Page 148 of The Last Guardian

I shook my head, squeezing her shoulders. “No, enjoy your night.”

Lyra gave me a small nod, not sure if she should listen to me or not, but Zaidkiel rose from his seat, swallowing the rest of his drink in a swift gulp.

“I will walk you home,” he said.

“No!” I exclaimed too quickly to be natural, and every head turned to me.

Zaid winced, his jaw clenched as he searched my eyes. “I’m going to the house,” he replied, raising a brow. “Either we walk together willingly or in an awkward silence.” He shrugged. “Your call.”

I swallowed, ignoring how fast my blood pulsed in my veins, debating with myself. With a deep breath, I nodded, darting my eyes away.

After we said goodnight to everyone, Zaidkiel and I walked side by side in complete silence for a while. The sky had already fallen black, the stars flaring softly against the dark. Lanterns illuminated the cobbled streets as we passed by some crowded restaurants and pubs.

For the whole walk, neither of us talked, but the essence of him danced around my own with each breath, each heartbeat.

When we finally reached the house, the beautiful garden welcomed us with wonderful floral smells, and as we climbed the stairs, we reached the spot where we’d talked last night.

As if Zaidkiel could sense my thought, or maybe he recalled the same memory, he stopped at the last step as I continued on my way to the door.

“Alyana,” Zaidkiel broke the silence, his voice nothing more than a soft whisper, almost dying in his throat.

I went still.

My name on his lips sounded like the most sacred secret of all, reaching like a prayer to every god, every star of this world and the next. Like the thing he longed for but would never dare to touch, never dare to claim.

Slowly, I turned, each step careful and slow, to face him, and every ounce of air melted away from my lungs.

My heart skipped a beat when I finally looked at his face, the way his eyes burned into mine, reaching the darkest part of my soul and setting it ablaze, the devastation crossing his beautiful face.

“Why are you fighting this, Zaid?” I asked in a murmur. He closed his eyes, as if he could feel the vibrancy of my voice brushing through his skin.

He stayed silent for a moment, his eyelids parting as a light green hue spread across his iris, and he gazed at me once more.

I took a step forward, and another, until I stopped in front of him, trying to reach his height, with one step between us. But even with this advantage, Zaid still towered over me.

Every ounce of him tensed, tightened at the closeness between us, as I gazed up at him. “Don’t you consider me high enough for you to⁠—”

“It is because I consider you too highly that I cannot act like this with you, Alyana,” he said with a hard swallow.

“I don’t understand…” I whispered. “Is it… because I’m human?”

His eyes blazed, my words touching a layer of him far too deep, and he averted his eyes.

“Zaid,” I whispered. He closed his eyes at the sound of his name on my lips.

My eyes traced his face, drawing over his jaw, his lips, his nose. “Zaid, please look at me,” I begged.

With a long, deep breath, he finally met my gaze once more. His jaw clenched so hard I wondered how his teeth could hold together. My hand reached for his face to calm the emotion he tried to fight, and he leaned against my palm, his warm skin burning mine in sweet torture.

Zaid closed the distance between us, leaning his forehead against mine. “It’s so much more complicated than you know.”

My lips trembled as I tried to hold back the pang in my heart. His thumb brushed my chin, caressing the soft corner of my mouth, his breath mingling with mine.

“Why can you not tell me?” I whispered.

Zaid’s eyes shone, hesitant to reveal what prevented us from giving ourselves to each other, even for a single moment. And with the gleam in his eyes, I knew it was because of all our differences—our own blood. The same reason his sister couldn’t give her heart. Still, he didn’t say anything, letting himself drink in this single moment.

Zaidkiel brushed his nose against mine, as he had earlier, when we kissed. Then he pushed his forehead from mine, bringing his lips to kiss my brow, and lingered there for a moment in a soft touch.