We were all exhausted from spending most of the night fighting back raiders in Montfort so that by the time we got back to the Premier's palace, it was nearly 2 in the morning. I couldn't sleep and found myself outside on a balcony, gazing up at the millions of stars in the dark night sky. I was anxious about our meeting in the morning. The sole reason why we all came to Montfort. The air here was thin, but it wasn't very cold out. I had grabbed a light blanket on my way out to cover over my nightgown but found that it wasn't needed. It lied across the hammock that the Premier and his husband kept for nights when one wanted to fall asleep under the beautiful stars.

Sighing, I rest an elbow on the marble railing and gaze out into the distance. I think of Tiberias, Premier Davidson, his husband, Evangeline, and Farley. I thought of how every one of them except Tiberias would choose love over their obligations and duties. I think of how jealous Cal was when Tyton's hands lingered at my waist when he strapped the pistol onto me before battle.

Tyton was by no means unattractive. He has dyed white hair and gray eyes and a lean, wiry frame. He was always so quiet when us electricons practiced together, angering Ella, yet he started to warm up to me. He has a mysterious air to him, a young man of few words. But he is also very intimidating due to his expertise in pulse lightning, and it radiates confidence and certainty off of him.

And why I'm just now realizing how attractive Tyton is, I don't know. But something about him calms me, and perhaps it's the fact that I'm grateful somebody as deadly as him is on my side.

Suddenly, I feel a presence standing behind me and I turn expecting it to be Farley or one of my family members. All my thoughts of Tyton must have summoned him here to me because all of a sudden, he's standing at the balcony doors with a slight smile on his face.

I'm surprised to see him, but I return the smile. "Having sleeping troubles as well?"

"Maybe," he smirks at me. He crosses the distance from the doors to the railing in long steps, standing right by my side. He's only a couple of inches away from me. I look back out and Tyton follows my gaze to the beautiful scenery below.

"Did you get a chance to visit your family?" I ask him, remembering Montfort is his home.

He nods. I forget how quiet he is sometimes, and how he doesn't tend to give much details. Truly a mystery.

"That's good," I tell him lamely. I fidget with my fingers, remembering the fear for my family's safety after hearing how frequent raider attacks are.

Without saying anything, Tyton takes my hand gently from me and focuses on the scratches along my forearm. He runs his fingers along each mark softly, curiously.

"Oh." My face heats up. "I'm fine, really. It's a bad habit, to scratch when I feel anxious. It's a subconscious thing. I don't even realize I do it." He must think me a weird freakish lightning girl now. He probably wants to leave but doesn't want to seem rude. I purse my lips, waiting for a response.

"Why are you so anxious?" he asks, still holding onto my hand. A hint of concern appears on his face as he looks down at me. With how quiet he is, I feel safe in knowing what I say to him won't reach anyone else. I sigh.

"It's a lot," I admit. "It's about the meeting in the morning and how generous Montfort is feeling. It's about the safety of my family and whether or not this was the right choice. I think of Tiberias's decision and future decisions to come. The techie towns and their living conditions, what I can do for Reds of Norta and the Lakelands."

I glance down at my hands, the urge to scratch takes place. But I suppress it. "I also remember what it's like to kill every person with my lightning, and feeling death take hold." Their life and vitality draining with every pulse of my lightning as it reaches their brain and heart. It takes a lot out of someone, emotionally.

Tyton nods, understanding exactly what I feel. He's no stranger to killing with lightning either. Though he feels it much more intimately than I do, I can only imagine what he goes through. That's why he's so reluctant to kill without a good reason.

"So that's what's keeping you up."

"Yeah," I nod. I feel slightly better having gotten that off my chest. "I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight."

Tyton continues to observe me, and I try to remain still. Finally, he releases my hand and I place it on the railing, leaning to support my weight.

"You're so tense all the time," he murmurs. "I can help you, if you'd like."

