Carissa blinked, something stirring her from her sleep. The sky was a charcoal gray, darkened by clouds and the coming night. The ground was cold and hard beneath her, and the chill air numbed her skin. The field was littered with rounded stones, some unmarked, some etched with a name and date.

The graveyard.

She must have fallen asleep while sitting by her mother's gravestone. Carissa's gaze landed on the stone in front of her, her chest tight and heavy.

Marissa

Born: 54th Day, 1st Season, 770th Year

Died: 80th Day, 2nd Season, 788th Year

Marissa had died eighteen years ago, the day Carissa had been born. Carissa tucked her knees into her chest. Why had Marissa thought the fulfillment of a prophecy was more important than her life? And if it was passed by blood, how had the Curse begun? Had it always existed?

Carissa rubbed her thumb over the divots forming the letters in the unassuming stone, the size of her combined fists. She felt the strange urge to cry over the mother she'd lost, but no tears came. In truth, this woman was a stranger to her.

Carissa thought back to the woman she'd called mother for the past eighteen years, her adoptive mother. The fine wrinkles in her eyes. Her sunshine-colored hair fading to silver. Her hard blue eyes, thawed occasionally by laughter. Recalling their last words still made her chest feel raw.

Perhaps her birth mother would have better loved and accepted Carissa. She'd given herself to a man before she was wed as well, though for different reasons. Carissa cupped the top of the gravestone and stared out at the others.

This was a graveyard for the poor. Richer citizens would likely have private graves on their property. The field extended to the edges of the darkened forest. A few stones were so frequently visited paths were worn down to them and withered flowers graced their rounded tops. Field grass as tall as her knees obscured the neglected stones.

Something moved at the edge of the field, and her breath stuttered. It was the silhouette of a man. No, multiple men. Three. Even from across the field, she sensed their regard. Yet they hadn't approached her. Why? Perhaps they were just curious?

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were ungrateful."

A man's voice came from behind her, and she startled before twisting to face him.

Elon stood behind her, his lips curved in a smirk. He glanced up at the men across the field, and his gaze tightened in a glare. A silent warning. No wonder the men were keeping their distance.

He glanced back at her, the hostility melting from his expression. "I spend all afternoon reserving a room and buying fresh food for my wife, and here I find her sleeping in a graveyard. On the ground. In the dark." He flopped down beside her, and she stifled a smile at his lack of grace. "Now people are going to think I'm a negligent husband."

She returned his smile, her dark mood slipping away like water past her fingers. "How did you find me?"

"Foresight. As it grew later, the likelihood of you coming here grew stronger."

"What do you mean?" The breeze gusted for a moment, and she shivered harder.

Elon whipped off his cloak and fastened it around her neck. His calloused fingers grazed her skin, but he did it too slowly for it to be accidental. "My Foresight allows me to see possibilities of the future."

"Then why do you act so certain of what will happen?"

"Hmm." The wind grew stronger, pulling the cloak taut against her neck. Elon yanked it back down before drawing her between his legs and wrapping his arms around her, pinning the cloak to her form. "I suppose you could say it's like... wait for it." He held up a finger with a grin. "Like lightning."

Lightning tore across the sky.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Impressive, hmm?"

Carissa giggled. "Very. How is it like lightning?"

"Multiple possibilities branch out from this one particular moment. Some branches are thicker and brighter than others—they're more likely to happen. When I went to reserve the room at the inn, it was possible you would have returned before dark. An hour later, that possibility had diminished. So I came here, lest you were accosted by those men." He jutted his chin towards the threesome in the distance, who were beginning to plod back towards the town.

"But how is that like lightning?"

"I suppose you could say the possibilities look like lightning, how they branch out from each other."

"You could have just compared it to rivers."

He grinned. "But lightning was more relevant, and I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to impress my lovely bride. I can do it again, you know." He paused, drumming his fingers against her back. "Right... now."

The sky flashed white.

Carissa laughed. "You're quite adorable, you know."

