Istare at my sister’s letter, re-reading my favorite paragraphs over and over again.Nathaniel and I both miss you terribly. I’m worried, Arabella. We are both worried for you. I wish you could come back home. If I could take your place, I would.noveldramaHome. Going home is what I should be focused on, yet not even my sister’s letter keeps my mind off Felix. I keep thinking of the way he touched me at the hot spring, the desperation in his eyes, and the connection I felt. He made me feel desire more intense than anything I’ve ever felt before, and it felt like more than lust.I place my sister’s letter down and pick up an empty piece of parchment when I feel the magic swirl within me, eager to rise to the surface. No matter how hard I try, my thoughts continue to return to Felix. I find myself wanting to touch him again, and I want him to look at me the way he did that night in the hot spring, under the full moon.The piece of paper in my hands catches fire and I gasp, panicking for a moment, before I realize that the fire doesn’t hurt me. I stare at it, mesmerized. It’s burning the paper, but it’s not hurting me.Felix could be right. If I can harness fire, I could melt the snow that never seems to stop falling. Could I truly warm the ground sufficiently for crops to grow? If I can manage it, I’d be able to save so many lives.Perhaps that’s what I should focus on. That is how we’ll break the curse. That’s how I’ll make my way back home. I sigh as I stare at the ashes in my hand, unsure how to call upon the right elements. Fire could be destructive if I can’t control it. Large parts of this palace are made of wood. I could do some unthinkable damage.“That smells interesting.”I whirl around at the sound of Felix’s voice, my cheeks heating. He’s leaning against the doorway, looking striking in his jet-black uniform. The look in his eyes has my heart racing, and I take a step back.“Felix,” I say, the high pitch of my voice betraying my nerves. He smiles knowingly and pushes away from the wall, stepping toward me instead.“First you run away, and now you attempt to set our palace on fire. Should I be worried? Is this another convoluted attempt at my life?”“I… I was just practicing.”“You were trying to set something ablaze inside our bedroom? Darling, all you need to do to accomplish that is let me touch you.”I can’t help but smile shyly, relieved his mood seems lighter today than it has been in some time. He hasn’t been the same since we returned, but when he kissed my palm in the atrium, I caught a glimpse of the man I’ve begun to miss, the one that’s standing in front of me now.Felix reaches for my hand and brushes away the remaining ashes on my hand, drawing circles on my palm with his thumb. “What were you thinking of to call upon the fire?” He looks at me pleadingly, almost as though he fears my answer.My eyes roam over his body, pausing on his breeches before I catch myself and tear my gaze away, my cheeks flaming. “Nothing,” I whisper. “Nothing at all.”Felix steps closer to me, and I move back, bumping into the dresser behind me. He smiles and wraps his hands around my waist, lifting me on top of it with ease. “Is that so?”I nod, though I know I’ve never once managed to lie to him without him seeing straight through me. Felix’s eyes twinkle in amusement, and I wonder if he realizes how handsome he looks when he smirks like that. The more time we spend together, the easier it gets to catch glimpses of his expressions through the moving veins that try to obscure it.I swallow hard when he takes a step closer to me and parts my legs to stand between them. He’s so close, our position similar to that night in the springs yet entirely different all at once. “Hold this,” he says, handing me another sheet of parchment. “Let’s see if I can help you practice.”I take it with trembling hands, and Felix smirks as he reaches for me, his hand threading through my hair. He tilts my head to the side, exposing my neck before he leans in, and a soft gasp escapes my lips when he kisses my neck softly.My heart races so loudly I fear he might hear it. I try to close my legs in an effort to contain my desire, but instead, the movement pulls Felix closer to me, my legs wrapping around him. Before I have a chance to undo my mistake, Felix’s fingers wrap around my thigh, hooking my leg up higher.Heat begins to simmer within and around me, and he pulls away, but instead of looking at me, his gaze lands on my hand. He smiles when ashes and lingering sparks are all he finds. “Again,” he orders, handing me another piece of parchment.I take it from him, my heart racing and my body filled with desire. I clutch the parchment tightly when he smiles at me and leans in, his fingers wrapping around my chin. He holds my face in place as he moves closer, placing his lips at the edge of my jaw. He presses soft kisses to my skin, one after another, moving closer to the edge of my lips with each one.Just as he reaches the corner of my mouth, he pulls back. Once again, his eyes settle on my hand, and he smirks as he blows away the ashes.“Again.”I’m certain my cheeks are crimson as he hands me another piece of parchment. I’m trembling with need as I take it from him, wanting more of what he’s doing to me.Felix smirks as he reaches around me, his hand wrapping around the back of my head. I hold my breath when he tilts his head, once again pressing a kiss to the edge of my lips.My body moves of its own volition as I arch my back, the movement making my lips brush over his. Felix chuckles, the sound reverberating through my body as he finally kisses me, his lips fully capturing mine.The kiss is different today. It’s more intense. His tongue brushes over my lips, and I instinctively open up for him, losing myself in the feelings he arouses in me. The way he moves his body against mine, making no attempt to hide his desire, only heightens my own longing. Felix’s fingers tighten around my thigh, his touch turning rough, as though he’s as ruled by desire as I am.Just as I raise my hand to place it around him, he pulls away, his forehead resting against mine.“That settles that, then. You didn’t burn me. The only thing to catch fire was the parchment. You have more control than you realize, Arabella.”He pulls away, his eyes lingering on my lips. Felix smiles at me before he turns, leaving me staring at his back as he leaves the room, my body still heated from our kiss.