Chương 26: Chapter 26 - Where Stars Witness
The sound of the ocean filtered faintly through the thick walls of the mansion, a rhythmic crash that should have been soothing. Instead, it only reminded Eira of how far she was from anything familiar.
The space around her was impossibly vast, the mansion's dark grandeur swallowing her whole. It was quieter here than she'd expected. Too quiet. Every step she took on the polished floors echoed back at her, magnifying her sense of isolation.
But she wasn't alone.
She could feel Caius nearby.
Eira moved through the main hall, her fingers grazing the edge of a marble bannister. The soft glow of sconces cast shadows across the arched ceilings and stone walls, making the mansion feel more cavern than home. She paused near the base of the grand staircase, her mind circling like a trapped bird.
This was what she'd wanted, wasn't it?
To break through that maddening restraint of his. To see what happened when Caius—the untouchable, immovable force—finally let go. She'd pushed him toward this edge, teasing and daring him with every step, even as her own desires had burned hotter beneath the surface.
And now here she was. Alone with him, far from the watchful eyes of his court, the weight of her actions pressing down like a physical force.
Her pulse throbbed faintly in her throat. She clenched her fists at her sides, desperate for clarity that refused to come.
What did she want?
The question coiled tighter in her chest as the bond thrummed faintly beneath her skin, that maddening tether pulling her thoughts toward him. Even now, she could feel his presence like a shadow at her back, dark and consuming, waiting for her to stop running from the truth she didn't want to face.
A soft sound—footsteps—broke her spiraling thoughts. Eira turned sharply, her breath catching as Caius stepped into view.
He moved like he belonged here, the stark light from the sconces catching the sharp planes of his face, the golden gleam of his eyes. His presence filled the space effortlessly, his every step deliberate and unhurried.
"You're restless," he said simply, his voice cutting through the silence.
Eira bristled, more at the truth of his words than their delivery. "I'm not," she replied, too quickly.
Caius's lips curved faintly, a quiet, predatory amusement flickering behind his gaze. "Lying doesn't suit you, Eira."
Her jaw tightened, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "And smug superiority doesn't suit you."
"Doesn't it?" he asked, taking another step closer.
Eira's breath hitched despite herself, the tension between them pressing down like a weight. She tried to focus on the burn of her irritation, anything to drown out the heat curling low in her stomach.
"I thought you wanted me to breathe here," she said, her voice sharper than she intended. "But this—this doesn't feel like breathing."
Caius tilted his head, his gaze narrowing as he studied her. "What does it feel like?"
She didn't have an answer for that—not one she was willing to say aloud.
Caius stepped closer, closing the space between them with deliberate ease. His presence was suffocating, but not in the way she'd expected. The bond pulsed faintly, a rhythm that matched the wild beat of her heart.
"Tell me," he said softly, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous murmur.
Eira swallowed hard. "I don't know," she said finally, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
His lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "You do," he countered, his voice calm but relentless. "You just don't want to admit it."
Eira's chest tightened, heat rising beneath her skin as her frustration warred with something far more dangerous. She took a step back, needing space, but Caius followed, his golden eyes locked onto hers.
"You pushed me, Eira," he continued, his tone impossibly steady. "And now you don't know what to do with the fire you've lit."
Her breath caught, the truth in his words cutting deeper than she cared to admit. She'd wanted this, hadn't she? The heat, the tension, the way he looked at her.
But now that it was here, she felt like she was drowning in it.
The air between them crackled, heavy with unspoken words and unrelenting tension. Eira's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her pulse hammering as she met his gaze.
"I don't regret it," she said finally, the defiance in her voice cutting through the charged silence.
Caius's smile widened, sharp and deliberate. "Good."
Eira opened her mouth to retort, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she stood there, caught in the magnetic pull between them, her thoughts spiraling as the bond thrummed louder, pulling her closer to a choice she couldn't take back. She willed herself to keep the distance between them.
But Caius didn't need to close the gap to unsettle her.
The way he looked at her was enough to set her nerves alight. It wasn't just hunger; it was control. He was waiting, letting the silence do the work, as though he knew she would unravel herself before he needed to lift a finger.
Eira exhaled sharply, her frustration bubbling over. "Why do you always do this?"
Caius arched a brow, his expression unreadable. "Do what?"