He sagged in disappointment, though his eyes still shone with amusement. "Adorable? What about impressive?"

"And impressive." She tilted her mouth towards his.

He pecked a chaste kiss to her lips before rising, and Carissa carefully arranged her smile to conceal her disappointment. Didn't he know after their last kiss he needn't be so cautious? She'd obviously adjusted to his touch and proximity. He needn't hold anything back.

As Elon tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, icy rain began needling her skin. By the time they arrived at the inn, they'd be cold and in need of a change of clothes—the perfect conditions for seducing her husband.

Perhaps tonight she'd show him just how far she could go.

***

Elon shut the door behind them. Rain shushed the storm outside, while their clothes steadily dripped with water. He turned to face her. "Hmm. It seems you still got wet, despite the cloak."

She ducked her head to conceal a pleased smile. She'd had to nudge the cloak back to allow rainwater to soak her dress, but now things were going perfectly. Her dress was soaked through, gripping her figure. Unfortunately, her hair didn't look as enticing wet as it did dry, but that couldn't be helped at the moment. Goosebumps dimpled her skin, and she had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering, but if her efforts succeeded, it'd be worth it.

She fumbled with the clasp with numb fingers, and to her delight, Elon came to her rescue, brushing her hands aside and undoing the clasp for her. The cloak pooled around her feet in a soggy heap.

She swept her eyelashes up to glance at Elon. She'd never try to seduce a man, but she was fairly certain it involved batting your eyelashes. She fluttered them, imagining them to be the graceful wings of a butterfly.

"Is there something in your eye?"

She stopped blinking. It seemed she'd have to resort to other methods. "No."

"Oh. Can I get your nightgown for you?"

"Yes. Please." She tried her best to rinse the disappointment from her tone, but judging from Elon's look of confusion she'd done a rather poor job.

While Elon knelt by the chest to find her nightgown, Carissa reached back and felt the slick laces fastening the back of her dress. By the time Elon returned, she had them thoroughly knotted.

He extended the nightgown towards her, but instead of taking it, she offered him a small smile. "Could you help me undo my laces, Elon? It seems they've gotten knotted."

"I wonder how that happened." He lifted an eyebrow but splayed the nightgown on their tiny bed and approached her back. He fumbled with the laces in silence, and Carissa resisted the urge to squirm. Now what? Should she say something suggestive? Compliment him? Or perhaps she could drop the dress to the floor as she'd done to the cloak.

With a final tug, her dress loosened. Carissa prepared to shrug her dress off, but Elon clasped her shoulders, pulled her back against him, and whispered, "Only sleep tonight, Carissa."

She tore away from him and whirled to face him, her face hot. "You knew."

"That your laces hadn't miraculously knotted themselves?" He arched his eyebrows, an amused curve to his lips. She fisted her hands, and the corner of his lips hitched higher. "You're adorable when you're pouting, you know."

"So if you knew, then why..."

He shrugged. "I rather enjoyed your seduction attempts. And your expression when I asked if there was something in your eye." His smile broadened.

She snatched the nightgown and strode to the corner to change. Heat writhed beneath her skin. At least she wasn't cold anymore.

"Don't be upset, Carissa."

She peeled back her dress. A second later, it hit the floor with a wet slap. "If you didn't want me to be upset, you should've used your oh-so powerful Foresight and kept your mouth shut." She tugged on her nightgown so hard the seams popped.

"Carissa." Elon's tone was gentle and lulling, but she wasn't in the mood to be pacified.

She began to tighten the laces of the nightgown, until Elon's hands cupped her waist and drew her back against his chest, rendering the laces inaccessible. His shirt was still wet, and his warmth washed over her.

He rested his chin on her shoulder. "If you hadn't gotten angry, you would have been embarrassed. If you were embarrassed, you would have gone to bed silently without speaking to me of what's bothering you."

"What's bothering me?" She scrunched her nose. "Nothing."

"Then why is this so important to you?"

