The abandoned cathedral had grown cold by the time we finally stirred from the tangle of bodies and breath. The stone beneath us held the chill of night, but Kael's arms wrapped around me like fire, drawing me back each time I drifted too far into the weight of memory.
Lilith's attack still haunted the edges of my thoughts.
"I hate how quiet it is," I murmured, resting my head on his bare chest, listening to the slow rhythm of his heart.
Kael tightened his hold. "We're safe for now. But she won't stop."
"I know." I traced a scar that curved beneath his collarbone, my fingers gentle. "I'm not scared anymore."
"You should be," he said softly. "You still don't understand what she's capable of. What I'm capable of."
I lifted my head, looking into his crimson eyes. Then help me understand.
He studied me, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "You saw what I did back there. What I became."
"You saved me."
I became a monster, Seraphina.
I cupped his cheek, forcing him to see the truth in my eyes. "No. You became a man who refused to lose the woman he loves."
The silence between us thickened, vulnerable, electric.
"I've never loved like this," Kael admitted, voice raw. "You make me want things I don't deserve."
I kissed him then. Not with the desperation of before, but with purpose. With promise. He answered with a fire that was softer, slower our mouths moving with unspoken truths we didn't yet know how to say aloud.
When we finally pulled away, I whispered, "Then fight for it. For us."
Kael leaned his forehead against mine. "I'll burn the world to protect you."
And though the future loomed with shadows, for one fragile moment in the stillness of that ruined sanctuary, we let ourselves believe in something dangerous
The cold stone of the cathedral pressed against my back, but it felt like the safest place in the world as Kael's hands moved gently over my skin. His touch was a steady comfort, as if grounding us both against the chaos that lurked at the edges of our lives.
"I don't know how we can move forward," I whispered, my voice softer than usual. The words were a reflection of the doubts that had been simmering beneath the surface ever since we had started this dangerous journey.
Kael paused, his fingers tracing the curve of my shoulder. We move forward because there's nothing else left to do.
I couldn't stop myself from leaning into him, burying my face against his chest as if his strength could shield me from the dark thoughts. "But we're constantly running, constantly hiding."
He kissed the top of my head, a soft, almost desperate gesture. "Then we run. But we don't hide. Not from each other. Not from what we have."
The words hung between us, heavy and true. Despite everything, the raw, unpredictable storm of being with him, there was something undeniable, a pull that kept me tethered to him. I couldn't imagine a life without him, even if I knew it was dangerous.
"I want to fight for this," I said, my voice firm now, filled with a determination I hadn't fully felt before. "For us. For whatever time we have."
Kael looked at me, his gaze filled with such intensity it stole my breath. "You don't have to fight alone. I'll fight with you. Always."
His lips found mine in a kiss that was slow, tender, yet searing with all the emotions neither of us dared to name. It wasn't the frantic passion we had shared before it was something quieter, more intimate, more grounded.
For that brief moment, in the stillness of the cathedral, we didn't think about Lilith. We didn't think about the blood we had spilled or the lives we had destroyed in our wake. We only thought about the fragile hope between us something pure and real, even if we both knew it might shatter at any moment.
And for once, I let myself believe in the possibility of a future.
The warmth of Kael's embrace slowly became the only reality that mattered. In the dim light of the cathedral, the world outside seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us two souls entwined, bound by forces neither of us fully understood.
As his lips left mine, Kael's eyes searched mine with a depth that made my heart race. "I've never been afraid of anything more than losing you," he murmured, his voice rough, the words carrying the weight of centuries.
I swallowed hard, the raw honesty of it all sending a wave of emotion crashing over me. You won't lose me. Not this time. I won't let that happen."
"You're stronger than you know," Kael said, tracing a line down my arm. But you also don't know what's coming. What she'll do.
My pulse quickened at the mention of Lilith. The thought of her alone had the power to shatter whatever fragile peace we had started to build. I hadn't felt fear like this in years, not since the first time I'd met Kael and had fallen into his darkness, willingly, despite every warning.
"What will we do when she comes?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking the words aloud might summon her presence.
Kael's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "We'll fight. We'll burn her to the ground, if we have to.
His words rang with the confidence of a man who had seen the worst of the world and learned to survive it. But his gaze flickered briefly, haunted with something darker. Something I hadn't seen before, something that made me wonder if he was fighting for more than just survival.
"For once, I wish we didn't have to fight," I admitted, my words caught in the tension between us. For once, I want to be free. Free from all the blood and the lies.
Kael's hand found mine, squeezing it gently. "We will have that freedom, Seraphina. I swear it. One way or another, I'll give it to you."
His words should have comforted me, but they didn't. Instead, they felt like an anchor, tethering me to a future I couldn't quite see.
Before I could speak again, the sound of distant footsteps echoed in the hall. My heart skipped, and Kael's posture instantly changed his body becoming tense, alert.
He placed a finger to my lips, silencing me. "Stay here," he whispered. "I'll check it out."
I nodded, though my pulse was still racing. Every moment of peace we had felt had been fleeting. There was always something in the shadows, waiting for us.
Kael moved with the grace of a predator, his steps silent as he disappeared into the darkened corridor that led deeper into the cathedral. I sat on the cold stone floor, trying to steady my breath, but my mind raced. What if it was Lilith again? Why can she let us be alone for once? Are we the only vampire lovers she wants to destroy?
The silence stretched on, dragging its weight behind it.
Finally, Kael reappeared, his expression unreadable. "It's nothing," he said, but his voice didn't sound convincing. "Just a scout. We're not alone."
My heart sank, and I felt the warmth of our connection flicker out, replaced by an icy chill of uncertainty. Who?
"People who want to know where we're hiding," Kael said. It's only a matter of time before others come.
I stood, brushing the dirt and dust from my legs. "Then we can't stay here. We need to keep moving."
Kael's eyes flickered toward the large wooden doors at the entrance of the cathedral. "I'll make sure we're safe. You have my word."
But I couldn't shake the feeling that the danger was closing in, like the walls were narrowing around us, and I was running out of places to hide. Even if we escaped the immediate threat, how long would it be before Lilith or someone worse found us?
I crossed to him, reaching for his hand. "We need a plan. A real one. Before we end up running forever."
Kael gave me a wry smile, his hand squeezing mine. "I'll think of something. I always do."
But in the pit of my stomach, the uncertainty gnawed at m
e. I wasn't sure if I trusted his words, or if the looming shadow of Lilith would be the end of us all.