Quinn woke up to something warm. The woman hadn't opened her eyes yet, but a pleasant sensation was engulfing her whole body.

After opening one eye, then the other, Quinn was momentarily blinded by something she hadn't seen for days. The rays of the sun. The peaceful light caressed the skin of her face and warmed her insides too.

Another element was contributing to Quinn's comfort. Talon's body was coiled around hers, and he was sharing his heat with her. He was spooning her, so his face brushed against her nape. Quinn could feel his tranquil breath in her neck, his lips touching her skin. One of Talon's hands rested on her hip. His shirt was still off, and Quinn was barely covered by her own scruffy clothing. The skin of his torso and of her back were softly touching under the warmth of Talon's cape.

Talon woke up almost immediately. Quinn's head spun, and his eyes pierced into her. The sunlight made the amber shine like gold. Talon's hair was unruly, and fell over his face. He stood up slowly without disrupting her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Quinn answered with a shy smile.

"I'm alright."

To Quinn's surprise, Talon looked sad. He was observing the radiant sun raising over the jungle trees, illuminating the stone walls of the cave. He pushed his hair away from his eyes, and lightly crinkled his nose.

"They must be already looking for you," whispered Talon.

Quinn's heart clenched. She suddenly understood why a sudden sadness had taken over him. Soon, they would not be trapped by the weather anymore. A rescue team was soon to look for her. Quinn first thought of Valor, her winged companion. She missed him terribly, and Talon probably felt that. He didn't say anything else, but Quinn's heart ached.

"I know." she said emptily.

The morning went by rather calmly. The ranger and the assassin spent it in comfortable silence, Talon often roaming the surroundings of the cave. He wanted to make sure they were alone, and no foe was to fear. He had killed a wild bird, and after joking about it not being Valor, he cooked it for Quinn and him.

A good meal made the woman feel better. She enjoyed the taste of the meat and dug her teeth in the cooked flesh. Talon did the same. They were content. Sitting on the edge of the cave, feeling the sun warm their skins, they were barely touching. But the moment was not to last.

Talon slowly leaned against Quinn, his mouth getting closer to her nape. He laid a kiss there, then another. Quinn suddenly had goosebumps, but those were not caused by fear. She actually enjoyed that, and had never been kissed there.

She felt Talon's mouth shifting into a smirk against her skin. He then gently scratched her nape and laid a last kiss in the crook of her neck. He didn't speak anymore, but never ceased to burn her with his eyes. Quinn didn't open her mouth yet either, fearing if she spoke, she might loose something precious.

Her fingers crept and found Talon's warm hand, and entwined themselves in his own. Since last night, something in her had changed. Quinn definitely couldn't think of Talon as her enemy anymore. To her, they were now... alike.

The day passed painfully quickly. Quinn couldn't stop shooting glances at the sun, hating it now. She saw Talon sometimes doing the same thing, a frown of worry now marking his skin. Like two birds enjoying the privacy of their nest, they slowly began to share little stories about their lives. Murmuring sweet nothings. The day was short, but Quinn was beginning to get to know Talon. And she loved it.

"Do you see this scar?" asked Talon while showing his arm.

Quinn nodded.

"I earned it by stealing a loaf of cooked meat on the market, when I was a child. I ran as fast as I could, but the meat was very heavy. It eventually slipped from my fingers, and I fell on it. I couldn't stop slipping and ran into a wall. I tried to protect myself with my arm, but a stone ran into it. The merchant found me, and was laughing so hard he let me go. But he took the meat back, of course."

Talon had a little smile, and looked at Quinn.

The ranger smiled too, not without a little sadness. Talon had told her about his childhood as an orphan, and she couldn't help but think about how hard it must have been. She wished she could have met him, a little boy, and held his hand.

"I liked stealing too," confessed Quinn. "But only for the thrill of it. Caleb and I loved to steal the remains of the meat pies our mother made. She called us her little thieves."

Quinn marked a pause and chuckled.

"Caleb was always more scared than me, I always was the instigator of the crimes." she displayed proudly.

"Oh, I see. Seems like I'm not the only criminal around." whispered Talon in her ear.

Of course, her skin reddened and thus Talon felt the growing need to prey on her vulnerability. Fast as a hawk, he caught her wrists behind her back and held them together.

"You're under arrest, thief."

"Hey! Let go of me!" Quinn pretended to be offended, but clearly smiled. "I'm innocent, sir!"

"Not so much." Talon played serious.

"I'm... I'm a ranger of Demacia, you know. I'll forgive you for this time, only if you let me go!" she mimed a peak of authority in her voice. Talon loved seeing her play his little game.

"Oh no... I don't think I'm letting you go so easily." Talon had a devious smile. "You're going to jail, with me."