"Sometimes people don't have to have reasons for their actions."

"Being unaware of the reason, Carissa, doesn't there isn't one."

She huffed. "I just don't see why you're so opposed to this. Even now, you hold me closely and touch me intimately, and I'm perfectly fine. And aside from proximity, what else is there?"

Elon's chest vibrated with silent laughter. "I could think of a few things..."

Heat soared in her cheeks. "Perhaps. But surely this is far enough to go all the way."

"It's not."

"So you're saying that it's impossible? That none of the 'lightning bolts' lead that way?" She peered over her shoulder, expecting her words had teased a smile from him.

His lips tightened. "Without you shedding a single tear, nigh impossible. And that's a risk I'm not willing to take. Not tonight."

"Then how far could we—"

Calloused fingers slipped beneath the open back of her nightgown and slithered across her skin. She lurched away from him, her heart pounding so furiously she could scarcely hear anything above its roar. It felt like she'd been soaked in icy rainwater all over again. There was something about him touching the soft, sensitive skin typically hidden by her clothes... Another shudder gripped her.

Elon's smile was soft and a little sad. "That's how far."

"That's not fair. I wasn't ready."

"Even if you were, it wouldn't have changed anything." He took a step towards her. "Why are you so stubborn on this matter?"

Why was this so important to her? Of course, she'd wanted to be his bride in full when they were wed, but something about visiting Rosalind's this morning had made the need stronger, more urgent.

"I suppose I want to have a claim on you that no other woman can." She ducked her head, her whispered words falling to the floor. "I don't want to lose you."

Elon cupped either side of her neck, lightly pressing his thumbs against her jaw until she glanced up. His gaze caressed hers. "Carissa, physical intimacy can't possibly make me more devoted to you than I already am. Even if our marriage is never consummated, I will ever be yours."

"Is it possible that will happen? That our marriage won't be consummated?"

"It is, though it's unlikely." Her face fell at his words, and his expression softened. "So long as you're patient with yourself and refuse to let your fears overwhelm you, it'll happen. We'll work on making you accustomed to my touch once we're at the palace. Consider it part of your training." He winked.

"Couldn't we work on my training now? Just a little?"

A smile crinkled his eyes. "Hmm. I will think on it."

Once more, her attempts were met with teasing. She folded her arms and turned away from him. "Elon—"

The brush of his lips against hers surprised her enough she forgot what she was going to say. She blinked and began to protest that such a brief kiss hardly counted when he fully pressed his mouth to hers.

He caught her bottom lip between his, nibbling her tender skin. A burst of ecstasy made her breath catch before it was followed by a hazy, languorous heat. The sensations of pleasure he stirred within her escaped past her lips in a moan.

Elon withdrew, and Carissa opened her eyes—strangely enough, she couldn't remember closing them. His knowing grin made her blush furiously. Before he could comment, she slipped her hands beneath his damp shirt before inching it upward.

His surprise wiped the expression from his face before he assisted her.

His shirt dropped to the floor in a wet heap, and her gaze roamed the chiseled muscles of his chest, appreciation swelling within her. He wasn't at all like the other men. They'd often been wiry and thin, yet corded with enough strength to make her submit to any of their physical desires. A chill ghosted across her skin, and her body clenched.

"Carissa?" Elon reached out towards her.

She flinched, and his hand dropped to his side. Elon's expression flickered with pain, and in that moment, she hated herself. She hated what she'd done, who she'd become, and how Elon was always the one who bore the brunt of the consequences.

Elon clenched his fists at his sides, appearing helpless yet determined. "What can I do, Carissa?"

After a few deep breaths, the coldness finally eased from her body. She turned to face him before looping her arms around his neck and drawing her curves up against him until she stood on her tiptoes.

His chest swelled with deep draws of air, hinting at the inner struggle between his desire and self-control. His eyes were wide and dark, completely fixated on her.

She drew one hand away from his neck to caress his scarred cheek, the scar that should have been hers. He was more beautiful than she could ever hope to be, no matter how many of her wounds he'd take on. "Show me what it means to love through touch."

