The silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of everything unspoken. Kael's hand brushed hers again — deliberate this time — and she didn't pull away.
Not because she trusted him.
But because something in her wanted to.
Liora turned her head, just enough to meet his eyes. There was no smirk there now, no mask. Just him — raw, watching her like she was both a challenge and a lifeline.
"I still don't like you," she murmured.
Kael's voice was a whisper. "I don't need you to like me."
Their faces were too close. The cave too quiet. Her heartbeat too loud.
What was this pull between them — this thread tightening with every breath?
He leaned in, not enough to kiss her, but enough that she could feel the warmth of his lips. His restraint burned hotter than any touch.
And gods, it made her want.
But before either of them could move — before they could fall off the edge they were toeing — a low rumble echoed through the stone.
The mountain stirred.
Liora shot to her feet, her pulse snapping back to reality. Kael rose with her, hand already on his weapon.
The moment was gone — swallowed by stone and shadow.
But the tension? That lingered.
Unspoken. Unresolved.
And far from over.