Page 53 of Soul of Thorns
I swallow. “I don’t know.”
I don’t know how it’s possible for me to shadow-walk him along with me. It’s not supposed to be possible. But since I’d somehow been able to shield him with my magic when that had formerly been impossible, I knew I had to try.
“Are you okay?” he asks, gently gripping the ends of a strip of hair. His magic flashes in this palm then fades, almost as if he can’t control it.
“Fine,” I lie.
He narrows his eyes. His magic flashes again, this time rushing into my chest. I convulse with the shock, but the tingling is gone, my magic squirming beneath the surface. Did he... just give me some of his magic?
“What the hell was that?”
He smirks. “I don’t know.”
A series of high-pitched shrieks behind us makes me jump. “We have to go.”
He turns to face the wall of flames, probably realizing the same thing.
This very well may burn us alive, leaving only dust in its wake. Only one of us may make it to the other side. Maybe neither of us. But we have to go.
His cheeks are flushed with heat. “Together,” he says, with a determined gait. He clenches his jaw tightly, and I nod. Tears well in my eyes.
It’s pathetic how afraid I am. Of all of it.
Of what it might mean that we can exchange magic the way we have.
Of losing Rev. Of loving Rev. Of the look in his eyes that tells me he might love me too.
I’m afraid of burning. I’m afraid of judgment. I’m afraid of what’s waiting on the other side.
This moment is the epitome of it all, and I don’t know if I could do it alone. But Rev steps closer, his fingertips gently drift up to my cheek until he cups it. Chaos and terror are inches away, but for this one moment, we’re back in the Luminescent Court ballroom. We’re young and naïve. Unscarred.
We have hope.
This one moment, his silver eyes meet my gold ones and we are just us.
When he leans in, his lips press to mine so slowly, so gently, the world fades away. All my fear. All my anger. All my pain. It’s all gone.
All that’s left is Rev. He steps back towards the flames, hand outstretched, waiting for me to join him.
I’d follow him anywhere. Even into the very flames of judgment.
I pause for one last moment to appreciate his beauty, the pulsing red of the furnace behind him. Then, I grip his neck and tug his lips to mine one last time.
And before our kiss ends, I grip his shirt and pull him with me into the raging inferno.
Because if my whole world is going to implode, this is how I want it all to end.
