Gods.
Marius had been with others before. Stolen kisses and secret moments that were clumsy and far too short. None of his prior experiences had prepared him for this.
It didn’t matter that he couldn’t see her, nor did it matter that the king would disapprove of this. Not even their location could ruin this moment.
For days, Vivienne had crowded his thoughts. She was all he could think about from the moment he woke up until when he lay his head down to sleep. Even asleep, she remained on his mind.
Everything about her intrigued him. The anger thatflashed in her black eyes. Her scowl, and the adorable way she crossed her arms. The power and grace in her movements when she battled her adversaries. The fire that burned within her.
And when he added in her beauty?
She was perfect. Made to be admired.
Andshehad kissedhim.
There was something incredible about that. He’d wanted to kiss her from the moment she tackled him to the ground in Hoarfrost Hollow, but something told him she wouldn’t have been okay with that. But now…
Now, she’d broken past the divide between them to steal this moment with him. She was a stunning creature of darkness, and he was lucky to be in her fierce presence.
Marius parted his lips and swept his tongue against hers. Flames burned through him at her cool touch, a juxtaposition he would never forget. Darkness had never tasted so good.
More.
He drew her closer, ignoring his throbbing foot as he kissed her. She moaned, and he drank in the sound as if he were a starving man.
Fire consumed him from the inside out as they embraced. Every part of him felt like it would be destroyed if he didn’t experience more of this. Of her.
This was?—
A wail lilted through the air. It was hushed at first, nearly inaudible. He would’ve thought the sound was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, except Vivienne stiffened.
She whispered against his lips, “Did you hear?—”
The ghoulish sound rose once again, the cry going on and on and on. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and his magic strummed a warning in his veins.
Vivienne pulled away.
It took everything Marius had not to draw her back to him, but as the air shifted, he knew she’d fallen back into her role as his protector.
He palmed his daggers. “What do you think that is?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
Unease laced her words, and his heart beat even faster. What was out there?
“Can you see anything?” Even if he squinted, he couldn’t make anything out in the darkness.
“Barely.” Vivienne’s hand landed on his, but the movement lacked any hint of the heat they’d shared moments ago. She was distant, and her tone was the same one she’d used when they first met.
Right now, she was his bodyguard, nothing more.
His heart twinged. He wanted to explore more of her with his lips and devote endless hours to learning every part of her.
Another time, he promised himself. That couldn’t be their only kiss. He wouldn’t allow it. It would be like tasting the finest wine, then being relegated to plain water for the rest of eternity.
“Maybe we should move,” Vivienne suggested.
He glanced up, taking in the sky beyond the veil of shadows. Shards of brilliant sunlight glimmered beyond their overhang.