Celeste
Blaise asked for a quiet room, low light, nothing that would compete with whatever we were about to try to coax loose. Axel offered the den, curtains drawn against the afternoon sun until the room settled into a soft, amber dimness, a single candle already burning on the low table between the two armchairs he'd pulled close together.
"Sit here, facing me," Blaise said gently, lowering himself into the chair across from mine. "This works best with contact. I'll need to hold your hands, if that's alright. And I need you to try to stay relaxed, even if what surfaces feel overwhelming. Fighting it makes the spell harder to guide."
"Okay." My palms were sweating despite the instruction. I wiped them quickly on my jeans before offering them to him.
His hands closed around mine, warm