"No, please... Please..." Quinn pleaded.

Talon still held her wrists firmly. He pressed his body against hers, not letting her the chance to wriggle out of his grasp.

"There's no way out, you little thief..." he huskily said. He had spoken those words dangerously close to her neck, a part of Quinn's body he seemed to adore. Quinn felt him eyeing her like a predator having his prey at his mercy. She tried to wriggle her way out again, but Talon was unbeatable. He could even let go of one hand and maintain her arms with only one.

Quinn felt his free hand roam over her body, and applying a sweet pressure to her neck.

"Please..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

There was no pretending being scared anymore. She would have been a bad actress. She couldn't hide the way it made her feel, the shivers it sent down her spine. Usually, Quinn hated feeling vulnerable. She always avoided proximity, being touched and stayed away from most men. She didn't want to find herself in a position where she wouldn't be able to fight back, and get robbed of her freedom.

This was different... Talon's hand on her pulsing neck didn't feel like he wanted to hurt her, but like... he was claming her. His smell was intoxicating, and Quinn's limbs could only but tremble. All her body wanted to do was give in.

"I'm no thief..." she tried with no conviction.

"I don't believe you," smirked Talon in the devilish way that made Quinn melt. "I'm afraid I'll have to investigate if you're lying or not."

Quinn's heart pounded heavily against her ribcage. What was the devil going to do to her?

Painfully slowly, Talon approached his lips from the trembling skin of her neck. He didn't release his grip either on her wrists, or with his other hand. Arched like she was Quinn was in no posture to fight back. Completely at his mercy.

"If your heart beats too fast... It means you're lying." calmly whispered Talon. He suddenly gently bit her, which made the woman writh in his grasp.

"And if you're lying, I won't let you go." he threatened, biting her again, lower.

Quinn knew there was nothing she could do to slow her heartbeat. He was just too good.

Talon's expert hand softly kneaded at her skin, finding her pulsating veins. Quinn almost felt drugged at the delicious sensation. The soft pressure remained for a long time, and the ranger thought she would die from anticipation.

Talon's eyes ravenously engulfed the whole scene: her slightly parted lips, her panting, the rising and lowering of her chest. She was not even trying to fight her way out anymore. She was letting him claim her. Quinn felt Talon's heart pound against her back, too.

"Seems like we have a litlle liar here", murmured the assassin in her nape.

He spun her around almost brutally, and took hold of her chin, forcing her to look directly into his piercing eyes. The man couldn't resist anymore. Seeing her erratic breathing and her reddened lips parted like that made him want to devour her. He pulled her chin towards him, slowly, getting ready to at last taste her...

They were both startled by a screeching noise.

"Valor!" said Quinn, delivered from her trance.

Talon let her rise up, a bitter taste in his mouth. Quinn went to the entrance of the cave and roamed the sky with her eyes. She saw a huge winged form searching in the sky, looking for her. But she didn't call. Talon watched her, petrified. Quinn did not wave at him, did not utter a single word. A sudden sadness had fallen upon her face.

Stepping behind Quinn, Talon embraced her. He felt her smaller hands take his own. He could also feel her gritted teeth, probably holding herself from shedding tears.

Another high-pitched scream came from the sky. The eagle had found her. Soon, Talon heard voices in the forest under them. In a few minutes the Demacian guard would be up there, taking her back. Stealing her from him. But Quinn was still wounded, and needed medical care. She probably missed her own too.

Talon spun her around and kissed her. He kissed her as if it was the last time he could, because he didn't know when he could see her again. If he could see her again. Something wet rolled against his cheek. She couldn't hold herself anymore.

"Talon..." she pleaded, honestly this time.

"Please don't forget me, Quinn."

Those words hurt his throat when he uttered them. He put on his cape, the blades shining in the sunlight. Quinn was paralyzed when he shot her a last piercing look, his eyes the deadliest weapon she had ever encountered.

"I..." began Quinn.

But Talon had already disappeared. So fast.

Nothing was left of him, not even a shadow. But Quinn's veins remembered pulsating against his hand. She lightly stroke her neck, still not believing everything was over.

Talon was right. The voices grew louder and the steps got faster. Many men were there, Valor being their guide. Talon had no match for assassinating isolated targets, but against a heavily armored and numerous Demacian guard, staying would have been suicide. Quinn knew that. But her heart had been pierced by the fear of never seeing him again.

The Demacian guards had found her. Garen was obviously leading them. His brown eyes lit when he saw Quinn, and he didn't even scowl her when he saw her wound. The other men were pleased with the success of their mission, having traveled far away from their home. But something had changed in Quinn. Her skin had suddenly turned pale, and her eyes had lost their infamous fire.