Page 15 of Ruin
“Can you do something for me, in return?” I asked, itching the back of my neck.
“Anything for you, love.”
His words sent tingles down my spine. I couldn’t help but smile. “Tell me what I look like. I’ve not seen myself without the curse.”
“Oh.” His cheeks reddened.
“Did I embarrass a faery? Surely, it’s not possible.”
He gestured me to the bed and sat beside me. Looking deeply into my eyes, he blew out a long breath and pulled his lips into a smile. I wanted to touch the golden strands that looked like silk on his head, but I restrained myself.
“Why do you wear a tiara now but did not in the gardens when we met?”
“Oh. I don’t wear it when I think I could be seen by the king. It would just anger him.”
“Yet they let you keep one.”
“Discreetly. I think it’s just to keep me quiet. Appease me.”
He puffed his cheeks out and ran his hand through his hair. “When this is done, you can wear your tiara all day long and in front of anyone.”
I laughed, then flushed red. “Please. Would you?”
“Yes.” He regarded me carefully, pausing on each feature. “Your eyes.” His gaze softened. “They remind me of winter. The middles are the color of evergreens from our region, and the circle of black inside them embody the early night that comes with the season. Surrounding them is the most vibrant white, like freshly fallen snow. I feel like I am looking out upon frosty forests and tall mountains from my travels to the north of Magaelor. I could lose myself in them.” His eyes flitted back and forth from each iris. “Beautiful and framed with midnight-black lashes.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I was going to say yours reminded me of the sea.” I let out a tense breath. “Now I fear I must go write a poem or sonnet about them as I cannot do justice to what you said about mine.”
He laughed, and the sound tinkered around us. “We are known for our words.”
“What about my skin?” I asked, picturing the abrasions, puss-filled spots, warts, craters, and scars that greeted me in the mirror every morning.
He ran his hand down my cheek. I flinched, and he moved his fingers away. “Soft, dewy, with a few freckles around your petite nose.”
“Petite?” I asked, trying to envision it.
“Yes. Then there are your lips.” The way he looked at them made my heart pound. “Your top lip is pointed into two small peaks and is a little thinner than the bottom.” He ran his finger over the thin skin, sending shockwaves through my body. “This one is plush and the color of the roses that grow in the gardens.” His gaze trickled back to look at me. He leaned in closer. “Your hair is golden, like sand on the beaches. It’s woven like silk, falling straight around your shoulders with only a touch of waves between the strands.”
My breath hitched. I could have drowned in his words. They rolled off his tongue, melting like chocolate. “Anything else?”
He grinned. “Alas, I am a gentleman, and I will not comment on, um…” He looked at my figure, then shot his eyes back to meet mine.
I laughed. “How considerate.”
“I can be much more than considerate.” His expression hardened, his words losing their mischievous edge. “For a girl like you, I could be your freedom if you allowed it.”
My stomach dipped, and my chest sank. Dizziness fuzzed my thoughts. I was unable to focus on one for more than a second before I lost it.
“Don’t think,” he whispered. “Please.”
He brushed his lips against mine, sending tingles through me. Flickers of touch ran between us. We waited on the edge of anticipation, drowning in each other’s eyes. The urge of the kiss took over, and we clashed together. He deepened the kiss, running his hand through my hair. I felt lightheaded. He ran his hand down my back and pulled me against him, tangling us both in a lust all-encompassing. He rested his forehead on mine once we pulled apart. “That was the best kiss,” he said, catching his breath, “I’ve ever had.”
I bit my bottom lip, still tasting him. “It’s the only kiss I’ve had.”
His eyes shone, more so from the sunlight pouring into the room. “I have searched for the longest time to find someone with whom I could share my heart.”
“Wouldn’t we get in trouble for this? Sorcerers are not allowed to be with a faery. It is prohibited.” Questions tainted my tongue, but I was still lightheaded from the kiss. It dizzied me. I felt like I had drunk several glasses of Abarini.
“I didn’t take you for the type of girl who would care.”
