by Dawn Peers
Eden twisted one of her hands and placed it against his heart. She remembered what this gesture meant, and what it had felt like the first time he’d done it.
“Eden I can’t I…I promised you.”
“You promised yourself Quinn. I never asked you to stop being yourself. I don’t ever want you to think you have to be something else, just to please me. Be who you are. What do you see?”
Quinn crushed herself against him. With the easiest gesture she opened herself up to him. What she felt made her want to collapse.
“Take me away, Eden. Be mine.”
He crushed his head into her hair, wrapping his arms around tightly around her. “Only if you’ll be mine first.”
“Your father will come looking for you.”
Eden looked behind them, back up to the corridor. Shiver hadn’t followed.
“That man is as much my father as Sammah was yours.”
Quinn searched all of him—his eyes, and his heart, for any weakness in his conviction. There was none, but that did not mean she wasn’t scared. She had never seen Eden like this. He was single minded and certain, his decision unblemished by self-doubt and fear.
“This won’t be the end of it, Eden. We can’t just walk out of here. Everfell… Sha’sek...”
“It’s not your war, Quinn. If you stay here, it’s just a matter of time before my father tries to hurt you, or Pax sends his own men for you. I won’t let that happen.”
Quinn looked down, biting her lip. Was this it? The first time she could truly choose freedom? She could run from Pax, but would Eden be able to hide from his father, for the rest of his life?
She was willing to try. Quinn took Eden’s hand.
“Together, then.”
About the Author
Dawn is a UK-based author of fantasy and horror fiction, currently based in West Sussex. She writes books for adults and teens, and is the author of the upcoming Empath series, as well as the horror series Great Bitten, both available from Permuted Press.
When Dawn isn't writing fiction, she is usually found fixing computers (this sometimes includes more than turning them off and on again). In her spare time she tends to read too much, and obsesses over her geriatric cat. She would love to go on more walks (but doesn't) and should cycle more (but hates hills).
You can connect with Dawn on social media at http://www.facebook.com/dawnpeersauthor and @dawnpeersauthor.
