Sometime before dawn, Aira dreamed.
But it wasn't her dream.
She stood beneath moonlight, barefoot in soft grass. The wind carried the scent of wild sage and smoke. Ahead of her, a great stone arch rose, ancient and broken. Kael stood beneath it, armor gleaming in starlight.
He turned to her, eyes full of sorrow and longing.
"You found me again," he whispered.
She stepped forward. "What is this?"
"My memory. Or perhaps something else. Something older."
She reached for him.
He took her hands. His touch burned warmer than fire.
"I've had this dream since I was a boy," he murmured. "Before I even knew your face. And now… here you are."
Aira swallowed. "Is this real?"
Kael leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. "It feels real. That's enough."
His arms wrapped around her, lifting her effortlessly into his chest. She gasped as his lips grazed her collarbone, his hands sliding to the small of her back.
"Aira…" he whispered. "Let me remember this. Not war. Not pain. You."
Her head tipped back, a moan slipping from her lips as he kissed her throat.
Dream or not, her body knew him.
Responded to him.
And as his hands slid along her thighs, pressing her closer, Aira surrendered to the feeling—aching, tender, dangerously close to too much.
She wanted him.
But just before the dream could deepen—
She was ripped from it.
---
She woke with a gasp, her hand still clutched in Kael's.
His eyes snapped open.
"You saw it too," he whispered.
"Yes."
They stared at each other.
Something had changed.
They weren't just bonded by touch.
They were becoming something else.
Something ancient.
And it terrified her almost as much as it thrilled her.