Page 48 of Stranger's Choice
Chapter 15
Auraelie gathered upthe tea mugs and walked them back to the table with the kettle while Sebin and Heolin exchanged a few last words. When the door shut behind the earth sprite, she untied the dressing gown and shrugged it to the ground. It took Sebin a moment to refocus his attention solely on her face, and Auraelie smiled.
It was hard to tell sometimes, because Sebin refused to break his word or cross the lines he drew for himself, but she knew he was attracted to her. He was also principled, charming, and a visionary. Add in his handsomeness and immunity to Auraelie’s power, and she realized she did not want to miss this opportunity.
She crossed the room to stand toe-to-toe with Sebin.
He looked at her with heat in his eyes and swallowed. “Auraelie?”
“You have my permission to touch, Sebin,” she said, her voice husky. Then, before he could process her words, she went up on tiptoe and kissed him.
She had never kissed a man before, but Auraelie was fairly certain he was supposed to do something other than stand there like a statue. She dropped her heels. “You aren’t going to kiss me back?”
“I shouldn’t.”
Auraelie frowned. Sebin’s voice sounded hoarse. He wanted to, but thought he shouldn’t. Ah, maybe he was worried about what came after the kissing. “I’ve been drinking the special tea for the past week, Sebin.”
He looked over at the box of teas. “That’s why you made the tea before I got to it every night?”
She nodded. “This is my choice. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. It’s not some impulse I’ll regret later. Though I may regret how disappointing my first kiss was.”
Sebin’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. I will give you your real first kiss, and it won’t be disappointing.”
His head dipped, and Auraelie lifted her own to meet him halfway. They touched nowhere except the lips, and it was marvelous. Sebin’s lips moved against hers and it sparked a fire in her veins. Then his tongue was there, and her lips parted, and marvelous was too tame a word. Auraelie’s hands landed on his chest as she attempted to stay upright while his tongue robbed her of the ability to think of anything but the heat spreading down to her core.
Then he stopped.
Auraelie looked up at him, but he simply lifted her hands from his chest and stepped back. At least he was breathing hard; he wasn’t as unaffected as he was pretending.
Auraelie reached up and began to tug at the first veil, pulling it out from where the collar held it in place.
Sebin’s hands shot forward and clamped down over hers, pinning the end of the veil to her collarbone. “Stop.”
“Why? I told you, I want this. It is my choice.” She glanced down at him. “You want this, too.”
“I can’t do this to you, Auraelie.”
“You aren’t doing anything!”
“But you don’t have all the information.” Sebin tucked the veil back into the collar and removed his hands. “You think I might be your only chance. But I’m going to see you freed from the Emperor’s Will, Auraelie. You will be able to go home. To be among people whose touch doesn’t threaten your very life.”
“And how long will that take?” Auraelie jabbed Sebin’s chest with her finger. “Why should I wait if I don’t have to?”
Sebin closed his eyes, his face a mask of shame. “You shouldn’t. But you still don’t have all the information, Auraelie. I’m not your only choice, even if you don’t want to wait to be free of the Emperor.”
Auraelie lowered her hand back to her side. “What are you talking about?”
Sebin’s eyes opened. “I’m not actually immune to your magic. I have a null charm. If you wore it instead of me, you could touch anyone you wanted safely.” Sebin twisted at the ring he always wore on his right hand.
She watched the ring come loose, trying to understand what Sebin meant. A charm. His ring was a charm that protected him from her magic. It was a charm that could nullify her power and make it so that she could touch anyone without risk. But for her, that wasn’t protection.
He held the ring out to her.
Auraelie stepped back. “Stop. Stop that this instant. Think about what will happen if you do what you are thinking right now. You won’t be helping me, Sebin. If the Emperor finds out . . . You know what he’ll do to me.”
“I will not tell the Emperor.”
“He’ll find out. It doesn’t matter how I try to hide it—not that a ring like that would be easy to hide. Something will happen. What if I’m grabbed again?”
