I mentioned something about author's notes yesterday, didn't I? Yeah, they're hard. Also, does this week feel really long to anyone else? Or is it just me? I'm not usually on this website so often...
The tent contained very little outside of a thin sleeping mat, two mismatched wooden chairs, and a dirty bag that must hold clothes or other personal belongings. The edge of the flap leading into the tent wasn't fastened shut, making an incessant fluttering noise that would kick up and die down with the wind whistling by outside.
Compared to the elegance of the castle ballroom, this environment was worn and dirty - the result of creating a living situation at the edge of the world.
"Huh...you know just what I like," Yang joked, motioning to the sleeping mat on the dirt floor. "Who needs a mattress these days, anyway?"
"You've never gone camping before?" Blake asked, playfully raising her brow.
"I have, but it wasn't quite like this. For one thing, our tent was bright yellow!"
Chuckling at the image of a bright yellow tent pitched right outside school grounds (or somewhere that wasn't far from a hot shower), Blake took a good look around the interior for herself. As she'd imagined, there wasn't much to look at. Why should there be? This living arrangement was nothing more than temporary - meant to provide shelter, not comfort.
In the midst of her analysis, the unmistakable sound of footsteps approached them. A few seconds later, the flap of the tent fully unzipped and a woman ducked through, followed closely by a man - both wearing full suits of armor, which explained their heavier-than-normal footsteps.
Once they were both inside, the man zipped the tent closed and followed his companion over to the chairs.
"Ok, damn," Yang said as the woman walked past them - her features striking and beautiful compared to this dull, basic world. "You do know what I like."
When the woman sat down in one of the chairs with a sigh, Yang shot Blake a grin.
"But she's still only the second most beautiful girl in the...tent."
Blake blushed at the compliment, but thankfully the man walked past them then - his armor creaking softly as he sat in the chair across from the woman. To say he was worn down was an understatement. His brown hair was a spiky mess, the bags under his eyes were pronounced from lack of sleep, and his hands shook from general exhaustion.
His companion was just as tired, but doing a better job of hiding it. Her long, blonde braid still shone against her dark armor. There was nothing she could do to hide the dark circles under her eyes, but if her hands were trembling she hid it by clenching her fingers into fists.
"They look like they've been through hell," Yang commented, watching the pair as they sat in silence.
"Only the beginning of it," Blake whispered.
Moving closer, she stooped down to admire their sets of armor. Unique to every person, each was cast with a series of intricate engravings that gave away rank and status - add in the dents and battle scars, and every suit was a story told in pictures rather than words. Their weapons were just as ornate, and passed down through generations of warriors.
But their weapons and armor were only the beginning of the story, as their true source of power lay hidden within their minds.
"Soldiers?" Yang asked, watching the two characters study a dirty piece of paper the woman had just pulled out.
"Yes, soldiers. But they're the leaders here," Blake explained.
"Oh crap - and there's probably going to be a big battle, right?"
"They'll be here soon," the woman interrupted, her brow creased with concern as she lowered the map and looked towards the entrance of the tent. "If we can hold out long enough, Markos will arrive to help -"
"And if we don't?"
The question drew the woman's intent gaze for a long moment before she abruptly stood and paced across the tent, having little difficulty moving in her armor.
"We will. If we make it to the back lines and cut down the wielders…" The man stood with her, but she hardly gave him a second glance while continuing her pace. "We'll hold them. We have to."
"Bree…"
Drawing her gaze back to his own, the man sighed and shook his head.
"I don't know how much I have left…" he admitted. Extending his left arm, swirls of icy blue raced down the armor covering his wrist before culminating in the palm of his hand. Immediately intrigued, Yang stepped closer to see what it was, and Blake moved to follow.
Upon his gloved hand was the image of a wolf - an icy-blue visage that prowled restlessly across his palm before curling into a ball and going to sleep.
Reaching out, Bree pressed his fingers closed and pulled his hand to her heart.
"Just one more, Cy," she whispered as the lines of blue slowly faded from his armor. "Just one more...and if it consumes us both, so be it."
He stared into her eyes for the longest time before finally nodding - just once, as if anything more would be too much effort.
"You know I'm with you," he replied, his voice gentle and low. "I'll always be with you."
Still clutching his hand, Bree didn't let go and didn't shy away from his gaze. Instead, she embraced it - and willingly returned it.
