Page 120 of The Last Remaining Light

It had taken everything in him not to reach for her and pull her back into his arms, where she had always belonged.

The lanterns had reignited after many long, terrifying moments, though they still flickered intermittently whenever Caelyn’s emotions spiked.

Which was often.

He stood beside the far wall looking furious enough to challenge the Gods, his deep green eyes watching her chaotic pacing.

“Elowynn—”

“No,” she breathed out harshly.

“You’re panicking,” he said, his tone measured.

“Yes,” she snapped, whirling toward him. “Because every astrylite lantern within an entire observatory wing extinguished when you kissed me.”

Caelyn looked markedly unrepentant about the kissing part specifically, but he couldn't deny her panic was making him want to comfort her.

His broad frame remained rigid with tension while frost still traced in faint lines across the stone floor nearest where he stood.

It was not ordinary but blackened at the edges.

Elowynn was staring at it, her eyes wide and confused.

“I have never seen resonance behave this way before,” she said.

Caelyn could see she was afraid of it. Truthfully, so was he.

“You need to leave the city before someone notices,” she said again, this time more urgent.

“No.” The answer was immediate.

Elowynn closed her eyes, her expression crumbling. “Caelyn. Please,” she begged.

“No, Elowynn. I won’t.”

She stared at him then, disbelief evident upon her face. “You cannot simply remain hidden in my chambers indefinitely!”

“I can sure as hell try,” he growled.

Elowynn gaped at him.

Stars, he wanted to kiss that exasperated look right off her face.

He looked away before temptation got the better of him.

“That is an insane thing to say,” she scoffed.

Caelyn folded his arms as he glared at the window. “Interesting. You didn't seem eager for me to leave a bit ago.” His eyes flickered over to her, and he could see the heat explode across her face and up those adorable pointy ears.

“That is not the issue!” she exclaimed.

His mouth twitched slightly, trying to hide a smirk. He could tell Elowynn wanted to throw something at him; he’d seen that look before. It was during a sun where she’d thrown a half-eaten apple at his head for laughing during one of Agatha’s lectures.

A sharp series of bells startled both of them as their tolls pierced through the city.

Both of them went still, staring at each other. Elowynn’s complexion began to drain of all color, and she looked ready to faint. That prompted Caelyn to move to her, stopping a breath away as he looked down at her face, her eyes wide with worry.

He understood from her expression alone that these were not observatory bells, but the shrill sound of alarm bells, high-pitched and frantic.