It was a mistake.
Astra's gasp was swallowed by Eydis' lips, a searing brand against hers. Her fingers clutched the sheets, white knuckles stark against the cerulean silk. The brunette's lean frame pressed against her, sheets tangled like a fallen web around their limbs. The taste of wine still lingered on Astra's tongue, a sweet counterpoint to the salt of Eydis's skin.
"It's..." Astra started, then stopped, 'It's a mistake', she thought. Her body traitorously melted against Eydis', but guilt, cold and sharp, cut through the rising tide of passion. She should push her away, should enforce the lines she'd drawn, yet...
Eydis' fingers, cool against her burning skin, threaded through Astra's silver hair, tilting her head back. The pulse point at her neck, exposed and vulnerable, felt like a beacon under the hungry press of Eydis' lips. A low moan resonated in Astra's chest, a sound torn between surrender and refusal.
The battle waged within her. Every nerve sang with want, her body pulsed with an aching need that mirrored Eydis' own. But conscience, a stark sentinel in the fog of desire, refused to yield.
"Stop," Astra finally managed, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hand that rested on Eydis' shoulder. They broke apart, leaving a charged silence heavy in the air.
Eydis growled, a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers down Astra's spine. But it wasn't anger, not entirely. The sight of her bruised lips, swollen from their earlier kiss, and the smouldering hunger in her eyes was almost enough to crack Astra's resolve.
"Tell me you don't want this," Eydis murmured, her voice a husky challenge. Her lips hovered tantalisingly close, gaze revealed a mix of vulnerability and longing. "Tell me I'm imagining this, all of this!"
Astra's amethyst eyes, heavy with unshed desire, mirrored the conflict raging within her. Her hand, once a barrier, now traced a hesitant path down Eydis' back, a flicker of surrender in the gesture. The line between right and wrong, once clear and bright, blurred into a watercolour wash of temptation.
It was a mistake.
Eyes closed, they collided in a kiss that tasted of desperation and heat. Eydis, her fingers digging into Astra's back, plundered her mouth with a ravenous hunger. A primal ache pulsed through them, their bodies a storm of tangled limbs and ragged breaths. Eydis, her heart hammered against her ribs, clung to Astra's kiss like a lifeline, fearing the inevitable crash back to reality.
The brunette's hands fumbled with the delicate lace of Astra's bodice, a frustrated growl escaping her lips as she forcefully tore away the garment, revealing a silken blouse that clung to Astra's skin, accentuating the mesmerising allure of her form. With trembling anticipation, Eydis eagerly cupped Astra's breasts through the soft, white silken fabric of her shirt. Astra's body quivered with a surge of pleasure, her breath hitch as a passionate moan escaped her lips.
The sensation of Astra's fullness under her hands ignited the fiery heat within her. With a firm and possessive squeeze, Eydis relished in the intoxicating moan that followed Astra's parted lips. She seized the opportunity to deepen the kiss, her lips exploring every inch of Astra's mouth with a voracious hunger, her searing tongue teasing and caressing Astra's own. But just as Eydis was about to tear off Astra's shirt in a frenzy of desire, a strong hand abruptly halted her movements.
Astra's eyes, once a scorching flame mirroring Eydis's own desire, had cooled to shards of violet ice. Her jaw clenched, the words rasping from her throat like gravel. "It's a mistake."
Eydis' desire, a wildfire moments ago, sputtered in the face of Astra's resolve. Confusion washed over her. With a tender touch, Astra disentangled herself. "We cannot," her voice, a whisper against the storm brewing within, "ever cross this line."
Anger flickered in Eydis' chest, a tempest rising against the anchor of reason. But in Astra's eyes, she saw the ghosts of battles fought and lost, a vulnerability that mirrored her own. With a sigh, heavy with longing, she conceded. "I can wait."
Astra, her back a rigid wall against the storm, picked up her cloak, the silk whispering secrets against her skin. With a final, decisive movement, she draped it over her form and turned towards the door. Each footfall, a hammer blow against Eydis' heart, echoed with the finality of a slamming gate.
"We should never happen, Eydis," she whispered, holding back a sob, her voice a hollow echo in the stillness. Her eyes, refusing to meet Eydis's, were turned inward, grappling with demons only she could see. She slipped out, the door closing with a soft thud that resonated with the deafening silence left behind. Eydis, alone with the ghost of a touch and the embers of shattered dreams, felt her heart crack under the weight of a love that could never be.
It was a mistake. Yet, why did choosing the right path sting like swallowing broken glass?
**
Exhaustion lingered in Eydis' limbs, a reminder of the whirlwind week. Exams buzzed in her head, but the real focus had been 'Eydiseum'. Its potent hum crackled beneath her fingertips, secrets whispering promises of power.
An unexpected knock brought her head up. Adam stood at the door, the sun casting an orange glow on his face. Gone was the awkward slouch, replaced by a bashful grin that tugged at the corners of her lips. "Weaponry, Eydis? Not exactly your everyday request."
She leaned back, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Is it not fitting for a mind like yours, Lord Sapphire? Always tinkering, always building."
The blush crept up his neck, a stark contrast to his newfound confidence. "Well, I – I suppose there's always more to learn, wouldn't you agree?"
Eydis studied him, the gears in her own mind turning. Humble, was he? Perhaps there was something to be learned from Adam's quiet dedication, a lesson buried beneath her own thirst for power.
His fingers twitched towards the door frame, the bashfulness returning, having heard her thought, and for a moment, the shadows in her heart retreated. They spent hours hunched over blueprints, Adam's keen mind effortlessly translating her chaotic visions into lethal designs. He never questioned the purpose, just relished the intellectual challenge.
Then, silence swallowed her room once more. No Astra, not even a whisper of her presence. The ghost of her fragrance lingered, a cruel mockery that threatened to strangle Eydis as it slowly faded. Pushing the unease down, she faced the creeping nightmares that slithered in during her most vulnerable moments. This time, Duke Theomund loomed, his face a mask of crimson fury, his words a chilling promise that shattered the fragile peace of her sleep.
A name flickered like a dying ember - 'Von Rosenfeld.' It held no meaning, yet its echo resonated within her, a puzzle piece begging to be placed. She wouldn't let this phantom torment claim her again. Not this time.