"This," she said, gesturing vaguely between them. "The cryptic answers. The staring. It's like you're always waiting for me to say something first."
He tilted his head, his lips curving faintly. "Because I am, and I already know what you're going to say."
Her pulse spiked at the quiet certainty in his voice. "You're impossible," she muttered, turning away from him.
But the distance didn't help. She could still feel his presence at her back, the heat of his gaze following her even as she took several steps toward the grand staircase.
"You're running," he said softly, his voice cutting through the silence.
Eira froze, clenching her fists tighter, willing herself not to turn around. "I'm not running," she said, though her voice sounded weaker than she intended.
"Then why won't you look at me?"
His question hung in the air, and for a moment, all Eira could hear was the distant crash of waves against the cliffs. Her chest tightened, frustration and defiance warring with the bond's incessant pull. Slowly, she turned to face him.
"I'm not running," she repeated, her voice steadier now. "But I don't know what you want from me."
Caius's golden eyes darkened, a flicker of something deeper passing through them. "I want you to stop pretending," he said, his voice quieter now, more dangerous. "Stop lying to yourself about what you feel."
Eira's jaw tightened, her heart pounding against the chain at her throat. "And what is it you think I feel?"
He took a step closer, his movements as smooth and deliberate as ever. "You're drawn to me, Eira. You always have been. But you fight it, because you think wanting me makes you weak."
Her breath hitched, heat rising in her chest. "You don't know what I think."
"Don't I?" Caius countered, his voice soft but unrelenting.
The silence stretched taut between them, and for a moment, Eira couldn't breathe. Her thoughts spiraled, the weight of his words sinking deeper than she cared to admit.
Before she could respond, Caius reached out—not to grab her, but to gesture toward the staircase. "Come with me," he said simply, his tone devoid of its usual edge.
Eira frowned, her pulse quickening. "Where?"
His lips curved into the faintest smile. "Somewhere I think you'll like."
She hesitated, the tension between them crackling like a live wire. But there was no command in his voice this time, no challenge—only a quiet invitation that felt more dangerous than anything he'd said before.
Reluctantly, she nodded.
Caius didn't touch her, didn't take her hand this time. Instead, he turned and began to ascend the stairs, his steps measured and unhurried. Eira followed, her heart hammering in her chest as her gaze flicked between the back of his broad shoulders and the faint glow of light spilling from sconces along the walls.
The staircase spiraled upward, the polished stone giving way to dark wood as they reached the top floor. Caius led her down a narrow corridor, the air growing cooler as they walked. The tension between them didn't dissipate; if anything, it grew heavier, wrapping around her like a second skin.
Finally, they reached the end of the hall, where a simple door stood ajar. Caius pushed it open, stepping aside to let her enter first.
Eira hesitated, glancing at him. His expression was unreadable, but there was something different in his gaze now—something softer, though no less intense.
"Go on," he said quietly.
Taking a steadying breath, Eira stepped inside.
The room was unlike anything she'd expected. It was small, intimate, the walls lined with dark wood and shelves filled with books and artifacts she didn't recognize. But the ceiling—her breath caught as she looked up.
The entire ceiling was made of glass, a massive skylight that framed the night sky in perfect clarity. Stars glittered like shards of ice against the black expanse, and the pale light of the moon bathed the room in a silvery glow.
At the center of the room was a large bed, its dark linens catching the faint light, making it look both inviting and dangerous.
Eira's chest tightened as she turned to face Caius. "What is this place?"
"My room," he said simply, stepping through the door behind her. "It's where I come when the weight of the court becomes too much."
Eira frowned, her gaze flicking back to the skylight. "It doesn't seem like you to need a place like this."
Caius's lips curved faintly. "Even I need to breathe sometimes."
She hated the way his words lingered in her chest, hated the way the bond seemed to pulse louder in this room, pulling her closer to him with every passing second.
"This is why you brought me here?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "To show me you're just as human as me?"
Caius stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "I brought you here because this is the only place where I don't have to pretend. And because I want you to see the truth, Eira—even if you're not ready to admit it to yourself."
The room felt smaller now, the walls closing in as the weight of his words pressed down on her.
"And what truth is that?" she whispered.
Caius reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against the chain at her throat. His touch was maddeningly gentle, but the weight of it was impossible to ignore.
