His eyes remained locked on mine, fully aware, chest rising and falling deeply. I tried to ignore how intimate this felt, having him let me in like this. But I didn’t hesitate. Aether’s palm cracked across his own face. He blinked, then blinked again as I released him. A laugh bubbled up my throat before I could stop it. The sight of Aether slapping himself was something I’d treasure forever. “Feeling better?” He rubbed his jaw, but I caught that slight curl of his lips. My chest felt lighter than it had in weeks.