"They're going to kiss, right?" Yang whispered to Blake. But the moment was destroyed by the sound of a loud horn outside the tent. The noise caught the characters' attention, and they turned towards it with varying degrees of anticipation, worry and hope in their eyes.
"It's time," Bree said, setting her jaw and dropping their joined hands in order to move towards the exit.
"Bree." Reaching out, Cy touched her on the arm before she could walk away, turning her back to him. Under her searching gaze, he shrank away - as if suddenly uncertain of what he wanted to say.
Determination won out in the end, as he took a deep breath and pushed forward.
"If this is the end, I just want you to know -"
Before he could finish that sentence, Bree stepped forward and kissed him. The action halted his words - first in surprise, and then in eagerness as he returned the kiss. He moved closer, his fingers tracing tenderly around her ear before cupping under her jaw and drawing her up to his lips. She followed his gentle direction - for just a few seconds completely surrendering to the rush of feelings - before placing one hand flat against his chest and breaking away.
"You can tell me after," she breathed out, her eyes searching his while expressing the same emotions he wanted to say out loud. "In this life or the next - tell me then."
Swallowing the words he'd already held in for so long, Cy nodded and motioned her towards the exit of the tent. "Then after you, milady."
"Nooo, you have to tell her now!" Yang immediately cut in, giving Blake a pleading look. "You can't wait - you have to tell her now!"
When the characters ignored her and walked outside, Yang put her head in her hands and groaned.
"You shouldn't wait," she said, dropping her hands and shaking her head. "Because you never know what will happen…" Her voice trailed off when she looked at Blake, who couldn't help but feel as if the comment somehow applied to her massively growing feelings for the girl who'd stumbled into this other world with her.
"You'll want to see the next part," Blake said instead of dwelling on that thought, moving to follow their characters outside. After slipping through the seam in the tent, she heard Yang gasp from behind her.
It looked like there had already been a battle won and lost at this place - that could be the only explanation for why the earth was charred and still appeared to smoke in the distance. There was nothing on the expanse in front of them but dark soil and broken trees - however, when Blake turned around she spotted the faint glow of a city far behind them. It was this city that was the last bastion of life in a world falling apart at the seams. It was this city that their main characters were willing to die to protect.
But Yang wasn't gasping at the scorched earth. She was gasping at the army standing outside the tent - rows and rows of worn-out soldiers standing in lines that, at one point, had been crisp and straight. Today, the lines were as haphazard and ragged as the men and women standing in them.
Maybe their order and discipline were unremarkable, but the soldiers themselves were unlike any Blake had ever seen before. They were also clad in intricate armor - not as opulent as that of the main characters, but still strewn with intricate designs. They also held weapons that were one-of-a-kind and unlike any other. But, in addition to their expressive armor, each soldier had one last piece of weaponry that would serve them far better than the weapons in their hands.
Standing by each soldier's side, or perched atop their shoulder, or fluttering above their heads, were larger versions of the animal specter Cy had displayed in the tent. From birds of prey to jungle cats to mere woodland creatures, each vision glowed brightly against the dark, trampled earth.
Bree and Cy were walking down the line of soldiers with their own spirits displayed proudly - a cold, sleek wolf moved stealthily beside the man while a tall, gleaming lion prowled by the woman's side. Their animal spirits said as much about them as their personalities did. He was a loner, she was a leader - yet somehow they found a way to work together.
"Wow…" Yang breathed out, her eyes moving from one soldier to the next. "Those are really cool…"
Blake smiled, finding that Yang's mystification at these foreign worlds was, many times, more enjoyable than experiencing the worlds themselves. Which was an amazing realization considering how much she loved spending time in these books on her own…
After walking past the entirety of their troops, Bree and Cy moved to the middle of the group and faced their compatriots. The golden lion sat gracefully by Bree's side, its long tail curling around its feet and its mane blowing in the wind. Cy took his place on Bree's other side, scanning the men and women in front of him with intense eyes. His blue wolf sat at his own side and did the same - looking up and down the line as if searching for weaknesses.
"I'm digging her confidence," Yang said out of the side of her mouth while watching Bree. The woman stood tall and proud, not an ounce of fear to be found in her appearance.
"This was what she was meant to do," Blake explained. "She was always meant to lead."
"And Cy?"
