The Lark Taps Twice

Chapter 17: Regrets and Attacks

By the time the two of them finished eating, their borrowed hour alone had nearly expired. A brush of Jonatham's fingers over the dirtied cups, bowls, and plates left them sparkling again, and Miriam set them back in their places in the cupboards. As she settled the cups upside down on the top shelf, Jonatham stepped close behind her and wrapped his arms snug about her middle. Miriam allowed herself to melt into the cascade of heat that billowed beneath her skin at his touch.

Jonatham pulled her backwards and sat at the table. She folded herself into his lap, resting her head lightly in the hollow of his shoulder. With a sigh, his body sagged forward slightly, and one hot hand sifted through her loose hair to cradle her close. His cheek dropped to rest on her straight center part, and he whispered, "I wish we could stay this way forever. Usually, a newly bonded soulmate pair is celebrated by family and friends from sunrise to sunset, then pampered at a distance for a month. This gives them the freedom to explore the effects of the bond in private without worrying about preparing food or completing chores. With my status, our own bond would have brought joy to the entire kingdom, but I don't know if we will have one more hour with one another, let alone an official celebration or–"

Miriam couldn't let him ramble on any longer. Her hand over his lips silenced him, and a swift maneuver replaced her fingertips with her mouth. Kissing him ignited a pile of primed coals in her chest, and their bond felt hot with desire and wonder as his arms pressed her against him. Only when her heart threatened to tear her chest apart with its pounding did she ease back, keeping her forehead pressed to his as their panting filled the quiet.

When her heartbeat and breath calmed, she murmured, "No talk of regrets yet, my prince. We both know the gravity and uncertainty we run toward from this room, but focusing on what they may take from us will not change the fact that the worlds require our decisive action without further delay. Better to voice only plans for the present, and leave concerns of the future unspoken for now."

She pulled back to give him a flirty smile. "The only regrets you may voice right now would include my woeful lack of kissing experience and knowledge of all the details of your culture. Do you wish to speak of those before we leave?"

For a fraction of eternity, he narrowed his eyes and stared at her. The silence stretched and then contracted tight around her stomach, and she feared her teasing question had revealed a serious offense she hadn't considered. Unable to bear his censure any longer, she twisted in his grip to show him her back. Surely mediocre makeout skills and minimal understanding of a world I only heard about today for the first time can't be dealbreakers! Can there be a dealbreaker between bonded soulmates? Maybe we aren't really soulmates, and if he attempts the spell with me, something even more terrible than the slow destruction of my world by the wraiths will happen. What if–

Enough!

The usual warm velvet of Jonatham's thoughts in her mind hacked starch-stiff though the dervish of her doubts, only for them to eddy away into new tangles. The bond seems real enough; perhaps he's angry he is stuck with such a mismatch of a soulmate. Maybe he hoped to get through the spellcasting before I discovered his deep resentment that his soulmate is not from his world, and now I've upset that plan so–

ENOUGH!

No velvet warmth from this invasion, only a slab of ice that froze all her swirling speculations. She tucked her chin to her chest and braced herself for his next words, determined not to cry no matter how harsh they might be.

Face me. A bit of velvet cushioned the words, but they still carried a hard chill.

I shook my head.

Face me, please. Mir, I need you to look at me so you know I mean what I speak. The cold edge was gone from his thoughts, though the velvet scratched more than caressed.

Miriam let out a shaky breath. In the short time she'd known him, Jonatham's actions revealed his wealth of patience and persistence, and those qualities poured through their connection now. Refusing to waste any more precious time avoiding the inevitable, Miriam scooted nearly off Jonatham's lap and spun her knees to rest next to his thigh; her chin stayed tucked, gaze locked on the floor.

He sighed, and the circle of his arms broke, his hands scattering to her knee and her cheek. The sparks of his touch blazed trails to one another, reigniting the embers in her chest and softening her resolve. When his finger hooked her jaw and tugged upward, she allowed it. When he used both hands to cup her face and position it just so, she offered no resistance. When he brushed the tip of her nose with his own, she didn't flinch. She only withheld eye contact, focusing anywhere but on his magical irises.

Will you give me the pleasure of meeting my eyes, my soulmate?

This time his thoughts coated her mind like melted milk chocolate, warming and soothing every anxious synapse and leaving a sweet contentment in its wake. She could no more resist meeting his scrutiny that she could turn the clock back a few minutes to their last kiss. When their gazes met, his overflowed with heat, searing her and drawing her closer at once.

In a regal tone, he said, "Hear me, Miriam Rogers. I, Jonatham Anthony Magarious the Third, claim you as my soulmate, from now until the end of time. I declare your kisses the sweetest in all of Earth and Dyza, and I pledge to teach you all there is to know about my homeworld, as I humbly solicit your knowledge of Earth. May our union strengthen both our worlds today and every day thereafter."

He inhaled slow and deep before asking, "Do you accept my covenant, my heart?" The glow of the walls pulsed on the last word, matching a throb of power along the bond between her and Jonatham.

Miriam fumbled for a proper response, but her throat had closed tight around a sob of relief. A crush of panic blurred her vision with tears and stabbed her heart with a poker.

Breathe, Mir! I need to hear you speak your response to complete the spell. Keep your eyes on mine and breathe.

The pleasant skim of his thoughts on hers slipped past her conscious defenses, and her subconscious mind triggered her lungs to exhale. With the following inhale, she swallowed down the choking lump of emotions and grounded herself as she'd practiced.

Jonatham's spicy scent lingering on her skin.

The faintest beefy flavor lingering in her mouth from their meal.

The pressure of his palms against her cheeks.

The single blond hair in his right eyebrow.

The rasp of his breathing, pacing her own.

By the time she focused on her breathing, it had resumed its normal pace, though each wave of air in her throat abraded the raw tissue with a hissing sting. Time to change her future.

"I accept your covenant, Jonatham, and I claim you as my soulmate in return, from this moment on."

The floor heaved upwards on Miriam's last word, tossing her away from Jonatham to the stone floor. White pain washed through her skull, and on its heels, darkness closed over her as Jonatham roared her name.