And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do
Ever smiled when Isla’s arms wrapped around him, leaning into her kiss with a sigh. It was a strange, quiet thing to feel settled here, of all places, on a floating island with a picnic and a woman who might soon be void-touched herself. But if there was a part of him still capable of recognizing joy for what it was, it lit now—brief, violet, and borrowed as it was.
At her offer, he turned toward the boat again, squinting through the shimmer of heat and sea-glare. "You take the books," he said, starting to reach for the wrapped tin that held their food. "Just don’t read them before I’ve had a chance to—"
And then Remi appeared.
The shift in air pressure was the only warning. Ever barely had time to register the sudden crackle of presence before something sharp and terrible split the moment—the bouquet shoved forward, the tentacles coiling, sudden and relentless. He didn’t have time to reach for Isla. Didn’t have time to even gasp.
"Wh—!" he choked out as his arms were pinned, the bouquet falling in front of him with the telltale aura curling up from the center like heat off stone.
The lily.
His heart jackknifed.
"Isla—?" His voice broke on her name, blue eyes wide and full of betrayal as he turned his head toward her, body straining against the impossible strength restraining him. "Was this—did you know? Did you trick me?" He twisted again, uselessly, the tentacles holding him like steel. "Tell him to stop—Isla, tell him to stop—" The panic was rising now, tight and ragged. "I don’t want it—I don’t—you said you were done worrying!"
At her offer, he turned toward the boat again, squinting through the shimmer of heat and sea-glare. "You take the books," he said, starting to reach for the wrapped tin that held their food. "Just don’t read them before I’ve had a chance to—"
And then Remi appeared.
The shift in air pressure was the only warning. Ever barely had time to register the sudden crackle of presence before something sharp and terrible split the moment—the bouquet shoved forward, the tentacles coiling, sudden and relentless. He didn’t have time to reach for Isla. Didn’t have time to even gasp.
"Wh—!" he choked out as his arms were pinned, the bouquet falling in front of him with the telltale aura curling up from the center like heat off stone.
The lily.
His heart jackknifed.
"Isla—?" His voice broke on her name, blue eyes wide and full of betrayal as he turned his head toward her, body straining against the impossible strength restraining him. "Was this—did you know? Did you trick me?" He twisted again, uselessly, the tentacles holding him like steel. "Tell him to stop—Isla, tell him to stop—" The panic was rising now, tight and ragged. "I don’t want it—I don’t—you said you were done worrying!"