"He was...a last minute addition." Smiling at the look Yang sent her, Blake nodded towards Bree. "Are you ready to be inspired?"
"Oh, hell yes," Yang said, smiling as they both turned to watch.
There was a restless energy in the air as everyone waited for Bree to speak - as they all waited for the inevitable battle to be thrust upon them. Picking up on that energy, Yang kept shifting between her feet, and her arm kept brushing against Blake's as she did so.
Rather than lean away, Blake leaned into Yang's warmth - and Yang stopped moving with their arms gently pressed together.
"Spirians!" Bree called out to the group, causing silence to fall as all eyes and attention focused on her. The wind whipping across the open plain blew at the loose hairs sticking from the end of her blonde braid but failed to move her. "We've known this day was coming," she said, sending her stern gaze down the line of soldiers in front of her. "Now that it's here, we will find resolution. We will end this war once and for all!"
As cheers swept across the group, Bree paused and waited for them to die down before continuing.
"I'm not going to lie to you," she said. "This will be the fiercest battle we've ever fought, and there's no guarantee of success. But we've never been guaranteed anything before - not in our lives, not in our parents' lives, not in any life of any Spirian who's ever lived."
As Bree's voice grew louder, the men and women in front of her nodded their heads and knocked their weapons against their armor in agreement. Even Yang was starting to nod, looking around at the other soldiers and becoming swept up in the anticipation.
"We don't need guarantees," Bree said, tilting her chin up proudly. "We've fought, and scratched, and clawed our way to success before - and we'll do it again. The Malumites might think they've won, but they've never fought a Spirian on a cloudy night. They've never met a Blaze on an open plain. Well...they will tonight. And they'll wish they never came to this place - as we send them all to the depths of Gehenna itself!"
More cheers erupted from the army - sounding like a single voice of approval at the battle to come.
"We will hold this line," Bree said, her voice rising about the noise that grew in anticipation. "We will hold this city. We will see tomorrow - because we will not be broken!"
As soon as the last word left Bree's lips, Cy's wolf raised its head and let out a loud howl. The sound tore through the night sky before it was joined by the roar of a lion, and then a chorus of other animals merged with shouts of people.
The army was ready as the enemy crested the hill in the background, looking like nothing more than a thin line of black steadily approaching under cloudy skies.
"That's all?" Yang asked, taking a good look at the enemies in comparison to the soldiers in front of them. "That seems like a pretty even fight."
"Watch," Blake replied, nodding towards the opposing force.
What initially appeared as a single line of enemies suddenly looked like two lines. It was a subtle change that could be misconstrued for poor eyesight, but then the two lines became three, and the three became four. Within seconds, what once looked like a surmountable opponent was now an entire mass of black on the horizon.
"Ooook. That looks...worse."
"Yup," Blake said, nodding when Yang looked at her in disbelief.
"That's who they're fighting against?"
"Yes."
"And they hope to win?"
"They have to win. Otherwise, the world as they know it will end."
Jaw dropped, Yang looked at the rag-tag group of soldiers before turning back to the enemies in the distance.
"Oh god...they need a lot more than a good speech…"
The odds were heavily skewed, but their fearless leaders didn't flinch in the face of this enemy. Bree stood at attention, her posture straight and her proud lion prowling the space in front of her - he was the only indication that she was mulling through the battle to come and anxious for it to get underway. Cy saved one last look for Bree before turning away and steeling himself. He wanted the war to be over but, most importantly, he wanted to ensure Bree made it out of this unscathed.
"The Malumites are wielders, just like the Spirians," Blake explained. "But they deal in shadows instead of animals."
"And they can have more than one?" Yang asked.
"Depending on how skillful they are, yes."
When Bree raised her sword in the air, Blake nudged Yang and nodded to their right.
"We should probably head over there and loop around." Blake motioned out of the way of the army, but the look Yang gave her for the suggestion was incredulous, at best.
"What?" Yang asked in disbelief. "Why would we go that way? The battle's going to be right here!"
"It's going to be a complete mess," Blake answered, gesturing to the opposing armies. "We can watch from the edge and still make our way across to see the end of the chapter -"
"Skip the battle? But...but you're the one who walked right up to a dragon!" Yang said, raising one hand above her head to symbolize how tall Ember had been. "You have no fear! You heard that speech - we've got to go out there and help them win this fight!"
