Chapter 23; Twist Of Fate

THRYSTAN

It was as if the Ember herself had granted me this moment as an act of providence. A divine twist of fate, giving me the sheer will to ask whatever I want from the very woman who had haunted my thoughts relentlessly, day and night. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner—Arwyn was always there, a constant presence in my mind.

Her face looked as though she had just struck a deal with the devil, a detail that inexplicably brought a gleeful smile to my face. If you had told me an hour ago that I’d have this opportunity, my mind would have raced through a thousand things I wanted from her. But now, standing here and staring into those ocean-blue eyes, I was rendered speechless, my smile fading.

“Well,” she said, wrinkling her nose, “what do you want?”

I blinked rapidly, my hands slipping from her waist as she pulled away almost instantly, as if I were a vermin. Maybe I was.

“Allow me a minute to savor this moment, would you?” I covered up my speechlessness with a wry smile. Pushing away fro