"That you've wanted this just as much as I have," he murmured, his voice low and unrelenting.
Eira's heart stuttered, her mind racing as she searched for a retort, a way to deny what she couldn't bring herself to face. But no words came.
The silence stretched between them, the bond thrumming louder than ever.
Eira didn't pull away from his touch. She told herself it was curiosity, not surrender—an experiment to see how much control she could reclaim by leaning into the thing she feared. But deep down, she knew better.
Caius stayed perfectly still, his golden eyes locked on hers. Her hand lifted, trembling slightly as she pressed her palm against his chest. The fabric of his shirt was soft beneath her fingers, the heat of his skin seeping through as if to remind her of how real he was.
There was no triumph in his gaze, no satisfaction at her tentative move. Instead, his expression was quiet, unreadable, as though he were holding his breath too.
"Why don't you say something?" she murmured, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Caius's lips curved faintly. "Because I don't want to scare you away."
Her chest tightened at the honesty in his tone, the rawness of it. She hadn't expected that—not from him. Caius was always so composed, so controlled. But now there was something else in his gaze, something vulnerable that she didn't know how to handle.
"You think I'm afraid of you?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
"I think you're afraid of what I make you feel," Caius replied, his voice soft but unrelenting.
Eira's pulse quickened, her breath hitching at the weight of his words. She hated how close to the truth they felt, how they seemed to pierce through every defense she'd tried to build.
She opened her mouth to argue, to deflect, but no words came.
Caius's hand shifted slightly, his thumb brushing against hers in a gesture so small, so fleeting, that she almost thought she'd imagined it. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver racing down her spine, and she cursed herself for the way her body betrayed her.
"You're too confident," she said finally, her voice sharper than she intended.
Caius's faint smile returned, though his gaze didn't waver. "And you're too stubborn."
The bond pulsed between them, its rhythm steady and insistent, drawing her closer despite every instinct screaming at her to step away.
Eira forced herself to look away, her gaze flicking to the skylight above. The stars glittered against the inky black of the night, their cold light spilling over the room in soft, uneven patterns. It was beautiful—too beautiful for this moment, this fragile standoff that felt like it might shatter if she breathed too hard.
"I don't know if I can trust you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Caius's fingers tightened slightly over hers, his touch grounding her in a way she didn't want to acknowledge. "I don't expect you to," he said quietly. "Not yet."
His words sent a ripple of something unfamiliar through her chest, an ache she couldn't name. She hated him for his unexpected patience, for the way he seemed content to wait while her thoughts spiraled and collided, tearing her apart from the inside out.
But most of all, she hated how much she wanted to believe him.
"I don't want to belong to anyone," she said, the words raw and jagged.
Caius's hand moved, his fingers brushing hers as he took her hand fully in his. His touch was warm, steady.
"This isn't about control, Eira," he said softly. "It's about choice."
She laughed, a sharp, bitter sound that echoed in the stillness of the room. "That's easy for you to say. You're not the one with a chain around your neck."
Caius's gaze darkened, a flicker of something dangerous passing through his eyes. "That chain doesn't control you," he said, his voice low and quiet. "It never has. You're the one who decides what it means."
Eira's breath hitched, her chest tightening at the quiet intensity in his tone.
"I don't know what I want," she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Caius's fingers tightened around hers, his grip steady but never unyielding. "You don't have to figure it out," he said softly. "But don't lie to yourself. Not about this."
Her gaze snapped back to his, the defiance in her chest sparking again. "And what if I decide I want nothing to do with you?"
Caius's smile returned, faint but unmistakably predatory. "Then I'll let you go," he said simply. "But I'm almost certain that's not what you'll decide."
Eira's jaw tightened, her breath coming shallow as his words hung between them. She hated his certainty, his calm, the way he seemed so sure of her even when she wasn't sure of herself.
The silence stretched taut between them, the bond thrumming louder and louder with every passing second.
Eira's pulse throbbed in her ears, her every instinct demanding she move, speak, do something to shatter the fragile stillness between them. She hadn't expected Caius to wait, to let the decision hang in the air like a thread she could either sever or weave into something new.
It wasn't like him to give her space.
Her gaze drifted upward again. The sight was dizzying, surreal, as though she'd stepped out of time and space entirely. Her chest tightened, and the question she couldn't—wouldn't—answer whispered again in the back of her mind.
