My heart pounds as we ascend the mountain path leading to Arkarian's chambers. Mere hours earlier, I was almost crushed by a collapsing temple, given the gift of youth retention, and told that Arkarian loves me. The former two seem very trivial.
My mother would not hear of me leaving the house alone after what she presumes happened, and I would not dream of sneaking out after the fright we gave her. Thankfully, Jimmy volunteered to accompany me, "for a walk". I was never more thankful to him in my life. He will wait in front of the chambers until I come out, and I promise him I will try my best to make my visit as short as possible. He gives me a slightly rueful smile, and I sense his opinion of my best is not very high.
"You could tell Mum I bumped into a friend and went to her house," I offer guiltily. He raises an eyebrow. "At seven A.M.?"
I look down. "I feel bad about making you wait."
"It's fine, it's fine. Look, we're here."
The door stands open, and I nearly jump when I see Arkarian standing in the frame, turquoise hair flowing in the breeze. A white sweater clings closely to his chest, offering the viewer a flawless contour of his muscles. I gulp.
It's become a routine really; I seem to gulp every time I see him.
"Hello mate," Jimmy notices my blush and breaks the tense silence. Arkarian gives him a grin before turning to me, his gaze as gentle and understanding as always. But this time there is something else in his purple eyes, something I do not even dare read into. He stretches out his hand, and I take it, grateful that I do not have to be the one making the first uncomfortable move. Jimmy looks away, humming a tune until Arkarian asks him to come inside, into one of the side rooms whose doors crowd the dark corridors of the mountain.
Once Jimmy is gone, Arkarian proceeds to the main chamber. I follow him nervously, my hand sweating against his warm skin. This is too awkward. Why couldn't Lorian just let us talk last night?
Arkarian stops and looks at me questioningly. I feel like I should say something, but everything I think of sounds absolutely ludicrous. Hey. So. We're soul-mates, huh? Uh, I love you? No, really, I really care about you. Yeah. I can't believe you like me back! Why didn't you make a move sooner, you mind-reading bastard? You heard all those embarrassing thoughts that I had about your...arms...and chest... Fuck. Like every time Ethan commented on your strength I would blush like an idiot, like I must be blushing right now. But yeah, you're really hot. I think your face is really pretty. Is that weird to think of a guy's face? Oh, just shut the fuck up, Isabel.
"I never got to thank you for saving my life," Arkarian's soft voice fills my head, dispelling my ridiculous thoughts.
"Oh. That's, uh, okay." Brilliantly eloquent, Isabel. A sense of calm penetrates through me and I realize what Arkarian is doing. I attempt to pull away from his grasp, not wanting false ease. He lets go, tracing the tips of his fingers up my arm, across my shoulder, tickling the side of my neck, to my cheek. I look at him helplessly as he tilts my chin up, trying to block my thoughts of wanting him to kiss me. And then he leans in, and his lips meet mine, breathing in my silent sigh. Our teeth clash, and my hands, of their own accord, travel up to his face, to the partly smooth, partly stubbled skin, holding his head in place as I explore his mouth. He seems to hesitate before pulling me closer to him, locking me in a gentle cage of his body. I still cannot believe that he likes me, me, the little tomboy Isabel. I must be the luckiest person in the world.