Chapter 46 #2
Luc’s jaw tenses. For a moment, he doesn’t answer.
“I don’t know how deep their plans went,” he says.
“If it was a small, isolated effort, just the few we encountered, then I think we stopped it. But if others were involved, or if word spread about the mission they were on and that their beings never came back . . .” He trails off, eyes flicking to mine.
“Then it’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking. ”
I exhale, nodding slowly, even though I don’t fully want to understand. The mug in my hands is too hot, but I cling to it anyway, holding it like it might ground me. Like maybe the heat will burn away the fear spreading in my chest.
Luc’s voice softens. “Until we know more, we’ll just have to be careful.” He hesitates. “But things are probably controlled . . . for now.”
That pause, for now, hangs heavier than anything else. A slow wave of anger rises in me. Not panic. Not even fear. This isn’t about what I saw. Or what I did. It’s because of who I am.
As tired as I am, sleep won’t come. My body refuses to let go, like it knows something my mind won’t admit.
“You should try to get some rest, Cece,” Luc whispers, his voice no louder than the sound of our breaths. “I’ll be here when you wake.”
It’s like he knows . . . knows that what’s keeping me awake isn’t the adrenaline or the chaos from earlier. It’s the fear that if I close my eyes, he’ll be gone. Back to Pomerium. That I’ll wake up and this moment will have been borrowed time.
We lie facing each other, our foreheads nearly touching, the silence between us thick. Two hours have passed since we slipped into the bedroom, leaving Xan and Kate curled up on the couch. Out there, the world feels far away. In here, it’s only him and me.
Pale light spills through the window, painting his face in soft silver.
It hits his cheekbones, the line of his jaw, the curve of his lips.
He looks inhuman in that light, unreal in the most beautiful, impossible way.
He’s watching me. The same hunger I feel for him reflects in his eyes—hot, aching, restrained.
I know that look. I feel it in my body, coursing under my skin.
I ache for him. For his hands. His warmth.
But he doesn’t move. He waits, either for a sign, or maybe because he’s afraid to cross a line tonight.
So I do.
I reach up and slide my fingers around the back of his neck, pulling him toward me. I need him closer. I need to feel him.
That’s all it takes.
He moves fast, with sudden urgency, and his lips crash onto mine.
The kiss is deep, consuming, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, tasting me like he’s starved.
My fingers tighten in his hair as he rolls me gently onto my back, his body hovering above mine.
But then he pauses, just for a moment. His gaze sweeps over my face, and I see something beyond mere desire.
It’s tenderness. Worship, even. Like I’m not just someone he wants, but someone he needs.
“I’m so incredibly in love with you. I tried to deny it at first, but I can’t ignore this feeling. I’d do anything for you, give you everything. All I want is to exist in your world. I am yours. I will always be yours.”
My breath catches, and for a moment, I’m lost for words, because my love for him is so overwhelming.
Luc smiles at me, a quiet understanding in his eyes, and lowers himself again.
Our kiss deepens, slower now, as our hands roam familiar paths but also discover new ones.
Every touch sends a ripple through me, pulling me further out of my thoughts and deeper into him.
The heat I feel from him, from this desire, nearly steals my breath.
Once inside me, he takes his time, bringing me to the edge and back, like a game he’s playing—one where he controls every reaction from my body and every breath from my lungs.
It’s maddening and glorious at the same time.
Eventually, we both meet at the brink, our release effortless, overwhelming, and nothing but pure pleasure.
I stretch, the warmth of sunlight spilling across my face. It’s soft, comforting, cozy, even.
Sunlight. Morning.
My eyes snap open as panic grips my chest, and I sit up fast.
“Cece, it’s alright,” Luc’s voice comes before my vision clears. “I’m here.”
Just like that, the fear melts away. The rich smell of coffee drifts in, and I realize Xan and Kate must already be up.
“Why don’t we head out there? I could definitely use some coffee.” His dimples flash when he grins, and something about it settles me—relief, happiness, maybe both.
If someone had told you that just last night the four of us had been in the middle of a multi-realm battle, with a kidnapping and shocking family revelations thrown in, you’d never have believed it.
Because this morning? This morning was perfect.
Omelets and bacon. Mugs of hot coffee. Casual conversations about food and current events.
Stories that made Luc laugh—ones he’d missed while he was gone.
And I couldn’t help but notice the way Xan and Kate moved around each other.
Light touches. Quiet smiles. Teasing. It was wild and wonderful and impossibly normal.
