Bounded Beyond The Abyss

13 - Curiosity

When Elise woke up, a deep soreness settled into her body, an aching reminder of what had transpired the night before. A heat crawled up her neck as memories rushed back—his hands tracing her skin, his lips pressing against hers, the way he had unraveled her piece by piece.

She wasn’t drunk. She wasn’t under any spell. She had given herself to him willingly.

And she didn’t know why.

Her breath hitched slightly as she turned her head. There he was—Vael. Lying beside her, his face devoid of its usual arrogance, his features softened in sleep. His unruly red hair fell across his forehead, and for the first time, he looked… peaceful.

Her throat tightened.

They were supposed to be enemies.

But were they really?

She had chased him, convinced he was responsible for the destruction of her family. Yet last night, when she had looked into those burning eyes, when she had heard the raw sincerity in his voice, she had believed him.

He wasn’t the one who took everything from her.

That fact should have settled her heart. It didn’t. Instead, it left her feeling lost, adrift in a storm with no anchor.

Elise swallowed hard.

She needed to leave.

Slowly, carefully, she shifted her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the dull ache between her lower part. But just as she tried to rise, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a firm, unyielding chest.

A gasp escaped her lips.

A low, sleepy groan rumbled against her back. "Where do you think you're going, sweetie?"

Elise stiffened. His voice was thick with sleep, yet it still held that teasing, arrogant edge that made her want to punch him.

"Let me go," she muttered, squirming against his hold.

Instead of obeying, he tightened his grip, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. His bare skin pressed against hers, his warmth wrapping around her like a cage she wasn’t sure she wanted to escape from.

"Mmm. No," he murmured lazily. "You're warm. Stay."

Her pulse jumped.

"You can't just—"

He cut her off by pressing a slow, lingering kiss against her shoulder, his lips grazing the sensitive skin there.

Elise sucked in a breath.

Vael laughed. "You're tense."

"I wonder why?" she snapped.

His fingers traced slow, idle patterns against her waist. "Maybe because you just woke up after we f****d up last night and immediately tried to run away."

"I wasn’t running," she argued, even though they both knew she was lying.

"Of course you weren’t." His voice was filled with amusement.

Elise bit her lip, inhaling deeply. She had to focus. She couldn’t let him get under her skin again.

"I need to ask you something," she said firmly, forcing herself to ignore the heat of his body against hers.

Vael hummed. "You're thinking too much first thing in the morning, kitten."

Elise ignored the nickname. "Do you know someone who would want to frame the D’Rath organization?"

The shift was immediate.

Vael's arm, once relaxed around her, tensed. The warmth in his voice vanished, replaced with something sharper, darker.

Then, before she could react, he moved—swift and effortless—pinning her beneath him in one fluid motion.

Her breath hitched.

Vael loomed over her, his eyes no longer half-lidded with sleep but burning with something dangerous.

And then—

He kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle.

It wasn’t sweet.

It was possessive, searing, demanding.

His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, his body pressing against hers in a way that made her gasp.

When he finally pulled away, his lips hovered just over hers, his breath warm against her skin.

"You just woke up," he murmured, voice low, rough. "And that's what you ask me?"

Elise swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. "Yes."

His jaw clenched.

A muscle in his temple twitched as he pulled back slightly, staring down at her with unreadable eyes.

She caught the way his thick brows furrowed together, the way frustration crept onto his face.

And then, despite the tension, a chuckle bubbled up in her throat.

Vael narrowed his eyes. "What?"

She grinned, breathless. "You look like an angry bird."

Silence.

Then—

"Excuse me?"

She pointed at his furrowed brows, stifling another laugh. "Your eyebrows—when you get mad, they bunch up. It's kind of ridiculous."

Vael stared at her.

And then, to her utter surprise, a slow smirk curved his lips.

"You amuse me, kitten," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But you do realize teasing me never ends well for you, don’t you?"

Elise arched a brow. "Oh? What are you going to do? Glare at me to death?"

His smirk widened. "No. I could always remind you exactly how you were moaning my name last night."

Her face burned.

"You—!"

Vael chuckled darkly, clearly enjoying her flustered state.

"You really like pushing my buttons, don’t you?" he mused.

"You deserve it," she shot back, still trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks.

His fingers trailed lazily down her arm, sending an involuntary shiver through her body. "Careful, sweetie. If you push too much, I will push back."

The way he said it sent a thrill through her, and she hated it.

She quickly cleared her throat, shaking off whatever spell he had over her. "Back to my question. Do you know anyone who would want to frame D’Rath?"

Vael sighed, his playful demeanor dimming slightly. "It’s… complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it," she pressed.

