𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 | 𝟏𝟖+

𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅'𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍

ততততত

𝐈 𝐌 𝐎 𝐆 𝐄 𝐍

Tobin is infectious.

Everything about him seems to ignite a spark from beneath my skin. The sound of his low subtle laughter thrills me, and the way his lips smirk at me after he speaks accelerates the beat of my heart. In just a matter of nights, he's gone from a predictable petty thief to so much more. He's a riddle that I long to solve, and every minute basking in his devilish escapades gets me one step closer to discovering what lies beneath that thieving persona of his.

That first night, he stole the golden rings on my vanity.

The next, he took his map that I fixed up (only because I made it abundantly clear that I didn't need two maps of the Lagulon castle).

The third—a feathered arrow from my quiver.

When Tobin arrives at night, he eases himself into my bedroom as if the space belonged to him too. He replenishes the hearth with firewood, and often finds himself resting near the flames to get some more shut-eye. And I? I find myself joining him, laying next to him with fingers entwined. All I know is that my bedroom is a safe haven for him and I, the one place in this kingdom where the world can't touch us.

Maybe it's why I feel drawn to him in this unspoken connection.

Do I trust him? A fraction of me wants to give this man my heart on a silver platter. He's everything I need to avoid, especially in these days leading up to King Leighton's arrival. Yet, I cave into the temptation of Tobin.

Not that I put up much of a fight.

Tonight, he lures me into his domain—anywhere beyond Lagulon's castle. My ability to leave the castle had been greatly reduced due to the war. Though the reason was enough to keep me caged before, it no longer holds now. One look at Tobin, and I know I'm well taken care of beyond the castle walls.

My eyes flicker up to the warm almond brown of his Tobin's. The gold flecks inside remind me of stars, and they shimmer as they await the wild. He carries my quiver of arrows over his shoulder, while I carry my bow.

"Where are we going?" I ask as we descend into the city of Summervale. We've long outwitted the guards and knights and escaped the castle boundaries.

He grins. "Somewhere that's not here."

"Don't be kidnapping me, Tobin."

He chuckles. "I think I'd have an arrow to the skull if I even tried."

And just like that, we run.

He weaves through the streets, a route I know he has memorized in his head. Around us, villagers dance and music plays and laughter sways, and I bask in it all. Despite the grim reality of our kingdom falling, there's still joy in the city streets.

By marrying Leighton, this is the hope I bring them, the happiness they will get to harness forever.

Stop it. My stomach sinks at the thought of the King of Adorid, but I brush it aside and let myself willow in Tobin's presence.

Tobin squeezes my hand, as if sensing something was off. "You good, princess?" His brows narrow as concern defines the ridges of his face.

I force a grin. "Never better."

He holds his tongue, and I know he doesn't believe me, but the reaction only lasts a moment before we enter into the Lagulon forests. Tobin pulls me off the main road and into the brush.

We're hardly into the thick of it when a whinnying breaks the dead night silence. A horse.

Through the darkness, the stallion is only a midnight silhouette, but I can tell it's brooding with muscle. There's a gleam to its hide when a stray beam of moonlight scathes it. Such a creature would be daunting to stand next too. It's clear that this horse belongs to Tobin.