Page 19 of Ecliptic

“Yes,” I whimpered, my inner walls still contracting. Every part of me screamed for Rowen’s touch, a soul-deep desire that raged for his words to become reality, but the aftershocks of my orgasm pulsed torturously around nothing, and I was left empty.

As my shaking subsided, the aching distance between us grew. The inability to hold each other was an echo of our past, when Rowen had been cursed from touching me, loving me, fucking me.

Now, it was I who was cursed, uncertain if I would ever feel the warmth of Rowen’s touch again. The thought hung between our soaring bodies like a weight, making our fall back down to earth that much more painful.

9

After a long, restless night, I woke to a clean room. The canopy was re-hung, and the fabric swooped around me in a sheer embrace. The bookshelves were restored and decorated with his books, knives, sketch pads, and journals. He’d even hung up a few of his favorite sketches. The wooden frames contained drawings of mountains, forests, and the streets of his hometown, Viltarran, before Aliphoura destroyed it. But most of them were of me.

“How did I sleep through all of this?” I asked in amazement, hearing Rowen move about the dome.

It had taken me forever to fall asleep. I worried all night that I would accidentally brush up against him and stop his heart. When I did manage to sleep, it was haunted with dreams of black holes, bloody noses, and dying trees.

“Once I got out of bed, your tossing and turning stopped, and you slept like a hibernating mawcat,” he said, bringing in a tray from outside. His thick beard was gone, trimmed down to a perfect stubble. “Drooled like one too.” He grinned as he placed a colorful platter on the bed; the aroma of fresh bread, berries, and amber syrups made my mouth water.

“At least I don’t snore,” I rebutted.

“You do that too.” He grinned.

I wrinkled my nose. “Do not.”

Rowen grabbed a note from the tray. “It’s addressed,” he said, his eyes scanning the letter. “It’s from Takoda. He says to enjoy and to get your rest. No visiting the training grounds or the prisoner.”

“They may as well throw me in the cell with him,” I replied, tearing into one of the brown loaves. “It’s no less than what I deserve for last night.”

Rowen’s brows furrowed as he folded the note and lay beside me, resting his weight on his elbow. “He most likely wants us to avoid high-stress situations,” he said, digging into the delicious spread, our fingers careful not to touch. “And seeing you locked behind bars? Well, let’s just say that wouldn’t be a good thing for either of us.”

“Do you know what the prisoner looks like?”

“I have not seen him.”

My chest deflated. “Whoever he is, he used my Light against me.”

Rowen’s jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened.

“And I’ve done nothing but rest for months. It’s the last thing I want to do right now,” I continued as I plopped a ripe berry in my mouth. The flavors exploded on my tongue in a burst of earthy sweetness, and a moan slipped past my lips. The food landed in my empty stomach, and I realized I hadn’t eaten in months. I hadn’t needed to, but the jarring thought made me realize how hungry I was.

I devoured another berry and moaned again.

“If that isn’t one of the most beautiful sounds,” Rowen said, his eyes softening as they locked with mine. “Your absence took the joy from my world. Made everythingless. Less beautiful, less colorful. Less flavorful. Everything tasted of stale wood chips.”

I chuckled. “Glad I could help your appetite.”

“In more ways than one,” he said, giving me that lopsided grin that melted my insides.

“Ugh,” I groaned in frustration. “We can’t touch. We can’t train. We can’t visit the prisoner. What can we do?”

“We could try resting. Just for today,” he suggested noncommittally.

I knew Rowen was worried about me, and I couldn’t blame him. The way I’d lost control terrified me too. Despite our smiles and laughter, the memory of last night lingered like a storm cloud, casting a pall over our morning.

I could lose control at any moment. It was a miracle no one was hurt from my dangerous panic attack last night.

I would try the healer’s suggestion, and if nothing worked, I would have to leave the village. I couldn’t risk hurting anyone. Takoda said even one more touch could kill Rowen.

I threw myself back on the bed. “Okay, now what?”

“Now, we lie here,” he said, his voice deep and caressing, and I flushed as I recalled how he’d guided me through my self-given orgasm. Remembering how his words had been penetrating, powerful, and commanding.

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