His voice is low and soft, and it reminds me of a singer's abilities. "Help me how?"

Rather than explaining, Tyton positions himself behind me and places both of his hands on my shoulders close to my neck. He massages my back, undoing my knots and tension. His hands lower to the spot right above my hips, rubbing in circles with his thumbs. It feels so good that I lean into him slightly for more pressure.

I underestimated how close he stood. I could feel his whole body press into the back of mine. His hands freeze on my hips and this position suddenly feels very intimate. I blush, moving quickly away from him as he holds his hands up. His face is as red as mine.

"Sorry," I mutter, looking down at my feet. I don't know what he thinks, or how he's feeling. But Tyton gathers himself quicker than me, slightly chuckling. That only makes me more embarrassed.

He shakes his head. "I wonder if your fire prince will come after me with a vengeance equivalent to his brother's."

"He better not," I scoff, glaring into the night. "Or else I'll have to fry him myself. And he's not mine."

"I wonder about that…" he muses.

"He's made his choice."

I feel my heart aching again, thinking about it. It hurts but I won't admit that to anyone. The prince and I both have our own agendas, our own causes to tend to. I have to worry about what comes later.

Tyton remains quiet for a moment.

"What would you do?"

He tilts his head at my question. I don't turn to look at him.

"Would you choose love or obligation?" I ask bitterly.

He puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose I would choose both."

Before I can ask him to explain, he reaches for my hand. I look at him quizzically, and he only smiles at me. He gently pulls me towards the hammock. Gesturing to it, he says, "I think we should talk comfortably. Maybe it'll help you fall asleep. You're going to need your rest for the meeting tomorrow."

Tyton moves before I do, settling into the hammock snugly. I notice there's only room for one. I'm confused. Does he intend for me to sleep where I think he does?

It seems harmless enough though. And everyone else is resting from the fight earlier so I won't be caught. I push down images of the Silvers judging me, knowing they have no right to tell me how I can live my life. With newfound resolve, I nod.

I move until I'm lying on top of him and his arms wrap around me naturally. It almost feels as though we've done this before. His hands rest on the lower part of my back and I can feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing on my cheek. My face rests against his chest and his scent is fresh. Like laundry. It's soothing.

He knows I still haven't forgotten the unanswered question and he continues on.

"Choosing both means I view love as part of my obligations. It means the person I love is just as important to me as my own duties. I don't see any reason why I should have to choose one or the other." His chest rumbles from the deepness of his voice.

"What if the obligation you have makes the person you love… unhappy?"

Tyton takes the shawl I ditched earlier and places it over us like a blanket. It's soft and warm, and I hold onto him tighter. "Compromise. There has to be middle ground."

His tone makes my eyes feel heavy, but I resist the urge to sleep. "And what if there isn't a halfway point?"

"Then I'll make one."

I ponder over his answer. Creating a middle ground requires both parties to put in effort. It's sad to say that neither Cal, or I, have attempted to take those steps. We'd broken our promises to each other so quickly during Corvium that I wonder if what we had could even be considered love. What do I really know about love? We're both stubborn and refuse to let down our pride. Our love for our duties has taken us in different directions. Does that mean we've ever truly loved each other after all?

"Have you ever loved somebody?" I ask Tyton sleepily. I can sense his grin without actually seeing it.

"I've never been around somebody long enough to find out."

I hear a hint of longing in his voice. I think of Kilorn's romantic love for me, and what I assumed was love for Cal.

"Well, you're not missing out on much."

Tyton chuckles softly, lulling me to sleep. My eyes close and my thoughts go through my mind hazily. He strokes my hair softly. But I still refuse to give in to my exhaustion despite how comfortable I am. I'm curious about Tyton.

"Ella's pretty cute, if you can get past how destructive she and her storm lightning are." I stifle a yawn. "And there's quite a few pretty nurses in Piedmont. Kilorn would know. Unless you like the tenacious types like Evangeline, but those are a hit and miss."