And somehow, it was everything.
While Kate and I chatted about a celebrity she’d recently met who opened a restaurant with food so bad she could hardly choke down the appetizer, I noticed Luc and Xan deep in conversation. They looked serious, and I knew it was only a matter of time before Luc would have to leave.
After we wrapped up an episode of some random comedy we’d streamed, Luc took my hand and gestured toward the fire escape. The cold air hit me as we stepped outside, but it felt refreshing in the moment.
“So, Xan will be here while I’m gone,” he says. “Things should be fine now, but just as a precaution.”
I look down, because looking at him right now hurts way too much.
“Yep, like the good ol’ days,” I reply, trying to keep it casual.
It’s not that I mind staying with Xan, but the thought of Luc leaving again frustrates me.
The second the words leave my mouth, I feel like a brat. I’m being unfair about this.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that,” I say quickly, softening. “I enjoy spending time with Xan. Hell, he’s family,” I add, acknowledging the truth of what we learned the night before. “I’ll miss you, that’s all. But I get it. Please don’t worry about me.”
I meet his eyes, trying to convey everything I’m feeling without saying another word.
“I want to make sure you’re safe, Cece,” Luc says, his voice firm. “I’ll make sure Aris won’t be a problem. There are things I need to take care of back in Pomerium, but I promise this isn’t forever. I’ll be back soon. Just like I promised last time . . .” He trails off, eyes apologetic.
“Luc, I trust you,” I tell him, my voice solid. “I’ll miss you, but I want you to take care of what you need to back home. And when you’re ready, come back to me.”
I give him a soft smile, trying to keep my emotions in check.
“I will. There’s no way I want to be without you,” he replies, pulling me into a tight hug.
I relax into him, feeling the warmth of his embrace. “I feel the same way,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I hold on to him.
He hasn’t let go of my hand since we stepped back inside, and I haven’t asked him to.
We say nothing as we move through the apartment, as if words might break whatever fragile calm we’ve managed to hold on to.
Xan gives us space, lingering near the kitchen with Kate, pretending not to watch.
But I know he’s keeping an eye on everything. On me. It’s his way.
When the time comes, Luc walks with me to the center of the room. The veil shimmers faintly in the air, already active, pulsing softly like it’s breathing. Waiting. His fingers tighten around mine.
“I won’t say goodbye,” he murmurs, his voice low. “Because this isn’t that.”
I nod, my throat too tight to speak. He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You’ll be safe with Xan,” Luc says, glancing over at him.
“Who are you kidding?” Xan says. “From what we saw yesterday, Cece’s the one who can protect all of us.”
His words draw a quiet laugh from everyone in the room.
“I’ll be back before you even have time to miss me,” Luc says.
“That’s a lie,” I manage, my voice thin but clear.
His smile is bittersweet. “Then I’ll move faster.”
He leans in, pressing his forehead to mine, and for a second, everything else fades. There’s only the warmth of his breath, the weight of his promise, and the quiet sound of my heart trying not to break.
Then he steps back, letting go.
Luc turns toward the veil. It hums louder now, reacting to his presence, a swirl of light and shadow parting to reveal the space between worlds. He doesn’t look back as he steps into it.
And then, it closes behind him.
Silent.
Final.
I stand there, staring at the spot where he was just a second ago, my hand still hanging loosely by my side.
The quiet stretches.
Xan clears his throat gently from across the room. “You okay, Cece?”
I take a deep breath before I answer. “I’m fine,” I say quietly, more to myself than to him. And I am. Or at least, I will be.
Luc has to return to his own world to face what’s waiting for him, and I understand that.
I love him so deeply it aches, and I’ll miss him more than I can say.
But I believe in us. We’ll find our way through this—stronger than before.
We have to. I can’t picture a life without him, and I refuse to let this be where our story ends.
While he faces what lies ahead in Pomerium, I have my own path to walk. My career with SciCell—something I’ve poured everything into—is beginning to take shape.
I have Xan and Kate, my family now, to help piece together the chaos left behind. And somewhere beneath it all, I need to understand what’s stirring inside me. To understand myself. And what I’m becoming.
I’m a hybrid—half Surger, half Warper. The only one of my kind. That has to mean something.
And I intend to find out what.
Seeking answers isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am.
But one truth has settled firmly in me: If the fight comes again, I won’t run. I’ll be ready. I know that now.
With that certainty steadying me, I turn from the sealed veil, step forward, and walk into the light of day—unafraid of the monsters that once ruled my life.