Starside novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: The Cord

Sorrel's POV

"You've been awake an hour," I said. "You haven't blinked."

"I was guarding you."

"From what? Me?"

He didn't answer, and that was answer enough.

I sat up and pushed the cloak off my shoulders.

The cord lay between us, glimmering faintly across the stone.

"You told a whole market what you'd do to me," I said. "You said it where nothing could happen."

"I did."

"Nothing can happen here either, can it? It's only us and some bones."

His throat moved when he swallowed.

"Rule one," he said. "You made it. I don't touch you unless the cord forces it."

"Rule one's dead," I said. "I killed it against a tree."

I crawled across the stone to where he sat.

I knelt in front of him, a hand's width away, and I looked at him properly.

There was a smear of ash along his jaw.

His eyes were black in the dark, with only a thin ring of gray around them.

"Say it," he said hoarsely. "Tell me what you want."

"I want you to shut up."

I took his face in both hands and kissed him.

He made a low, rough sound against my mouth.

His arms came around me and lifted me into his lap, my knees on either side of his hips.

His mouth opened under mine.

He tasted of smoke and iron and salt.

I had told myself for five years I'd forgotten.

I hadn't forgotten anything.

His hands went up under my shirt, across my ribs and up my back.

He groaned when he found how hot my skin was.

"You're burning," he said into my throat.

"Then do something about it."

I pulled his coat off his shoulders and tore at the buttons of his shirt.

When I got it open, I stopped.

Silver lines ran across his chest.

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