Her lips were still warm against mine when she pulled back, just enough for breath. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My hands stayed where they were, one at her waist, the other cupping her cheek, terrified that if I let go, the moment would shatter.
She kissed me.
Again.
Not because she was just resurrected.
Not because fate cornered us.
Not because the bond forced anything.
She kissed me because she wanted to.
My heart hammered so hard I was sure she could feel it through the bond. The shard pulsed against my chest, echoing the rhythm as if trying to keep up.
Sahora’s breath brushed my lips. She didn’t step away. She didn’t look away. Her eyes were steady, clear, certain in a way that made something inside me unravel.
“I—” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Her mouth curved, the faintest hint of a smile. “I know.”
“I mean—” I exhaled, trying to steady myself. “I’ve imagined it. Gods, I’ve imagined it. But not like that. Not… here. Not now.”
Her fingers slid lightly along my jaw, and the touch nearly undid me.
“You said you’d remake the cosmos,” she murmured. “I believed you.”
I felt heat rise in my face, not embarrassment, but something deeper. Something like awe. “I meant it.”
“I know,” she said softly.
The bond warmed again, slow and sure, as if settling into a new shape around us.
I let my forehead rest against hers, eyes closing for a moment. “Sahora… if you keep kissing me like that, I’m going to forget how to function.”
She huffed a quiet breath, not quite a laugh, but close. “You’re functioning fine.”
“Barely.”
Her hand slid from my cheek to my shoulder, grounding me. “We should… probably stop.”
“Probably,” I echoed, though neither of us moved.
The world outside this hallway still existed: the frozen kingdom, the shards, the life essence we needed now that we had the shard, Briar, Cyrus, Ami and Elyon waiting at the Waterfall of Sorrows. My promise to help Milo. But for a moment, none of it felt as loud as her breath against my skin.
She finally stepped back, just a fraction, enough to break the kiss but not the connection. Her fingers lingered on my chest, right over the shard.
“We can leave after Castor wakes, head back to the Waterfall,” she said.
I nodded, still trying to steady my heartbeat. “Okay.”
Her eyes softened as she rolled back on her heels. Pulling away slightly.
I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe normally. “Sahora?”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Yes?”
“I’m… really glad you kissed me.”
A faint flush touched her cheeks, so subtle I might’ve missed it if the bond didn’t flare with it.
“I know,” she said quietly.
And gods help me, I wanted to kiss her again.
But I didn’t.
Not yet.
Not until she reached for me first.