Beneath the Stagnant Sky

CHAPTER XII

A STEP TOO CLOSE

The music slowed, a sultry rhythm threading through the air as Caelum pulled Eli closer. Her hand rested lightly against his shoulder, his own resting at her waist. The proximity was intoxicating, each shift of their bodies sending currents of something unspoken between them. Eli had never danced like this before—not with someone who made the world feel as though it had narrowed down to just the two of them.

Caelum moved with effortless grace, leading her in a way that made it impossible not to follow. He was steady, controlled, but there was something beneath the surface—something restrained. His touch was firm, grounding her, yet there was a lingering softness to it, like he was holding onto something fragile.

"You're a good dancer," Eli admitted, trying to fill the space between them with words instead of the wild beat of her heart.

Caelum's lips quirked into a smirk. "You're better."

She rolled her eyes, though her pulse betrayed her amusement. "I didn't know you danced."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me." His voice was low, teasing, but there was something else there, something unreadable.

For a moment, she was lost in the way he looked at her, how his gaze flickered between her eyes and lips, like he was debating something. The music swelled, drowning out everything else, and Eli forgot about the crowded bar, about Selene, about everything except the way Caelum felt so close—so incredibly present.

Then the song ended, and reality settled between them like a wall.

Caelum loosened his grip but didn't step away. Instead, he searched her expression, as if looking for something he wasn't sure he would find.

"You still have twenty-two wishes left, Eli," he murmured. "Are you really going to waste a night like this?"

Eli swallowed hard, blinking herself back to clarity. The weight of his words pressed against her. She had wished for this, hadn't she? To escape, to forget, even just for a little while. But the idea of using another wish so soon—of losing another piece of herself to the unknown—felt like stepping toward something she wasn't ready for.

"Not tonight," she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

Caelum studied her, then let out a quiet sigh, stepping back. "Then let's get out of here."

Eli frowned. "What?"

"You're done for the night." He gestured toward the people around them. "This isn't your kind of place, Eli. And I'm not leaving you here with a bunch of wolves."

She folded her arms, her usual stubbornness kicking in. "I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that. But you shouldn't have to."

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. He wasn't demanding, wasn't ordering her around like he knew better. He just—wanted her safe.

And the truth was, she was exhausted. The rush of adrenaline, the dancing, the weight of Caelum's presence—it had all taken its toll.

"Fine," she relented, exhaling through her nose. "But I'm not leaving Selene."

"She's coming too. I'll make sure you both get home."

Eli glanced around, spotting Selene laughing at the bar with a drink in hand. She wasn't nearly as tipsy as Eli had feared but convincing her to leave might be a battle.