Leonie closed her eyes when Dorian's hand brushed gently against her face. The contrast between his powerful, commanding body and the tenderness of his touch startled her.
She waited for something to happen—but felt nothing. Frowning in confusion, she opened her eyes and looked up at him.
"Nothing happened," she said uncertainly.
His hand slid to the nape of her neck, and his thumb began to stroke the soft skin just below her ear. Leonie's senses sharpened instantly; she drew in a sharp breath.
"Just wait," Dorian whispered as he slowly leaned closer, stopping a few centimeters from her. "Close your eyes."
Leonie obeyed at once.
"Very good. Now focus on my touch," he murmured.
He didn't need to tell her that; she couldn't think of anything else but the way his fingers moved over her skin. Again and again. Her whole body and her magic responded at once. The strange vibrating sensation she had felt all day flared inside and around her, and anxiety began to creep up her chest.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Dorian breathed. He let his fingers hover a hair's breadth above her skin, tracing along her jaw to her chin, then lightly brushing just above her lower lip with his thumb. Leonie's heart was skipping beats by then.
"I'm not touching you," he murmured. "And yet…"
He drew his fingers along the line of her shoulder down to her hand.
"Open your eyes and see for yourself."
Leonie was already gasping for air, but she forced her eyes open and blinked. For a moment she thought it was just a trick of the light, but the sight of their hands made her stare. A pale, whitish glow swirled around her fingers as if she had dipped her hand into the night sky and the stars had clung to her skin.
On Dorian's side, the light reminded her more of the sun—warm and brilliant.
"What happened to…?" she breathed.
"This is the magic that flows from us," he said with a faint smile, watching her face. He could only hope he wasn't terrifying her.
"It's like a second skin," he added, gently tracing a line across the back of her hand. Where their magic touched, the soft light brightened and began to swirl between them.
"You feel it, don't you?"
Leonie nodded silently, still spellbound by the sight of their hands, then finally lifted her gaze to his face—and had to blink again. He was literally shining.
She felt as though she were under a spell. With slightly trembling fingers, she reached toward his face, her hand moving slowly. It was as if the magical shell around her was stretching toward his.
"How is this possible?" she gasped. She felt as if she'd just run several miles.
"Every elf is wrapped in their own magic," he explained. "It seems ours reacts to each other somehow. I haven't figured out why yet…" Dorian gently turned her face fully toward him and leaned in closer.
"Maybe it just wants the same thing I do," he murmured, looking into her pale green eyes.
"And… what is it that you want?" she whispered.
Dorian didn't answer. Instead, he let his lips glide along her cheek and then claimed her mouth.
Leonie shivered at the kiss. It was as gentle as the one they had shared that morning, but this time Dorian was far more intent. He urged her silently to let him in, his tongue carefully exploring hers, one hand buried in her hair while the other still pinned her palm to the tree.
He could feel her energy starting to surge out of control.
"Focus on the tree," he muttered against her lips.
What? Which tree? Leonie had completely forgotten why they were here in the first place. She barely even noticed that she was still pressing her hand to the trunk. How was she supposed to think about that now? This was madness.
"Direct the heat toward your hand, like molten lava. Do it," he commanded, and his mouth found hers again.
Leonie felt herself spinning in the whirlwind of sensations. It was almost impossible to concentrate on guiding her magic while he was kissing her… and then she felt it.
She almost saw herself from outside as the star-light flared brighter and she allowed the energy to flow through her body, gathering in the hand pressed against the bark. It really did feel like lava streaming through her veins.
Dorian growled with quiet satisfaction but didn't let her go. He took his time, savouring every part of her mouth, until Leonie was on the verge of losing her mind.
The wild wave of magic crashed through her. At that exact moment, Dorian finally let her hand slip from the tree, broke the kiss, and cupped her face in both hands, staring into her eyes from up close.
Though he too was breathing hard, there was a trace of satisfaction in his expression.
"You're only allowed to practice that with me," he murmured to her.
Leonie was still struggling to come back to herself. Desire still tingled through every part of her, but her magic felt strangely calm again.
"Close your eyes," he instructed.
She obeyed, and he withdrew from her mind.
"Maybe I won't let anyone else teach you anymore," Dorian sighed, seriously considering never letting any of his friends near her again.
"So that was only in my head…?" Leonie asked shakily when she opened her eyes and saw that he was standing nowhere near as close as she had thought—or imagined.
"Yes," Dorian said, watching her carefully.
Even though she had agreed to it, facing what her power could do had to be a deeply unsettling experience.
Leonie's breath caught, and for a full minute she only stared at him in silence. It was frightening to think she had believed the whole thing to be real. And somewhere, deep down, she felt disappointed.
Disappointed that it wasn't.
The kiss had felt just as real as it had that morning, at least to her. How could it all have taken place only inside her mind? She could still taste him on her lips.
"But it wasn't a lie," Dorian said, stepping closer and brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"I only helped you see the magic. Everything else… was real. To me, it was."
He sounded utterly worn out, because he could see the disappointment in her eyes and was sure he had hurt or unsettled her again.
Leonie, however, was still trying to process what had happened. She had no idea what to feel. She was embarrassed for having believed he had really kissed her. She had wanted him to.
Did a kiss that happened inside her mind even count?
And if Dorian was strong enough to make her see whatever he wanted, how could she be sure that morning's kiss hadn't been just another illusion?
Did it even matter, if Dorian had told her he wanted her?
Trust.
That was what Dorian kept asking of her, and Leonie slowly had to accept that she would only get closer to him if she truly trusted him. It was her decision alone.
But was she willing to risk her heart?
She turned her head—and then she saw it.
She cried out and jumped back.
What in the world had happened here?
"Now you can see it too," Dorian said with a faint smile. "Your magic doesn't only destroy. It can give life as well."
Leonie stared open-mouthed at the tree whose trunk she had been clutching moments ago.
In the middle of the winter-bare forest, this tree was bursting with life. Its branches were covered in lush green leaves, and around it, fresh grass had pushed up through the earth as if they stood in the middle of a summer meadow.
"I did that?" she whispered, then turned wide-eyed to Dorian.
He nodded, amused.
"That's what happens when you don't use your magic out of fear or rage," he explained—and couldn't quite stop himself from adding, "I feel honoured that I was the one to coax it out of you."
He even winked at her.
Leonie flushed crimson from hairline to collarbone.
"Don't get too full of yourself," she muttered, and to her surprise Dorian laughed.
She wasn't sure she had ever heard him laugh before. He looked so pleased with himself, so carefree, that it brought a smile to her own face as well.
Maybe… maybe even if the kiss hadn't been real, their feelings were.