Kael narrowed his eyes, as if searching for a hidden truth in the shadows dancing across her face. The sound of falling water filled the silence, slow and steady, as if it were the rhythm of a heartbeat between them.
He took a step forward, and the moon, a curious witness, let its red light shine in his eyes.
"So tell me, Exelia…" his voice was deep but soft, like a whisper made just for her, "what is this? If it's not provocation… what is it?"
Exelia tilted her head slightly, her lips curved in a smile that seemed to be born somewhere between mystery and desire. The water ran down her collarbone to the delicate curve of her breasts, turning her skin silver in the moonlight. She knew what she was revealing, and she knew even more the effect it had.
"Perhaps…" he said softly, almost like a spell blown in the wind, "it's just an invitation."