What do I want?
Her fingers flexed, an ache unfurling deep in her chest, raw and restless. She'd pushed him to this precipice, and now the weight of her own daring pressed back on her. It felt like she was already falling, not knowing if she wanted to pull him closer or push him away.
Eira exhaled slowly, her shoulders tense as she stepped toward him. Her movements were cautious, deliberate, but unmistakably certain.
"I don't think I like this side of you," she said quietly, her voice wavering despite her effort to steady it.
Caius's golden eyes darkened, his expression unreadable as he took her in. "What side is that?"
"The patient one."
His lips twitched, but he didn't smile. "Would you prefer for me to take you?"
She hesitated, her throat tightening as the weight of his words settled over her. There was something dangerous about the way he said it—dangerous because it tempted her in ways she didn't want to admit.
"You're waiting for me to make the first move," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I am."
Her gaze searched his for the trap she was sure must be there. But Caius didn't waver. His golden eyes were steady, his expression calm, though the tension in his jaw betrayed the restraint it cost him.
Eira's heart raced, her hand sliding lower as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.
"Why?" she asked, her voice sharper now, edged with frustration. "Why give me choices now? After everything you've done?"
"Because there are no ears to hear and no eyes to see." Caius's head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "I wanted this to be your choice, Eira. I'm sorry I've taken others from you."
The honesty in his voice cut through her like a blade, sharp and unyielding. She hated how it disarmed her, how it stripped away the walls she'd fought so hard to keep between them.
She took another step closer, the space between them vanishing until she could feel the faint warmth of his breath against her skin. Her free hand lifted, brushing lightly against his jaw, the touch as much for herself as for him.
"If I make this choice," she said softly, her voice trembling with the weight of the moment, "I need to know you won't throw it back in my face."
Caius's gaze softened, the hard lines of his expression easing as he reached up to catch her hand in his. His grip was firm, grounding, as his thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles.
"I won't," he said simply, the words quiet but resolute.
Eira's chest tightened as she searched his face for any hint of deception. But all she found was the quiet intensity she'd come to associate with him, the steady, unrelenting certainty that had always terrified her.
Her desire clawed at her chest, the heat in his gaze mirroring the fire she couldn't deny any longer. Her resolve solidified, and she stepped into the choice with steady purpose, brushing her lips against his in a kiss that was neither hesitant nor rushed.
It was deliberate.
And for the first time, she knew it was hers.
Caius's reaction was immediate—hands sliding to her waist, his grip firm but trembling, as if even he wasn't immune to the chaos of this moment. For once, he wasn't composed; he was utterly, devastatingly present. The tension that had simmered between them shattered like glass, giving way to something raw and electric.
The bond roared to life between them, its pulse thundering in time with her own as if it had been waiting for this moment to fully awaken. It wasn't just desire—it was something deeper, older, something she could no longer deny.
His kiss was demanding but not overpowering, matching her energy as though he'd been waiting for this moment as long as she had. His grip tightened slightly, his fingers splaying against her back as he deepened the kiss, but he didn't push further.
Eira's hands slid up to his shoulders, her fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt as she let herself get lost in the sensation.
The bond thrummed louder, a visceral pulse that seemed to thread through her very being, erasing the line between her own heartbeat and his.
The stars above seemed brighter now, the sharp edge of fear finally dulling under the heat of his touch. For the first time in days, she wasn't afraid. She wasn't certain, either—but maybe certainty wasn't what she needed anymore.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
JadedButCute
JadedButCute Oh boy, this chapter was intense. Writing Eira and Caius in this moment felt like balancing on a knife’s edge—the tension, the vulnerability, and that crackling bond between them. Eira’s finally starting to confront her feelings, and Caius, for once, is giving her the space to choose (which, let’s be real, feels like the biggest character development he’s had so far).
I love the push-and-pull of their dynamic here. Eira is fighting so hard to hold onto her autonomy while Caius is trying to show her that not everything he does is about control. That kiss, though? That was Eira’s moment. Finally, she made the call, and seeing Caius drop the mask of composed predator for just a second was so satisfying to write. What did you guys think—was this worth all the slow-burn tension? Let me know! I’m so curious to hear if this moment landed the way I hoped.
Like it ? Add to library！:)
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