She rested in his palm easily, her trust in him complete. He’d already saved her life; had risked his safety to protect her. What more could she ask from him? She had many things to ask him, in truth, but none of those questions were welcome here tonight.
When Samuel’s hand tensed on her jaw, some part of her understood she should be silent; attempt to avoid attention. That part of her had no real experience in life and was easily ignored. Still, when his fingers tightening on her jaw became uncomfortable, she forced herself to breathe, then let him come back to her without being the first to blink. Something in her knew that blinking first, and blinking wrong, may very well get her killed. It still didn’t prepare her for his words.
Something twisted in Samuel, the change visible in the tension of his spine. He tensed, arched, before seeming to inwardly collapse. She kept her breathing steady, her growing unease not connected to Samuel in a meaningful way. He was dangerous, they were dangerous together, but he wasn’t dangerous to her. Or so she’d chosen to believe. The did nothing to calm the warning in her brain, now screaming on Samuel’s behalf.
"If I were to say yes, would you do it? Do you intend to die in my arms?" The easiest conclusion to reach was Samuel losing someone of value to the magic that marked his body, but it still seemed surreal. Her mind raced to annotate every word until she could lower the panic in her brain that came with his words. There was no version of his dark question that didn’t make her queasy. That her reaction wasn’t instant revulsion spoke to something Themis must reexamine. Why wasn’t she gone? Why wasn’t she afraid of him?
“I would never die without exhausting all possibilities known or imagined. And, I do not intend to die for some time. What occurs is beyond my powers.” Themis declared automatically. It happened without her agreement to further commentary. She wouldn’t field questions on her loyalty tonight, couldn’t explain the web of her allegiance to Samuel in a way that would send him to tomorrow rested and adored. She could think of many situations where she would die for him; she’d proven that to him already. A part of her was offended he even asked.
She relaxed as best she could, but she finally gasped, “Samuel, gentle, please.” Her hand straining under his death grip. He released her before she could recover, blood rushing back to her hand. Her path forward was obvious: retreat to gather her wand, demand Samuel leave, and pretend the day ended with declarations of affection. How simple was that? Why was she considering everything but that?
As soon as Samuel’s grip relaxed on her hand, she reacted. Pressing up from the floor and joining him on the edge of the bed, Themis gripped his face between her hands, her decision made. “No one dies tonight, I swear it. Do you hear me?” Themis’ tone went cold, her eyes demanding compliance. “Samuel, I am not a lamb to the slaughter.” That was the best she could offer him, her nerves now crackling with energy.
“I,” Themis paused, her courage and anxiety meeting. “I want to know the answers to my questions when the world doesn’t seem to be running out of time. And, I intend to die years from now. Even were I to die three days from now, my desire is the same: I want to spend tonight here, with you.” She kissed his lips, peppered his jaw with kisses where her hands didn’t cover. “Sam, please, come to me. Come back to me.”
When Samuel’s hand tensed on her jaw, some part of her understood she should be silent; attempt to avoid attention. That part of her had no real experience in life and was easily ignored. Still, when his fingers tightening on her jaw became uncomfortable, she forced herself to breathe, then let him come back to her without being the first to blink. Something in her knew that blinking first, and blinking wrong, may very well get her killed. It still didn’t prepare her for his words.
Something twisted in Samuel, the change visible in the tension of his spine. He tensed, arched, before seeming to inwardly collapse. She kept her breathing steady, her growing unease not connected to Samuel in a meaningful way. He was dangerous, they were dangerous together, but he wasn’t dangerous to her. Or so she’d chosen to believe. The did nothing to calm the warning in her brain, now screaming on Samuel’s behalf.
"If I were to say yes, would you do it? Do you intend to die in my arms?" The easiest conclusion to reach was Samuel losing someone of value to the magic that marked his body, but it still seemed surreal. Her mind raced to annotate every word until she could lower the panic in her brain that came with his words. There was no version of his dark question that didn’t make her queasy. That her reaction wasn’t instant revulsion spoke to something Themis must reexamine. Why wasn’t she gone? Why wasn’t she afraid of him?
“I would never die without exhausting all possibilities known or imagined. And, I do not intend to die for some time. What occurs is beyond my powers.” Themis declared automatically. It happened without her agreement to further commentary. She wouldn’t field questions on her loyalty tonight, couldn’t explain the web of her allegiance to Samuel in a way that would send him to tomorrow rested and adored. She could think of many situations where she would die for him; she’d proven that to him already. A part of her was offended he even asked.
She relaxed as best she could, but she finally gasped, “Samuel, gentle, please.” Her hand straining under his death grip. He released her before she could recover, blood rushing back to her hand. Her path forward was obvious: retreat to gather her wand, demand Samuel leave, and pretend the day ended with declarations of affection. How simple was that? Why was she considering everything but that?
As soon as Samuel’s grip relaxed on her hand, she reacted. Pressing up from the floor and joining him on the edge of the bed, Themis gripped his face between her hands, her decision made. “No one dies tonight, I swear it. Do you hear me?” Themis’ tone went cold, her eyes demanding compliance. “Samuel, I am not a lamb to the slaughter.” That was the best she could offer him, her nerves now crackling with energy.
“I,” Themis paused, her courage and anxiety meeting. “I want to know the answers to my questions when the world doesn’t seem to be running out of time. And, I intend to die years from now. Even were I to die three days from now, my desire is the same: I want to spend tonight here, with you.” She kissed his lips, peppered his jaw with kisses where her hands didn’t cover. “Sam, please, come to me. Come back to me.”
![[Image: Bka0H0x.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/Bka0H0x.jpeg)