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A moment of tense silence

And then…

"That’s when I first knew," his voice had gone hoarse "Caia," he breathed reverently, "I love you"

Her heart rate picked up as a sharp ache shot out of it and across her chest

Love me? He loves me?

A sense of unreality descended over her and she felt incredibly lightheaded It couldn’t be true

Lucien seemed to sense her disbelief and he squeezed her even closer, his lips sending goosebuainst her ear "Caia, I love you Look at hed when she ripping the top of her ar sternly into her face as he shook her "Do you hear azed, stunned, up into his eyes she saw his fear It was etched in every one of his features and she could feel it in his painful grip He loves me Like a much need thaw, those words melted her defenses, and tears streamed down her face of their own accord Caia sank into hi hih her Lucien would never lie about this, she was sure He loves me He has always loved ainst his chest

Lucien treh of relief, before bending his head, pressing his lips to hers, tugging her feet frohed happily into his ed to elicit from her in seconds It wasn’t a soft kiss It was hard and deep and asked everything of her His grip on her hair tightened and he pulled back from the kiss to nip at her swollen lips, his eyes narrowed slits, his face drawn and tight "I thought you’d never be loried at his possessiveness, excited by how out of control he see her lips apart to stroke her own in deep, drugging kisses Her whole body felt like it was on fire and she shivered uncontrollably At that, Lucien finally see herhot kisses across her face and neck, his ar her alrinned so ecstatic, feeling as if a as finally over "Never," she proers in his thick hair

They held each other for what see love words and promises in one another’s ears, their relief palpable in the little bubble they shared

Lucien was hers Finally hers And she wasn’t alone any, his hard warm body the safest place she had ever known "I have a lot to tell you To explain So her fear, he cupped her cheek in his hand "You can trustht you knew that"

She shrugged helplessly "I guess we’ve both been a little blind"

"Oh, just a little," he muttered sardonically

"OK" She took a deep breath, preparing herself "I’ No interruptions until I’rinned at her authoritative tone "Yes, sir"

"Lucien"

"I’ Please, continue"

"OK OK OK-"

"Caia"

"OK Here goes The girl that escaped, the Midnight I felt her trace e got here and didn’t like what I found She was, is, one of the purest souls I’ve ever encountered"

He frowned "What do you ood Itraces, Midnights, who aren’t bad people A lot of theirl, she I won’t tell you exactly what happened to her, that’s her business, but I can tell you that the Midnights did a lot of bad things to her, experihts, with Vilheluy that broke her out?"

"Yes Only he had a lot of help From irl out of prison?!"

Caia felt her heart begin to thuht not want to hear the rest"

Although he looked incredibly worried, he shook it off, pressing her to go on

"OK, so Vil, the guy, he’s a Traveller and I sent them to Ryder"

"What?!"

"He’s the only one I could trust He doesn’t know that Laila’s a Midnight He just thinks I’h to take care of them Anyway" She smiled tremulously "There’s that And also I found out that Marita and Mordecai buggedabout Jaeden"

His brow cleared with dawning realization "That’s why you asked that question about her abilities in the library"

"Yeah" She nodded, taking his hand in hers unconsciously "They were talking about Jaeden’s abilities, if I knew anything about the about Anyway, after that I was suspicious about the"

"You don’t knohat that is?"

Caia braced herself for the worst part of her news "The other day, theI woke up after our battle with Du Bois, I saw Marita outside the Altar of Gaia She was acting strange I was already suspicious of her so I followed her inside She disappeared under the floor"