---
As I held her.
Her gown was still hitched up around her hips, and the feel of her bare back against my thighs burned hotter than the flames my body was trying to suppress. She clung to me like a lover, moaning softly with every breath, her thighs still wrapped around my waist, her fingers tangled in my hair like she wanted to keep me there forever.
I wanted to give her what she was asking for—hell, part of me already had—but I couldn't. Not now. This was my only shot at escape, and she'd already delayed me more than I could afford.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, brushing my lips against the shell of her ear. She shivered, a gasp escaping her as if I'd touched her soul.
Then I stood up—fast. Still holding her, but not the way she wanted.
I kicked open the door.
The guards outside turned, swords raised. Eyes narrowed.
"Drop your weapons," I growled, tightening my grip on her, the blade I'd hidden now pressed lightly under her chin. "Or the princess dies."
There was a moment of stunned silence. Then her voice came—not pleading, not afraid.
"You won't hurt me," she said breathlessly, almost laughing. "Not when you're holding me like that."
Damn her. She wasn't wrong.
But the guards weren't about to gamble. Not with a blade at the throat of royalty and the shame of failure hanging in the air.
One by one, they dropped their weapons. Clink. Clatter. Steel meeting marble. Then they backed off slowly, hands raised.
I stepped through the hallway with her still in my arms. Every step was a war between survival and temptation. Every inch of her skin against me was a reminder of what I was leaving behind.
But I kept walking.
Because if I stopped now, I wouldn't escape… and I wouldn't survive what came next.
---
---
The stone corridors twisted ahead of me like a labyrinth, shadows warping around my feet as I ran. I could still feel her warmth clinging to my body, her scent burning into my lungs, her voice echoing like a curse in my ears.
System Notification:
> 🔔 Alert: Intimacy Sync – "Heat Touch" ability integration at 92%. Time remaining: 00:30 seconds.
Not fast enough.
Alarms shrieked again—louder, more urgent. Somewhere far behind me, a second horn sounded, signaling a full lockdown. Heavy boots pounded down the marble, steel clanging as reinforcements stormed toward me from both ends of the palace wing.
I glanced behind me just as my grip loosened.
Big mistake.
She turned around and slammed into me —her body, soft, hot, and far too familiar.
"You're not leaving me again," she whispered, voice hoarse and needy, her legs wrapping around me. Her gown rode up again, barely covering anything, her hips grinding against mine. "You made me feel like a goddess…"
I staggered back into the wall. Her lips crashed into mine, smothering my breath. Her tongue was fire. Her moan was madness.
System Notification:
> 🔔 Warning: Physical contact intensity exceeds synchronization threshold.
I didn't have time for this. Ravyn was waiting. The palace was swarming.
"I'm sorry," I said again—and this time, I meant it with the weight of a thousand regrets.
I reached down, grabbed the sword I took from a guard earlier… and brought the hilt hard against her temple.
She gasped—then her body slumped against me.
I caught her gently, even as the guilt surged.
"Dammit…"
I laid her down on the marble floor, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, and ran.
The guards rounded the corner, shouting.
One spotted me.
"There he is!"
Too late.
System Notification:
> 🔥 Heat Touch Ability Fully Integrated.
— Flames bound to your soul. Skin contact may ignite.
— Armor-melting strikes active.
— Palm ignition enabled.
Perfect.
I turned, letting the fire crawl down my arms like molten chains being unshackled. The air around me shimmered as the temperature spiked. My heartbeat synced with the heat.
"Come on then," I muttered, flames dancing across my knuckles.
The first guard charged. I met his sword with my bare palm—melted it. His eyes widened right before my fist slammed into his breastplate. The steel hissed and crumpled like paper. He hit the ground, screaming.
Two more closed in from the flanks.
I spun, both hands igniting fully now, twin rivers of fire arcing through the air. My palm struck one across the face—the heat kissed his helmet and turned it red-hot in an instant. He dropped, clawing at the metal as it burned his skin.
The last one froze. Smart.
"Still want to play?" I asked, voice hoarse from smoke and adrenaline.
He didn't answer.
He turned and bolted.
I exhaled, the fire dimming just enough to stop me from setting the hallway ablaze.
I wasn't sure what was waiting around the next corner, but this time… I wasn't running blind.
---