Selis pressed her spine against the cold iron railing as Vael’s hands pinned her there, the storm’s distant murmur muffled by thick glass and the heavy air between their bodies. His mouth grazed her throat—a slow, deliberate brush that made her shudder in spite of herself. Her cotton shirt, already half-unbuttoned from their hurried climb, slipped off one shoulder; he caught the fabric, tugged it down, baring the curve of her collarbone to his hungry gaze.

She arched into him, her breath catching. Vael’s eyes glinted—dark, appraising—while his fingers trailed down her bare arm, slow and proprietary, as if she belonged to him and he was reminding her of it. His lips caught hers—one kiss, then another, deeper, his teeth scraping just enough to make her gasp. The hand clamped at her hip tightened, powerful and sure, the other tangled in her hair, forcing her head back so he could taste every inch of her throat.

Selis’s nails scraped along his jawline—sharp, possessive. She wanted to mark him, to claim what everyone else saw but only she could touch. Her legs trembled beneath her skirt as his palm slid beneath the hem, cool fingers pressing into bare skin. Their bodies collided against the spiral curve of the staircase, lantern light flickering over exposed flesh and flushed cheeks. She clung to him fiercely, desperate, as if breaking contact would let the storm swallow her whole.

A sudden sound—a breath caught and held—fluttered from the shadows above. Neither looked away. Vael only smiled, that cruel, knowing curve of his mouth, and pulled Selis tighter against him, one arm around her waist. She pressed her forehead to his, trembling with want and something darker: a need that threatened to consume her from the inside.

When they finally parted, Selis’s eyes shone, wide and vulnerable, lips swollen from his kisses. Her hand lingered on his chest, fingers curling with reluctance. Vael straightened, smoothing down his dark, sweat-damp hair, and regarded her with a gaze that was almost distant. She searched his face, hungry for reassurance—a sign she was the only one. Instead, he brushed a thumb along her jaw, smirked, and turned away, already ascending toward the lantern room with ground-eating strides.

Kavi watched from the next landing, hidden by shadow, arms crossed over her chest, jaw taut. Her hair fell in messy waves over her eyes, trying and failing to mask the flush blooming across her cheeks. Her fists clenched around the frayed sleeves of a faded blue sweater, the only armor she had left; her breath trembled between fury and longing. She wanted to shout, to run, to be touched and needed the way Vael touched Selis.

Later, Selis found a beloved field journal—half-buried, pages torn, soaked with spilled coffee. She knelt beside it, confusion twisting to hurt. Across the room, Kavi watched, guilt flickering in her gaze, but her chin jutted out, daring anyone to accuse her. When Vael entered, catching Kavi’s eyes, he offered her a crooked, dangerous smile that promised secrets and trouble—a silent invitation.

Selis’s hands shook as she gathered the ruined remains, her world subtly, irrevocably altered. Outside, the storm pressed closer, rattling the old glass and threatening to drag every secret into the light. In the hush, Kavi’s eyes shimmered with defiance and unshed tears.

To be continued…