Blake had had no intentions of joining the fray because she knew it was going to be chaotic, but if that's what Yang wanted to do...
"Plus, we're invincible, right?" Yang added, giving Blake a look that begged a second confirmation.
"Yes, we are, but..."
"No buts!" Yang interrupted. Glancing over at Bree - who still had her weapon raised while the mass of shadows approached - Yang waved her hands in front of her. "Ok, you want my own motivating speech?"
The suggestion made Blake smile.
"That sounds like a great idea," she said, already looking forward to what Yang would come up with.
First grinning, Yang then cleared her throat and straightened her posture in an attempt to mimic their heroine.
"We may not have cool armor, weapons, spirit animals, or any sort of training, but we're invisible and invincible." Yang's grin grew when Blake laughed. "So we can still help them win this fight!" she concluded with emphasis before extending her hand to Blake. "Are you with me?"
Faced with Yang's earnest expression, there was no way Blake could have said 'no.' There was no way she could even want to say 'no.' Instead, she nodded and took Yang's hand.
"I'm with you."
Yang pumped her other fist in success while tenderly grasping Blake's hand and leading them closer to the back line of the Spirian army.
"Plus, I don't wanna brag or anything," Yang said. "But I've totally done one of those obstacle course things before."
A startled laugh slipped past Blake's lips at the unexpected comment.
"And that applies to this situation how?" she asked, giving Yang an amused look.
"It's basically the same thing! Run, dodge, climb - just...with fewer people trying to cause each other a lot of harm."
"Spirians!" Bree shouted when the enemy was nearly halfway across the plain. "Onward!"
Bree and Cy charged forward first - leading the way towards their foe. The soldiers were quick to follow, breaking into a sprint across the charred earth.
"Let's go!" Yang yelled, pulling Blake after the group before they got too far away.
The Malumite army reacted quickly, their shadows racing forward to clash with the Spirians at the midway point of the battlefield. As expected, any sense of order instantly dissolved into total chaos, with soldiers, animals, and shadows crashing into each other at every turn. Snarls, cries of pain, and shouts of fear filled the air as the battle got underway.
The main characters were already way out in front - a wolf and lion appearing and disappearing as they cleaved a path through shadows.
"This way!" Yang called out, leading Blake past several small skirmishes and towards what appeared to be a break in the battle. They raced towards it, but the gap suddenly filled with a group of shadows - shadows that raced directly towards them.
"Watch out!" Blake warned.
Skidding to a stop, Yang gripped Blake's hand tightly and tore off in another direction as a set of glowing hawks dove over their heads and attacked the first of the shadows. Yang then did a stutter step as a Malumite wielder tore past them and clashed with one of the Spirians.
"You ok?" Yang called over her shoulder as they started running again.
"Of - course -" Blake answered, although her breaths were coming in spurts now that they were running again. On instinct, she ducked as a falcon dove through the air near her head - glancing to the side as it latched onto one of the shadows with its talons.
"They're over there!"
Yang pointed off in the distance before leading them forward, racing from open space to open space and just barely squeezing through before the battle closed in on them. "We can make it through there!"
When Yang gestured towards a miniscule gap up ahead - one that was currently occupied by a single Malumite wielder - Blake immediately had her doubts.
"Yang…"
"Don't worry, we got this!"
With that vote of confidence, Yang squeezed Blake's hand while they raced directly towards a Malumite soldier. While his attention was trained elsewhere, Yang's strategy was clear - they could be able to slip past if the timing was just right.
But the path suddenly disappeared when another Malumite stepped in front of them. This one was wearing black robes with glowing lines of silver wrapping around him - marking him as elite amongst his kind. Mouth set in a scowl, he made little motion as a group of ten shadows appeared from nothing but air and shot forward.
"Ok - we don't got this!" Yang shouted, leading them in another direction, backtracking in order to find another way around.
As they dodged more fighting soldiers and flashing shadows, Blake started laughing - she couldn't help it. It was a little ridiculous that they were running around in the middle of a battle...and it was even more unbelievable that it was actually fun to do.
Finding a small pocket of inactivity near a piece of siege weaponry, Yang finally stopped and looked around.
"Where the heck did they go?" she asked, breathing heavily while scanning through the crowds of warring soldiers.
