He leans down and kisses me. It is not a kiss of cosmic resonance or magical merging. It is a kiss of flesh and breath and human desire. It tastes of tea and promise. It grounds me more deeply than any ley-line ever could.
When we finally pull apart, the stars are shining bright and clear above us.
I love you, Kade, I project, closing my eyes, letting the warmth of his love seep into my bones. My broken, beautiful Shield.
I love you, Isla, he replies, his mental voice thick with emotion. My mortal, magnificent Luna.
He leads me back into the suite. The bedroom is dimly lit, the heavy duvet turned down. We move together in the quiet dark, a slow, deliberate dance of adaptation and intimacy.
When he helps me out of my tactical gear, his right hand is gentle, reverent, tracing the heavy
