Page 454 of Axis of Fire

I only wanted to find Airis.

A strange unease had settled deep inside my chest.

I couldn't tell whether it came from the Selection...

or from him.

It felt as though I were standing on a buried mine, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

Was this simply my reaction to the seriousness in his voice?

It hadn't sounded like him.

Stopping beside one of the flower-covered columns, I breathed in the sweet fragrance rising from the blossoms below before peering into the pavilion.

Among the softly glowing flowers...

I found him.

Airis.

He looked breathtaking.

And impossibly serious.

"I take it you've brought me here for an inspiring pre-Selection speech?" I tried to joke.

Inside, however, I felt anything but amused.

Every instinct in my body had gone rigid, as though bracing for something I couldn't yet see.

I took a few steps toward him.

Then, suddenly—

a firm pull at my back sent me stumbling the rest of the way.

The next thing I knew, I was pressed against his warm body.

"What are you—"

"I want to remember this moment."

His voice was quiet enough to melt into the flowers surrounding us.

His fingertips brushed lightly across my collarbone, leaving a cool trail against my skin before the warmth of his lips found the side of my neck.

A quiet breath escaped me.

My back arched instinctively.

As though every muscle in my body already knew the rhythm of his touch.

"Airis..."

My voice came out softer than I intended.

My fingers tightened around the richly embroidered fabric of his jacket.