Blake glanced down at their hands first - still clasped together even though they were no longer running - before searching for the main characters. Fortunately, it was easy to spot Bree and Cy...because the rest of the story seemed to skirt around them.
"That way," Blake said, pointing in that direction when she caught the flash of a lion.
"How the heck did they get all the way over here?" Yang asked, tugging Blake away from their momentary sanctuary.
"They must be better at obstacle courses than you."
Laughing in delight at the tease, Yang led them back into the fray. They raced towards the massive individual battle in progress, narrowly ducking under an attacking jaguar on the way.
While the rest of the combat was relatively normal - or as normal as it could be in this mythical place - this zone of the battlefield existed entirely on its own. Spirians and Malumites alike stayed away from the large circle of space, for no other reason than the main characters were currently fighting there.
It would have been faster - and involved less running - if they'd just walked around the edge of the battle, but they made it to their destination regardless. Although Blake was now breathless from running, because apparently being invincible didn't also mean she was in impeccable physical form.
"Jeez...l need to...run more…" Yang huffed, pulling Blake a bit closer when a group of shadows whipped by. "But see? There's...room here."
When a Malumite in glowing silver robes suddenly hit the ground in front of them, Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and pulled her into a protective embrace.
A wolf leaped at the man while he was still on the ground, but a shadow flung the creature to the side while two more shadows pulled the man back to his feet. He'd hardly regained his balance before Bree was swinging her sword into his side, with Cy attacking from the other direction. This particular enemy wasn't wielding a weapon of his own, but groups of shadows sprang from him in droves - each group deflecting attacks and pushing the heroes back.
"This guy is good -"
As Yang made the observation, the man sent at least ten shadows flashing around the two heroes in rapid succession. Using their swords and trusty animals, they destroyed each while slowly making their way closer - fighting for every inch to get back to their main foe.
Another wielder dared to join the battle at that moment, but Bree easily dismantled his shadows before Cy's wolf leaped over her head and took down the source. Yang flinched at the cry that abruptly cut off, but the characters immediately pressed towards their true enemy, undaunted by the minor interruption.
It was slow going - like walking headfirst into gale-force winds, while also protecting oneself from danger that appeared from any direction without warning.
Looking down at Yang's arms, which were still wrapped around her stomach, Blake found it immensely difficult to follow the battle in front of her as she fought a growing blush. Yang was likely too enthralled in the combat to realize what she was doing - instead, she pulled Blake even closer when Bree finally made it back to the Malumite and swung her sword towards his side before kicking out with one armored boot. Neither attack was successful, as shadows knocked the attempts off course.
Meanwhile, Cy was being held at bay - several yards away - by a relentless onslaught of shadows pouring his way.
Loud horns sounded in the distance, but Bree didn't acknowledge them as she focused on her enemy - her brow creased in determination.
"Help is here," Blake said, nodding off to the left, where another army had appeared on the horizon and was racing to join the chaos.
Turning that way and accidentally brushing her nose against Blake's hair in the process, Yang quickly dropped her hold and took a step away. Looking at the new arrivals, she then turned back to Bree - who was locked into a close combat fight with the leader of the Malumite army.
"They need to hurry -"
Cleaving through a torrent of shadows when they appeared, Bree's lion leaped towards the man and managed to grab him by the arm. A cry of pain laced the air, but he quickly used shadows to free himself from the lion's grasp and launched a counterattack as a tornado of shadows that necessitated Bree's full attention to block.
Meanwhile, Cy was making progress - looping around the side in order to split their enemy's attention in two separate directions. The strategy only seemed to anger the man more, as he unleashed a wave of shadows that shot like bullets in every direction.
One of the shadows passed so close to them that Yang jumped back in alarm. After realizing what she'd done, she gave Blake a sheepish smile.
"That scared the heck outta me," she admitted.
"Don't worry about it," Blake replied, knowing that she'd jolted in surprise at the same moment. Smiling at the response, Yang turned to the battle once more.
"How're they ever going to beat this dude?" she asked while Bree and Cy were pushed back once more. "They can't even get close enough to touch him."
At that moment, Cy's wolf launched itself towards the man's shoulder and made it through - knocking their enemy temporarily off balance. The opening was brief, but Bree immediately saw it...and didn't hesitate to take the opportunity.
