Page 55 of Emylia

Before I could move, Maalikai closed the distance between us. His hand hovered over my cheek, trembling slightly—like he wasn’t sure if touching me would soothe me or shatter me.

“Your beauty is pure and dangerously unapologetic,” he murmured. “You don’t even see it, do you?”

Almost without thinking, I leaned into his palm. The rough heat of it grounded me. His thumb traced along my skin, slow and reverent, like I was something sacred. Walls I hadn’t even realized I’d rebuilt began to crumble under the weight of his touch.

“Maalikai,” I whispered.

His name felt different on my lips now—fragile, forbidden. His thumb stilled, his breath catching. He didn’t pull away. He waited—silent, still, the unspoken question between us thick as the air.

He was going to ask if he could kiss me. Maybe he already had.

And Gods, I wanted to say yes. But just as the words danced at the edge of my lips, another image rose in my mind.

Sebastian.

His fire. His silence. The look in his eyes when I left him behind.

The ache in my chest bloomed, sharp and unbearable. I exhaled shakily, pulling slightly back, but not entirely.

“Don’t,” I said, barely above a whisper.

Maalikai’s hand didn’t fall right away. But his expression shifted—something between disappointment and understanding softening the angles of his face. Slowly, his fingers slipped from my skin, like letting go took effort.

His voice was quiet when he spoke again. “I wasn’t going to do anything you didn’t want.”

“I know,” I said, my voice barely holding. “That’s what makes it harder.”

His breath caught again, but this time, he didn’t close the gap between us. He let me stay in the space I needed.

Then, a flicker of movement behind me pulled his attention. His expression changed instantly, focus sharpening.

“What the?”

Whipping around, I froze.

Thousands of creatures glided through the air, floating to the sky like bubbles. Long tentacles dangled beneath them, carried in the wind as they climbed in the sky.

Beautiful fluorescent colors melded together in a sea of rainbow as the creatures bumped against each other before continuing to make their ascension.

In a trance, I reached a finger to one, its tentacles wrapping around my finger and suctioning to it.

“Don’t.” Maalikai’s eyes collided with mine. One second passed, then another, before relief smoothed his features. “They don’t hurt?”

I shook my head, if anything, it tickled my fingers as the tiny suctioning brushed against my skin, making tiny popping noises as it repositioned itself.

“They’re like tiny jellyfish that float,” he muttered, studying them.

My eyes snapped to Maalikai. “Jellyfish live in salt water, not fresh water.”

“Because when I’m referring to jellyfish that literally float in the air, that’s the most disconcerting piece of information; what sort of water they live in?” He had me there. “I think I’m going to call them air jellies.”

Maalikai reached out to a fluorescent pink jelly. As soon as it touched his finger, his body shuddered, a spasm jolting through him. His hand whipped back so fast that I almost didn’t register the movement.

“What the actual fuck? It stung me.” He sounded so offended.

I had to resist the urge to laugh. “Maybe they don’t like being called air jellies?” I shot back.

Maalikai edged out of the way of another jellyfish as it threatened to touch his skin. A smile tipped my lips. “If you’re afraid of the little air jellies, we can leave.”

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