Page 101 of Taken
A bond reforged, a promise sealed, a love so bright it drives away every shadow.
I open myself fully, body and soul, letting him in.
And Kael is everywhere.
Around me. Within me. Of me.
I don’t just love him—I belong to him.
The water swirls faster, glowing faintly as our cries mingle with a storm’s hush.
The magic settles, threading through my veins like silver fire, binding us in a way no vow, no crown, no priestess’ blessing ever could.
At last, when the whirlpool calms and we lie tangled in each other’s arms, I know the truth with bone-deep certainty.
Kael is mine, and I am his. Forever.
Chapter 29
Kael
The Lordof Water’s Private Chambers—Castletide
The second I step over the threshold into the bath chamber, I know I can’t wait another moment to have her.
Not another breath.
Not another heartbeat.
Phoebe is here, alive, safe in my arms, and the knowledge nearly unmakes me.
I don’t deserve her. But she is mine, and I intend to keep her.
My magic responds to the need rising in me, stripping the remnants of battle—our stained clothing, all dirt and grime sticking to our skin,healing bruises and knitting wounds—from us both in a shimmer of light.
Steam curls up around her body, glistening on every curve, and I feel the pulse of the zareth hum like a storm trapped inside my chest.
I step into the hot whirlpool and take her hand, pulling her in after, not stopping until she is flush against me.
The water froths around us, wrapping us in its heat.
My hands skim over her shoulders, her back, her waist, relearning the shape of her, reassuring myself she is real.
She looks up at me with those wide blue eyes, damp hair clinging to her cheeks.
She’s trembling, but it isn’t fear—it’s want. Need. Desire.
And it’s all for me.
“I can’t bear to think of a Nightfall without you,” I whisper, my voice breaking. I press my forehead to hers. “Can’t imagine me without you, my viyella.”
Her breath catches. And when she kisses me—it’s everything.Hard. Fierce. Desperate.
The taste of her wipes the battlefield from my tongue.
My control shatters.
I crush her to me, drinking her in as if she is the air itself. Her hands fist in my hair, nails scraping my shoulders, urging me closer. Always closer.
