Page 145 of At the Mercy of Midnight
“I’m scared,” Amelia admitted, barely audible.
Silas reached for her hand, giving her fingers a squeeze. “So am I.”
Their bond stirred faintly between them, a low thrumming beneath their skin. It was so familiar to her now, something she no longer feared or despised. She leaned into him, pressing her shoulder into his.
The candlelight in the room was soft, warm. Warmer than any artificial glow of an arcane lamp, the flame gently flickering in the stillness of the room around them. The curtain was drawn across the window, covering the sight of the moon that was almost full. Outside, the wind pressed against the glass panes, making the walls creak, a slight chill leaking into the room.
Silas’ coat was folded neatly beside Amelia’s leg, and she reached for it as they sat together quietly, fingers toying with the hem of the sleeve, gaze distant and mind cycling madly. She had a million thoughts in her head, all of them threatening to spill over.
Silas was still, watchful as always.
She sighed, dropping the sleeve of the soft material, turning to meet his eyes in the near darkness. Something passed between them, something that felt too much like a goodbye, although not quite. It was the possibility of one, lingering in the background.
“I keep thinking,” he murmured, voice low, “if this were a different world…maybe we would’ve found each other sooner.”
Amelia’s throat worked as she swallowed. “And maybe we wouldn’t have been too proud to admit we needed each other.”
His lips curved faintly. “Maybe you wouldn’t have pushed me away at every available opportunity.”
She laughed softly, but it faded fast.
A silence settled between them, full of unspoken things. And then, slowly, Silas reached up, his fingers brushing against the side of her face, making her shiver.
“You’re shaking,” he said softly.
She nodded, barely. “I know.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Amelia twisted on the bed, bringing a knee up to face him, her legs pressing against the side of his. “The day after tomorrow…we’re going to fight against magic that wants to destroy us, and you’re still here worrying for me.”
Silas tilted his head, eyes warming as he trailed his gaze across her face. “I’ll always worry about you.” His hand shifted along her cheek, down past the curve of her jaw to skim down her neck. “I don’t think I could stop.”
Amelia leaned into the touch, sighing softly. And something broke open between them.
A moment later, he was kissing her, his mouth finding hers like it was the first time, like the world might end if he didn’t hold her closely enough. His fingers slid into her hair, desperate and trembling, and he gathered her into him like a man starving for something he’d already lost. The press of his lips was soft, yet firm and unyielding. Amelia leaned into the feeling, into the tenderness of the moment.
He pulled back, forehead coming to rest lightly against hers as they shared quick breaths.
“You ever think about what it might’ve been like?” he asked her quietly, “if none of this had happened? If we’d just stayed…scientists.”
She moved her head away, meeting his eyes and letting out a slow breath. “I think about it all the time…I might’ve hated you forever,” Amelia joked with a flicker of a smile. “Published before you, dismantled all of your theories with glee.”
Silas chuckled. “I would’ve loved that,” he said, brushing a curl away from her cheek.
Amelia looked down, her fingers weaving with his. “And now?”
He tugged her closer, pressing his lips to her temple. Her eyes fluttered closed, and emotion clogged in her throat. “Now, I’d give anything to make sure you walk out of this alive.”
Her breath caught and she leaned back. “Finley…”
“I mean it,” he murmured, voice cracking at the edges. “If we’re not one hundred percent certain, if anything goes wrong…then it has to be me. I won’t risk you.”
“It won’t go wrong.”
He let out a small breath. “You don’t know that.”
“It won’t,” she said fiercely.