He studied her for a long moment before finally exhaling. "Power always breeds enemies, sweetie. But if someone is trying to frame D’Rath, that means they want something more than just chaos."

Elise frowned. "Like what?"

Vael’s lips curved slightly. "Leverage. Control. Or maybe…" He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Maybe they just want to see the world burn."

A chill ran down her spine.

She swallowed, eyes locked onto his. "So you do know something."

His smirk returned. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"Vael."

"Patience, sweetie." He brushed a finger against her bottom lip. "I will tell you. Eventually."

Elise exhaled sharply. "You are impossible."

"And yet," he murmured, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to her jaw, "you’re still in my bed."

Her pulse skipped.

She should push him away.

She should leave.

But instead, she stayed.

Because for the first time in a long time, wrapped in his warmth, the nightmares didn’t come.

And that scared her more than anything.

Elise sat up in bed, her golden eyes locked onto Vael. She crossed her arms, refusing to let the moment pass.

"You still haven’t answered my question," she said firmly. "How did you teleport us?"

Vael stretched lazily, his muscles shifting under the dim light. He looked utterly unbothered, as if warping across space was no more difficult than breathing.

He smirked. "Curious, aren’t you, kitten?"

Elise huffed. "Of course, I’m curious! One moment we were outside, and the next—" She gestured to the lavish bed they now occupied. "Here. You didn’t even give me a warning."

Vael chuckled, running a hand through his unruly red hair. "Would you have preferred if I did?" He leaned in slightly, his burning twin-star eyes gleaming with mischief. "Hold on tight, sweetie, I’m about to take you on a ride—"

She smacked his arm. "Vael!"

He laughed, completely unfazed.

Elise pouted, her golden eyes narrowing. "Just answer me properly."

Vael exhaled, finally relenting. "Fine, fine." He tilted his head slightly. "Yes, I have powers. And yes, teleportation is one of them. Happy now?"

Elise wasn’t satisfied.

"That’s barely an answer," she said, shifting closer. "How does it work? What else can you do?"

Vael arched a brow. "What’s this? Fascinated by me, are you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don’t flatter yourself. I just… I’ve never seen someone do that before. I didn’t think it was even possible."

Vael watched her for a moment, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. Then, he leaned back against the pillows, resting an arm behind his head.

"Teleportation is… simple," he said, though his tone suggested it was anything but. "Space is just a construct. All it takes is the right will to bend it."

Elise blinked. "That sounds ridiculously vague."

Vael smirked. "Good. That means you’re paying attention."

She scowled. "Vael—"

He suddenly snapped his fingers.

And just like that—

The room disappeared.

For a brief, terrifying moment, she felt weightless, as if the world had been ripped out from under her. The space around her twisted, like a thread unraveling in an unseen fabric.

And then—

She fell.

—Right onto something firm and warm.

Vael.

They weren’t in the bed anymore.

They were on a balcony, high above the city, the wind whipping through her hair.

Elise gasped, her fingers clutching the fabric of his bare chest before she even realized what she was doing. Her legs were tangled with his, her body pressed against his as they lay sprawled on the stone floor.

"What the hell?!" she exclaimed, looking around in disbelief. "You— you just—"

"Teleported?" Vael finished, his voice thick with amusement. "Yes, kitten. That’s what I do."

Elise’s head spun. "You should have warned me!"

He chuckled. "Where's the fun in that?"

Elise smacked his arm again, but her heart was still racing. That feeling—the way reality had folded in on itself—was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It wasn’t just movement; it was like the universe had shifted around them in an instant.

She pulled back slightly, still straddling him, her breath unsteady. "That was insane."

Vael grinned. "Told you. I'm talented."

Elise exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "You really enjoy showing off, don’t you?"

He smirked. "Only when it impresses you, sweetie."

Her stomach flipped.

She quickly looked away, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.

"So," she said, trying to focus, "is teleportation your only ability?"

Vael’s expression shifted slightly, something darker lurking beneath his usual arrogance.

"No," he said simply.

Elise frowned at his sudden change in tone. "Then what else?"

Vael’s eyes glowed faintly. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

"Yes," she pressed. "That’s why I’m asking."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Let’s just say… there’s more to me than just bending space, kitten. But you might not like the answers."

A shiver ran down her spine.

There was something in his voice—something almost dangerous.

Elise hesitated. "Why wouldn’t I like them?"

Vael held her gaze, his twin-star eyes burning with something unreadable.

"Because," he murmured, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face, "power always comes with a cost."

Elise swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over her.

For the first time since she had met him, she realized—

Vael wasn’t just powerful.

He was terrifying.

But despite the warning in his voice…

She still wanted to know more.