted one hand from my waist and smoothed one of my braids, letting his fingers get lost in my hair where it hung loose at the ends.

“And what do you think of that legend?” I asked, lost in the intensity of his eyes.

“To me, it’s real. You’re the love of my life, Kyller—not because you’re my partner. I don’t understand anything about this partnership bond, and in the end, it was just a way to bring us here. You’re the love of my life because you’re the only one I want to share my days with, my choices, my bed, and my heart.”

Each word registered at every level of my consciousness, seeped through every pore of my body, and settled into every corner of my soul.

“Forever?” I asked, running my hand over his cheek, smoothing his hair back, touching his eyebrow with my fingers. I needed to touch him to know it was real.

“Forever and beyond,” he said, placing a hand on my face as well. We looked at each other like two fires crackling in the darkness. In that darkness, we saw only each other.

“I need you to stay very still,” he whispered, bringing his face close to mine, his eyes fixed on my lips. I did as he asked, becoming as still as a frozen lake while the snow fell around us.

When his mouth descended to meet mine and his warm breath swept across my face, I thought I couldn’t withstand the wave of feelings and sensations crashing against me. His lips touched mine with tenderness, adoration, and reverence, and I reciprocated with the same delicacy. I was sand being swallowed by his exploring sea.

My lips moved over his with quiet softness and love, and soon his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly against him. He held me as if I might flee. But flee where, when his heart was the only place I wanted to be?

His kiss deepened, and I clung to his neck, sighing with pleasure, ecstasy, and a pure sweetness that sang through my veins. We kissed with affection, not desire, and his waves swallowed me with tenderness, not violence. His kiss held our present, past, and future.

It tasted like infinity.

Δ

We only stopped kissing because the children started shouting, and soon the glow beneath the water caught my attention. Smiling, he gave me one last soft kiss, and then we turned to watch the yonsais.

The blue glow began to spread in the depths, and soon the first forms appeared on the water’s surface. They were small, the size of my open hand, and their heads resembled the rounded bell of a jellyfish. They had necks, torsos, arms, waists, and hips like humans, but below the hips, their legs gave way to bright, translucent tentacles like those of sea medusas. They swam peacefully, surfacing to watch us with small, curious eyes as they continued on their way.

“They’re beautiful,” I murmured to Zion.

“I can’t wait to take you somewhere better to see them,” he said, hugging me from behind and resting his chin on my head.

“Can’t we go now?”

“Not yet. We have to wait a little longer—the spirits need to reach the right place.”

I looked at the lake thoughtfully and waited while the children ran around us. Behind us, where the tents and food were set up, the sound of a waltz began to rise amid conversations and laughter.

“Do you like to dance?” Zion asked, absorbed in his thoughts.

“I do, but I don’t know how to waltz.”

“Is that why you don’t want to dance on the dance floor?”

“Yes, but the main reason is I just want to be alone with you. I don’t want people watching us,” I replied, admiring the yonsais as they departed through the silent woods.

“If I wanted to dance with you, would you dance with me?” From the enthusiasm in his voice, I knew this wasn’t hypothetical—it was an invitation.

“Yes, if it were just the two of us, I’d dance all night. But I should warn you—you’ll end the night with sore toes.”

“A few red toes are worth the honor of having you in my arms.” He kissed my hair and brushed away some snowflakes from my shoulders. “I think it’s time. Shall we?”

“Let’s go,” I replied, euphoric.

“Close your eyes,” Zion said, and I obeyed. I noticed him pulling his phone from his pocket, and then the world disappeared beneath my feet. The next thing I heard was the sound of rushing water right in front of me. A soft, cheerful melody began to play.

“You can open your eyes,” he whispered in my ear, and I did.

My breath caught as soon as my eyes registered the view before me. We stood on a large, flat rock, facing the waterfall in the silent woods—this time from below, not above. With the cascade of water, several spirits descended, glowing and illuminating everything around us. They floated down gently, drifting with the fluid, delicate movements of their tentacles, their lights making everything ethereal and magical.