Page 71 of Poison Sun

The two people in my life who I always believed I could rely on chose to not trust me.

Blaze, on the other hand, is here. He’s shared a part of himself with me that he’s never trusted with anyone.

He’s by my side when my sisters aren’t. I likely wouldn’t even be here right now if not for him.

That has to count for something. Right?

My heart races, and I know I have to say something—to do something.

Slowly, I roll over to face him, my movements tentative, yet deliberate.

His body tenses. Then, he moves to face me. It’s so dark that it’s nearly impossible to make out his features, but I can somehow feel the question in his eyes, even though I can barely see them.

He reaches up to trace his thumb across my cheekbone, and I don’t pull away.

“Blaze,” I whisper again. “I...”

The words dissolve into the silence, and unable to get across my feelings, I close the distance between us and press my lips to his.

It’s an apology, a thank you… and a promise I’m not sure I can keep.

His breath hitches, and there’s a hunger in him as he kisses me back, as if keeping me close will stop me from pushing him away again. The heat radiating from his body draws me in, making me never want to let go. It’s like we’ve been smothering our fire the entire time we’ve known each other, and now it’s finally released—an inferno blazing across my skin, rushing through my blood, and sinking deep into my bones.

“I’m sorry,” I finally say, and I’m not sure if I’m apologizing for pushing him away earlier, or for giving into this moment when I know I shouldn’t.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” he says, and then he’s kissing me again, and I’m losing myself in the intoxicating sensation of his hands on my waist and his body pressed against mine.

In seconds, our fire ignites into something primal, fierce, undeniable, and irresistible.

I’m done trying to resist.

I want to feel safe, and wanted, and connected. And, despite everything, I’ve never felt as connected to anyone as I do to Blaze right now. I don’t want to stop. I just want to live in this moment, to finally feel the closeness I crave after losing my parents and leaving my sisters behind.

It’s just us, in this tent so small that we’re in a cocoon of privacy and intimacy, and I push away my worries and give in to the present, losing myself to Blaze as we let our fire consume us, becoming one in the darkness of the night.

Morgan

The chill of the predawn air seeps through the fabric of the tent, pulling me out of sleep.

I lie still for a moment, listening to Blaze’s soft, rhythmic breathing beside me.

Last night… well, it was intense.

But that connection was a lie forged in the deceptive darkness of night. It had to be. How else was I so vulnerable with someone who doesn’t know my deepest, darkest truths?

It should be impossible.

Yet, somehow, it wasn’t.

As I lay there, lost in my memories of last night and trying not to wake Blaze, the wind picks up outside. Quiet at first, then rustling against the sides of our tent with a persistence that feels almost intentional.

Morgan, it seems to hiss. The time is now.

I still, chills running down my spine as it whistles my name again. It’s like it’s talking to me, calling to me.

But no. This is madness. Sure, I’ve received messages from the universe before. But only when I use my magic to ask for them. Never like this.

The wind can’t speak. At least, I don’t think it can.

---