Halo picked her up and flashed her to the balcony outside his suite. “Anything you’d like to do today?”
“Let me think.” She stood at the metal railing, soaking in a perfect view of the market and trinite wall. Sunlight glowed over a hilly landscape. An array of buildings and the Tree of Skulls cast long shadows over empty streets.
Those streets would remain empty throughout the day. At the start of each morning, Halo always issued a stay-at-home order for the masses.
He gripped the bars at her sides and pressed against her, his big body caging her in. “Tell me another favorite place in Harpina, even if it’s behind the wall.”
Easy. “The Forest of—” The balcony disappeared, trees appearing around her. “Learnings.”
“Why this place?” he asked, taking her hand and leading her forward.
“Why not?” She motioned to a pile of different size stones. “Anything can explode at any moment. Leaves look as soft as clouds but possess razor-sharp tips. Flower petals change colors like Christmas lights, tempting viewers to stare. Peer too long, and you’ll be blinded for hours.” She grinned, explaining, “This is where harpy children are trained. A land of stunning beauty capable of shocking horrors.”
Exactly how she’d once cataloged romantic relationships. Now she saw the truth. Those “horrors” came with unbeatable benefits. Protection. Support. Affection.
“I’ve always felt comfortable here.” Oops. Not something she should’ve said. He was a smart guy and might realize she wasn’t feeling so comfortable. Those beasts...
He nuzzled her cheek, letting her know he had realized it, but he wasn’t going to press. “Makes sense that you found comfort here. You are the embodiment of the terrain. Exquisitely treacherous. Deceptively soft. Very much like Nova.”
Her toes curled. “After your ascension, I’d like to visit your world.”
He appeared pleased. “You will enjoy Nova, I think. Each Astra rules his own territory. Mine is a blank canvas ready for your most explicit demands. In a matter of days, I can remake the land however you desire.”
“You can redecorate land? Adding trees and lakes and stuff?” Wow! “Can we give Vivi her own island? Please, please, please.” She threw herself in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. A pink petal curled past, dancing in the breeze. “She’ll demand beach weather always.”
His lips quirked as he looped his arms around her. “You in a bikini...yes, I’m liking this plan. We can give Vivi a thousand islands.” He kissed her mouth. “Tell me what is bothering you.” Okay, so he was going to push. Guilt shadowed his irises. “Am I failing to fulfill one of your needs?”
“You are fulfilling me plenty, I promise.”
He tightened his hold. “But?”
“It’s the beasts, okay? They’re agitated all the time. And they’re strong. I can control one at a time, but all? The worst part is, you might have been right, and I might—might!—have been a tad bit foolish to continue accepting my transformations. I might have welcomed our doom.” If he lost everything because of her...
You ruin whatever you touch, Ophelia.
No. No! She didn’t. Halo had learned how to juggle his emotions thanks to her. And, you know, to feel them. Those were good things. Beyond good! His deepest strains had been vanquished.
“I believe I can aid you with the beasts.” He lifted her off her feet, walked her backward the way they both liked and seated her on a boulder, her legs open to him. “Remember how you owe me a boon? I wish you to let me help you.”
“Be more specific.”
“How is this for specific?” Eyes swirling in the sunlight, he lightly pinched her chin. “You’ve delayed your acceptance of my brand long enough.”
She winced. “Oh, uh, you were serious about that?”
“I’ll burn my royal crest on your nape. It will become a part of you and won’t fade when the day repeats.” He turned, revealing the back of his neck and the circular scar with lines running through it. “This comes from Chaos, each line representing a different Astra. As I explained before, this is how we are able to speak telepathically.”
With her claws curling on his shoulders, she leaned forward to kiss the brand. “You think to do more than communicate during hibernation. You hope to communicate this way when I’m in beast form?”
“I do,” he confirmed, spinning around. “You’ll calm for me. I know you will.”
So confident. “Even though the beasts haven’t listened to you outside my head?”
“Even though.” He glided his fingers up her thighs. “The brand will allow me to flash you without touching you as well.”
Ahhh. She thought she understood now. If firstone wasn’t involved, he would be able to move her into or out of his path during battle—at his will and with only a thought. To control if she won or lost.
By doing this, she wasn’t just placing her heart in his hands. She was placing her life there too. But hadn’t she promised him forever? And what if he could do it? What if he calmed her?