the Councilor made certain that his upper-level administrators shared his world view. The use of Spark power in the zone was to be severely limited. Lucas’s grandfather would not have his people dependent upon aberrations.
Unless the aberration is a weapon of God?
His breathing increased, hitching in his throat with his panic. He wasn’t a weapon. He wasn’t a sword.
Lucas led Meredith through the gate for foot traffic. They followed the road out for fifteen minutes, through the area that had been slashed and burned back from the city wall for visibility. Finally, the road entered the forest, and they were plunged into twilight coolness as they wound deeper, away from view of the gates. He stepped off the road, circling around a large, unruly hedge of wild roses that bordered the road.
It was cool under the canopy of evergreens and wide, leafy, deciduous trees. Meredith laughed behind him now as he pulled her through the ferny undergrowth. They wove between trees, slipping on bright mossy growth, and wound down deeper into the forest. Finally, when he figured they were far enough from the road and any other humans, he pulled her behind a stand of honeysuckle-tangled maple and turned to her.
“Marry me, Merry,” he blurted.
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“Marry me. I just—I spent this morning talking to my grandfather. And I—” Lucas shook his head, trying to put it all into words that she could understand, that wouldn’t terrify her. He couldn’t. “Marry me.”
“You talked to the Councilor?” Her eyes had gone wide and soft. A little hopeful smile lifted her lips and lit her face.
Did she think he meant that he’d talked to Grandfather about her? That he’d asked permission to marry?
Lucas didn’t have it in him to hurt her. He didn’t want to see the disappointment and pain in her eyes. Instead of telling her that the marriage was his own idea and that they’d have to run to be together, he took her hand and pulled her to him. He loved the feel of her lush body crushed against his thin frame and the contrast of her darker skin and hair against his uniform paleness.
They tumbled to the ground together, arms and tongues and legs already tangled. He shouldn’t. He had no real plan to get away. He had nothing but the hope that he could convince her to come with him before his grandfather realized Lucas was too weak to be a holy weapon and decided to send Jacob to finish Lucas and the job he should be plotting. Lucas shouldn’t be here, with Meredith of all people, indulging in the comfort of her soft body and gentle touch.
Even if he hadn’t been hiding from his responsibility, shame would still coat him with every touch. The pleasure of the moment washed it away for now, yes, but they’d both pay for it later. They’d each have had to spend time in seclusion, repenting.
But knowing that hadn’t stopped them on any other night they’d stolen away to be together since they’d met. Lucas slid his hand inside her loose shirt to trail up her soft skin until he was cupping the heavy, warm flesh that had caught his attention in the first place. He lifted and kneaded the flesh that overflowed his hand, and his own body responded. He used one leg to spread her thighs apart so he could reach between and pull up on her skirt and then settle between the softness of her thighs. They wouldn’t be stopping today, either.
Lucas lifted his mouth from Meredith’s to look down at her. Her hands, busily unfastening his pant buttons, finished. She slid one hand inside to stroke and play while she brought the other up to cup the back of his head. She tried to draw his head back down to hers, her lips parting again, but they continued the movement to a grin instead of a kiss when he resisted her. He wanted to look at her. He lived for looking at her.
“Can’t help it, Merry,” he told her, voice rough in his own ears as he whispered to her, “I love the way you look.” He spread her shirt apart
Unless the aberration is a weapon of God?
His breathing increased, hitching in his throat with his panic. He wasn’t a weapon. He wasn’t a sword.
Lucas led Meredith through the gate for foot traffic. They followed the road out for fifteen minutes, through the area that had been slashed and burned back from the city wall for visibility. Finally, the road entered the forest, and they were plunged into twilight coolness as they wound deeper, away from view of the gates. He stepped off the road, circling around a large, unruly hedge of wild roses that bordered the road.
It was cool under the canopy of evergreens and wide, leafy, deciduous trees. Meredith laughed behind him now as he pulled her through the ferny undergrowth. They wove between trees, slipping on bright mossy growth, and wound down deeper into the forest. Finally, when he figured they were far enough from the road and any other humans, he pulled her behind a stand of honeysuckle-tangled maple and turned to her.
“Marry me, Merry,” he blurted.
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“Marry me. I just—I spent this morning talking to my grandfather. And I—” Lucas shook his head, trying to put it all into words that she could understand, that wouldn’t terrify her. He couldn’t. “Marry me.”
“You talked to the Councilor?” Her eyes had gone wide and soft. A little hopeful smile lifted her lips and lit her face.
Did she think he meant that he’d talked to Grandfather about her? That he’d asked permission to marry?
Lucas didn’t have it in him to hurt her. He didn’t want to see the disappointment and pain in her eyes. Instead of telling her that the marriage was his own idea and that they’d have to run to be together, he took her hand and pulled her to him. He loved the feel of her lush body crushed against his thin frame and the contrast of her darker skin and hair against his uniform paleness.
They tumbled to the ground together, arms and tongues and legs already tangled. He shouldn’t. He had no real plan to get away. He had nothing but the hope that he could convince her to come with him before his grandfather realized Lucas was too weak to be a holy weapon and decided to send Jacob to finish Lucas and the job he should be plotting. Lucas shouldn’t be here, with Meredith of all people, indulging in the comfort of her soft body and gentle touch.
Even if he hadn’t been hiding from his responsibility, shame would still coat him with every touch. The pleasure of the moment washed it away for now, yes, but they’d both pay for it later. They’d each have had to spend time in seclusion, repenting.
But knowing that hadn’t stopped them on any other night they’d stolen away to be together since they’d met. Lucas slid his hand inside her loose shirt to trail up her soft skin until he was cupping the heavy, warm flesh that had caught his attention in the first place. He lifted and kneaded the flesh that overflowed his hand, and his own body responded. He used one leg to spread her thighs apart so he could reach between and pull up on her skirt and then settle between the softness of her thighs. They wouldn’t be stopping today, either.
Lucas lifted his mouth from Meredith’s to look down at her. Her hands, busily unfastening his pant buttons, finished. She slid one hand inside to stroke and play while she brought the other up to cup the back of his head. She tried to draw his head back down to hers, her lips parting again, but they continued the movement to a grin instead of a kiss when he resisted her. He wanted to look at her. He lived for looking at her.
“Can’t help it, Merry,” he told her, voice rough in his own ears as he whispered to her, “I love the way you look.” He spread her shirt apart
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