The world suddenly slowed down - time actually inching forward as the penultimate moment played out before their eyes. The Malumite was already forming dozens of defensive shadows, which were coming to life by his side and darting forward. Bree was raising her sword in one hand, her eyes locked onto the weak spot she'd just discovered.
"Oh god."
Yang already knew what was going to happen next. As Bree slowly threw her arm forward, her fingers released their grip on the weapon, and a single shadow raced directly towards her. Her lion was out of position, Cy was out of position. The only thing she had to protect herself with, she'd just launched towards their enemy.
Time abruptly caught up. Bree's sword flew through the air and plunged through the Malumite's heart right as he stood up. At the same moment, a shadow flashed through Bree's armor - cutting right through the plating above her heart.
"Bree!"
A large section of shadows disappeared from the battlefield as the Malumite crumpled to the ground, but Bree collapsed to her knees not long after him. Blood was slipping from beneath her armor and pooling on the ground by her feet, while the lines of bright yellow drained from her armor. Rushing over, Cy caught her right before she fell and gently laid her on the ground.
Black shadows were being replaced by glowing Blazes as the Malumites - without the aid of their strongest leader - were falling back to regroup. A giant bear rumbled past, followed closely by the second army's commander.
"Cy!" the man called out. "Get her out of here!"
He raced onward as two soldiers appeared by Bree's side, ready to carry her to help.
"See...this is why you don't wait…" Yang whispered, watching the interaction with a frown.
"You can't leave me…" Cy pleaded, his armor burning brightly as Bree's lost its glow. His wolf sat by his side, watching solemnly while the medics lifted her onto a makeshift stretcher. "Bree, please don't leave me."
There was no response, and an anguished howl filled the air - lingering even after the characters faded away, leaving Yang and Blake alone on an empty battlefield. Making a sound of distress, Yang threw her hands in the air.
"But does she live? Does she survive? Jesus...these are all such cliffhangers!"
The response made Blake smile as she watched Yang pace back and forth.
"I knew he shouldn't have waited," she muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair and glancing at the spot where Bree had just been laying. "Now look what happened! Now she might be dead. Great job, Cy. Greaaat freaking job. If you would've listened to me, this wouldn't have happened! Or she would've at least known how you felt!"
Yang was talking to herself, but Blake still felt compelled to speak. Because she and Cy had one thing in common - one thing that maybe she should stop hiding, as well.
"Yang?"
Yang immediately stopped pacing and walked back to Blake with an expectant expression.
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something?"
"Sure. You can tell me anything."
The smile that went with the words said just that - that Yang was willing to hear whatever Blake had to say. But what did she even want to say? She wasn't in love with Yang, per se, but there were definitely strong feelings there - feelings that grew stronger with each passing chapter. Was she supposed to admit that she'd harbored a giant crush on Yang for years now? That she loved Wednesdays because that's when Yang came into the library? That she went out of her way to make sure Yang's favorite study room was always available?
"I'm glad you're here with me," she settled upon and, even though it wasn't close to what she originally intended to say, Yang's eyes lit up with happiness.
"Yeah?" Yang asked with a growing grin. "Even though I totally wasn't invited?"
Laughing at the question, Blake nodded her head and felt her prior uncertainty melt away.
"Even though you weren't invited," she replied, the honest answer making Yang smile widely.
"Well that makes me happy! Because I'm having a lot of fun. Once the initial shock wears off, this is really awesome. Plus, couldn't ask for better company." When Yang nudged her arm and winked, Blake felt her cheeks warm with a blush.
"...l couldn't either."
She would've turned away after the admission, but she loved the way Yang was looking at her right now - as if she was the only person in the world who existed. Well, technically she was the only person who existed at this point, but there was more to it than that. It was a more intent gaze than any she could remember receiving before...and she remembered quite a few of them.
That gaze only ended with the blackened battlefield blurred.
"What's next?" Yang asked, looking around as changes began to take place.
"You keep asking, but I don't think you want me to tell you."
Yang laughed at Blake's response.
"That's true. I love a good surprise. Although...I think the initial surprise of being in a book was a bit much, even for me."
"You've acclimated nicely."
"That's because…" Pausing to look around as the destroyed battlefield gave way to what appeared to be a regular city street, Yang then met Blake's eyes and smiled. "I like spending time with you."
The next chapter was about to start...but Blake was finding it more and more difficult to find anything more intriguing than their own story - which seemed to be evolving with every page.