He lowered one hand to grip her waist, avoiding the bare skin on her back. "Always."

The husky rumble of his voice made her shiver. He curved his other hand around her neck, angling her mouth to better receive his. With his passion evident in the clench of his muscles and the fierce glitter of his gaze, she was certain this kiss would be rougher than the last, yet somehow it was even gentler.

Elon's lips were soft, coaxing soft sighs from her own. Then his mouth left hers to better explore the contours and curves of her face.

Her body melted into his, and she clung more tightly to him, lest she sink to the floor in a puddle. She trembled with weakness, her legs wobbling, while Elon was as firm and strong as a stone pillar.

She was dough in his hands, and with his sheer strength, he could do as he pleased with her. A sharp thrill of pleasure and fear made her breath hitch. Before the fear could dampen her pleasure, Elon kissed the tender spot where her neck met her shoulder.

A flurry of warmth chased her resignation away. She rested her forehead against his collarbone, her sigh kissing his skin. "Elon."

He trailed his lips up her neck to her jaw, causing her breaths to quicken and tighten. His breath tickled her ear. "Carissa." He drew back from her, his smile triumphant. "See? I'm good at saying names too."

Laughter escaped her lips before she could stop it, soon softening into a series of giggles. Her laughter faded, and she pressed a hand to her aching stomach. She didn't know why she'd laughed so hard. Really, it hadn't been that funny.

She peered up at Elon and caught her breath at the tenderness in his expression, his lips curved into a soft smile, his eyes alight with pleasure. "Elon?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you do that? Why are you so silly when we kiss?"

Vulnerability peered behind his usual confidence. "Do you not like it?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. I was just wondering. No one else has ever done it like that."

His expression melted back into one of fondness. "I like making you laugh, because I find your smiles as intoxicating as your kisses." He stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. "Sometimes, I see a haunted look on your face or how you let your expression crumple in sorrow or fear when you think no one's looking. Your happiness, your smiles, your laughter, they're all precious to me. They chase away your darkness."

She stared up at him in awe as her heart puddled in her chest. Had Elon the slightest clue how amazing he was? "And what if my smiles become more common? Would that make them less precious?"

He shook his head and nudged his forehead against hers. "Every time I see your smile, every time I hear your laugh, I become a little more addicted."

And just when she thought she couldn't possibly love him any more.

"I believe you've had enough training for now." His eyes crinkled in a smile. "We ought to go to bed. We arrive at the palace tomorrow." He turned her, so her back faced him. After a few quick tugs, he'd laced up the back of her nightgown before ushering her to bed and pecking her cheek. "I'll change into something more dry and join you."

The moment he left her side, her eyelids drifted downwards. The past few days had been relentlessly busy. There was training, her fallout with her mother, building a relationship with Rosalind, talking to the Abbess, learning of the book Marissa had read... The book. An idea sparked in her mind, but before she could pull it into her conscious thought, it faded to a murky phantom, too insubstantial to grasp.

The mattress sank next to her, and she inched closer, until Elon got the message and curved his arm around her.

Perhaps she would remember the idea later. Right now, she'd best get her sleep. After all, she had a palace to ride to tomorrow.

***

Author's Note: Do your fingers ache from hanging onto that cliff? Tired of waiting for the next chapter? Introducing the Sneak Peek. That's right, the Sneak Peek. Scientifically proven to lower readers' anxiety levels and insomnia, the Sneak Peek will offer you a glimpse into the next part of the story. Now you no longer have to stare blankly at the end of the chapter. Just click the external link here OR go to my profile and click that link and you'll be transported into the future of the story. You can have access to the Sneak Peek for the amazing low price of nothing. That's right--nothing! (*cough* *cough* But if you voted on TKCB and told all your friends about it, I mean I wouldn't be opposed...)

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Ha. Kidding. If you want more, you'll just have to wait for Friday 😊