My lover eats wax from raw honeycombs.
123Please respect copyright.PENANA0Hzy0P1LE2
She pushes my hand against her knee and I let her warmth trickle slowly into me. Her eyes are half-lidded, her forehead smooth, her back pressed to the bole of a tree. Her hands, cracked and calloused, come up to cup my face.
123Please respect copyright.PENANAlXqPx2Aauh
“Vale.” Her name felt hot and sweet in my mouth “Vale, I need to go.”
123Please respect copyright.PENANAeLhq4lnmb5
There is little dissent, save an unintelligible mutter. Nothing good will come out of risking our safety more than we already are. Too soon, she is kissing me goodbye, and I find myself treading through the wet grass.
123Please respect copyright.PENANAhDIpolK8b0
My home is a cage, vast and unmoved by the city which it reigns. I plod silently through its garden, taking care not to trample the flowers, and push myself up through an open window. The clay interior of my room is refreshingly dry compared to the dampness of the outside. I fall to a crouch besides my bed and rest my head against the wall. My morning with Vale left me feeling a little breathless and my composure is exceedingly undone.
123Please respect copyright.PENANANgBna5vAdX
A familiar harsh rap on the door sets my spine straight.
123Please respect copyright.PENANASLFX7xcnZd
“Dala?”
123Please respect copyright.PENANATVY3hqXxTo
“One moment,” I stutter, “I’ll be just one moment.”
123Please respect copyright.PENANAvBRxwlrloV
I knot my hair quickly at the nape of my neck and unlatch the door.
123Please respect copyright.PENANApZhNj7JAuY
Mete, tall and intimidating, pushes something sickeningly sweet under my nose.
123Please respect copyright.PENANAxRPNPqhYGW
“Thank you but I don’t really-”
123Please respect copyright.PENANAHa61tdNI4x
She pushes past me and sets down the tea on a small desk in the corner. Her deft hands move around the room, tidying it beyond reasoning.
123Please respect copyright.PENANAXQFYusLvay