My lazy attempts at baiting out what kind of girls he's attracted to makes him laugh.

"Not interested."

"Then what type of girls do you like?"

"Secret."

I sigh, exasperated. "Then are you interested in anyone right now?"

Tyton goes quiet. He's quiet for so long, I'm not sure if he answers. He starts to hum a lullaby instead, one I don't recognize. It must be something Montfort-raised children listen to growing up. I'm so relaxed at this point that I could fall asleep at any moment. His chest vibrates against me as he massages my back and continues to hum. It works very well. My consciousness slips in and out as my breathing grows deeper.

Right before I fall asleep completely though, his humming stops, and I hear him say softly, "I've got a thing for anxious girls who wield purple lightning." And I don't know if I imagined him kissing me on my forehead or if that was just a dream.

In the morning, I wake up before Tyton does and stretch lazily like a cat. I look up at his sleeping expression. It's peaceful and I gaze at his lips, wanting to press mine against his. I resist the urge, choosing to admire his features instead. His strong jawline, tall cheekbones, and long dark eyelashes. His hair looks extremely soft as well, and skin smooth, despite the wear of battle.

My heartbeat jumps and I still my breathing, not wanting to wake him. One small kiss on the lips shouldn't hurt anyone, right? My lack of self-control is truly astounding. Leaning forward slightly, I gently press my lips to his. He doesn't stir beneath me, and I notice how soft and full his lips are against mine. I linger a second too long and I feel his lips form into a smile. I pull away instantly, embarrassment evident on my face.

"You could have told me you were awake," I mutter, hastily.

Tyton chuckles. "I could have, but then again, maybe I wouldn't have been woken up so graciously."

It's too early for my face to heat up like this. But I feel another type of heat in the perimeter, hotter than my own. A rippling, blazing heat rises in the air around us. It's almost suffocating, close enough to scald both our skins. In a second, it's gone, replaced by awkward coughing.

Tyton and I both glance sheepishly toward the balcony doors at our company, still in our sleeping position.

Premier Davidson stands there, struggling to keep his expression neutral. He's amused at what I can only assume to have been the fire prince's reaction to Tyton and I. Evangeline is here as well, not even trying to hide her satisfied smirk. Anabel wears a look of utter disgust at me.

The Premier is the first to speak, his slight smile reaching his eyes for once. "We came looking for you, Miss Barrow, to briefly discuss the topics for this morning's meeting. Our deepest apologies for intruding on your guys', ah… Moment."

Anabel storms out of the room, to search for her dear grandson and Evangeline obnoxiously lets out a loud laugh. The smell of something burning below us wafts its way up to the balcony.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," Premier Davidson takes a step away from us. "I've got to put out a fire on the terrace below us before it begins to grow anywhere else. My dear," he calls for his husband. "Do we have a nymph around?" And Davidson is gone, leaving only Evangeline.

"I can always count on the lightning girl to create entertainment for me," she grins. "Just when I started to find Montfort boring."

"You're welcome," I sarcastically reply. After all, I'm the one who has to deal with the consequences of a fire later, more than anyone here. Tyton doesn't say anything through this whole ordeal. He looks amused.

"And this is why boys are nothing but problems," Evangeline tsks. With that, she takes her leave as well.

I look up at Tyton again, expecting more of a reaction. He still looks more amused than anything. He places a hand on my cheek. "You look well rested."

"Thanks to you," I mutter. His relaxing presence gave me nothing to worry about throughout the night and I was able to get more sleep than I thought.

Still gazing at me, he leans down to kiss me softly. He pulls away briefly, as if he was reflecting on the way our lips feel against each other. And he kisses me deeply. Again, and again. I feel a spark between us that I hadn't noticed before, and not just because we're both electricons.

Below us, the fire alarm goes off and I hear Farley curse, "What the hell did Barrow do this time?"