Page 82 of Between Soul and Vessel
When her fingers met my cheek, I sucked in a breath. I had imagined this moment thousands of times before, but I had no idea her touch would feel like . . .this. Tender. Loving. It was a feeling I would never get enough of.
“Didshedo this?” Avriel asked, her fingers tracing one of the scars.
“Yes.” I leaned into her touch, desperate for her never to stop.
“The night she sent you to be with that other woman,” she said, tears filling her eyes.
When one spilled over her lash line and dribbled down her cheek, I swept it away with my thumb. “No. I do not want you to cry over something that happened centuries ago.”
“Then what would you have me do?” she asked, her voice shaky.
I lowered my hand, cupping her cheek. “I would preferto see you smile.”
She mustered a small one, just for me, and like the morning sun, it scattered the darkness of my life and made all the pain and suffering worth it.
Avriel wasthe reasonI endured.
“Can I kiss you?” I brushed my thumb over her heart-shaped mouth.
She nodded, her eyes hooked on mine.
I lowered my face to hers and then I did the very thing I had been longing to do for centuries . . .
I kissed her.
I pulled her into me as her arms enveloped my neck, her fingers weaving into my hair. Her lips were soft and plush, everything I had dreamed they would be. Everything and more. The smile she wore transferred to my mouth, her breathy laughter mingling with mine. My hands roved up and down her sides, feeling the wealth of her body.
In that moment, I knew—
I was the richest immortal alive, all becauseI had her.
Von
Rushing back to the group, we found an unexpected but welcome surprise—Harper was awake. She was sitting near the fire, Lyra and Ryker flanking her sides as she sipped from a wood bowl containing water. Relief unburdened my shoulders, and they fell ever so slightly. Fallon and Folkoln were over by themselves, out of earshot, privately conversing. Her attention swiftly swung to Kaleb, but he did not meet her gaze.
“You’re awake,” I said, walking up to Harper.
“I am,” she replied, voice raspy. Tired. She nearly dropped the bowl when she saw my arm. “Oh, my gods! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s growing back,” I reassured her, unintentionally shifting it forward for her to see. The movement only made it throb worse.
“How are you feeling?” Kaleb asked as he knelt besideher.
“Like a giant ate me,” she said with a disbelieving chuckle.
Lyra nodded in understanding. I think we all did.
“We have something we need to discuss,” I said, turning to Folkoln and Fallon. I jerked my head, motioning for them to come over.
Folkoln helped Fallon up and they joined us.
Fallon looked miserable. Her black lashes lifted as she searched Kaleb’s face, her expression pleading, like she was trying to get him to look at her.
Kaleb gave her nothing.
“What’s going on?” Folkoln asked us, the white flames reflecting off his dark eyes. He crossed his arms, threading them loosely, as he waited for an answer.
Taking the bull by the horns, Kaleb stood up and said, “We saw two strange, gray-skinned females. Unlike any species I’ve ever seen before. They had these white markings inked into their skin, eyes completely black.”
