𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 | 𝟏𝟖+

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋'𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆

ততততত

𝐈 𝐌 𝐎 𝐆 𝐄 𝐍

We ride towards Mt. Elora to Tobin's home by the crystalline waters.

I cornered him the moment he stepped onto castle property, begging him to take me out of there for just a night, because tomorrow I'll be gone. He must know something isn't right, and yet he doesn't press any questions. He let me run with him, away from the castle walls that collapse in on me, threatening to bury me. How can I be a saviour to the people when the world keeps trapping me six feet under?

Tonight, Tobin and I are free.

He slows the pace of Neph as we enter into the meadow. Everything is just as it was: the glass waters, the ivy-coated homestead, the vast peaks of Mt. Elora.

Tobin pulls me in closer against his chest, the palms of his hand scathing the surface of my cloak until his thumb brushes the dip of my ribs beneath. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Evergreen. He smells of evergreen. And freedom. And danger.

Tobin slips off his horse, then helps me down as well as I stumble into his chest. Without saying a word, he takes my hand in the calloused grip of his own. They fit so well, as if the sculptor knew that we were two pieces meant to mold together.

He guides me over to the edge of the lake where the shore meets the sand. He shares a soft crooked smile. When I look into those kind eyes, a lock of his hair falls into them, and my fingertips brush across his forehead as I tuck the cowlick away.

"I needed this," I tell him. "Just a breath of fresh air."

"Something's bugging you, isn't it?" he asks.

"Is it that obvious?"

He squeezes our interlocked hands—a hand I suddenly want to hold onto forever and never let go. In a matter of nights, I fear that Tobin has built himself a foundation in my chest to construct a home. I want him to become a part of me, permanently, even though fate's cards tell us that we'll need to let go.

"I have an idea," his gaze falls to our feet. He kneels down in front of me and undoes the laces of his boots, kicking them off to the side. When his feet are bare, he reaches for my foot. "May I?"

"Tobin," I set my hand on his shoulder to keep my balance, then lift my foot to his hands. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Making you forget about the shit Leighton's putting you through," he raises his kind brown eyes. "Life has a way of fucking with us, but you asked me to pretend that it doesn't matter when night comes." He grins. "I'm just obeying orders, princess."

When he lowers my foot to the sand, I feel the grains sink between my toes. I've felt the sand before, but tonight, my senses heighten in lucidity as the world brightens in full saturation. And there, betwixt the enchanting palette of the night, stands a thief.

As he removes his sword and scabbard, the moonlight catches the thin gold chain around his neck. My necklace with the crescent moon. It's ironic that the necklace only glimmers at the night when both of us ignite with life.

He sets a hand on my waist, the flecks of gold caught in Tobin's irises mirroring the night stars. "Dance with me."

I burst out laughing. "You don't strike me as a dancer."

"Being a fugitive is just like dancing," he grins. "I have to maneuver around guards and swords so I don't get myself killed."

"I don't think that counts."