34

Jace pulls me back up and I feel a rush of blood to my face. I take a small step back to catch my breath. Jace studies me for a moment then extends his arm to me.

“Shall we take a break?” He smiles. I nod and take his arm.

“I would like that.” I laugh breathlessly. He guides me off the dance floor to the left side of the hall and leaves to get us some drinks. I watch him as he disappears into the crowd. Light chatter and laughter once again fill my ears as the music plays softly in the background. I look around the room for nothing in particular. A set of doors leading out to a balcony catches my eye. A breath of fresh air would be nice and I have no doubts that Jace will find me. 

I make my way to the doors and two servants open it for me. I walk out and a wave of heat greets me. I am immediately uncomfortable. *Disgusting.* I frown. *So much for fresh air.* My dress sticks to my body due to the sheer amount of sweat I am producing. I just want to look over the balcony and then I’ll go back inside. I grit my teeth and quickly walk over to the railing. For a split second, I forget my discomfort. 

Thousands of little lights glow in the black abyss beneath me. It is as if the stars fell from the sky and littered the ground. I am filled with awe because it is like looking into a fire pit that only has embers left in it. There is a certain steady pulsing coming from the lights, almost like a heartbeat. It is exquisite. 

I am about to turn around when I hear footsteps and harsh whispering approaching me. I find myself very tense and very still. Hopefully, they won’t notice me. I strain my ears to hear but only catch a snippet of the conversation. 

“...about the Lux…”

“...until the king is satisfied…”

What? Are they talking about me? Or maybe about Jace? What about the king? Until he is satisfied with what? I don’t like what I heard but it could be anything. Maybe I should tell Jace, or should I? Why? It’s not like I heard anything specific. I shake my head and dismiss it. It is probably nothing. 

“Remi?” I hear Jace call out for me. 

“Jace.” I smile and feel my body relax. He comes up next to me and hands me a glass. I drink it gingerly, enjoying the coolness on my tongue. We stand there together, looking out over the city. “Isn’t it beautiful?” I breathe. 

“It is.” Jace answers in a hushed tone. I glance over to him and he’s staring right at me. My heart picks up and I am suddenly very self conscious. 

“I’m talking about the city down below.” I try to redirect. 

“I know.” He has a coy smile on his face. I clear my throat and straighten up. 

“Perhaps it is time to head back inside.” I turn and Jace gently grabs my arm. 

“Stay with me.” His eyes are boring a hole into me. Trumpets sound and I look towards the doors to see the crowd parting down the middle as the king and his guards leave the hall. I look back at Jace who is leaning against the rail. The blackened sky behind him and the thousands of lights below him make him glow in this moment. He gently pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me. 

There is a small space between us that can be easily bridged with a single movement. He is so handsome. The purple vest with silver embroidery and silver buttons brings out all Jace’s strong features - his hair, his eyes, the sharpness of his face and the softness of his lips. I can feel his heart thudding in his chest. He is looking at me with the strangest expression, or is it I who has the strange expression? I feel strange. 

“A millennium is a long time to wait for one person.” I whisper.

“Trust me, a millennium is a long time to be alive.” He chuckles lightly. 

“So why?” I ask. Jace furrows his eyebrows as if he doesn’t understand my question. “Why wait? Why be alive if all you are doing is waiting?” He thinks for a moment. 

“A Lux-”

“No. Not a Lux. *You*.” 

“*I* waited because…” He looks off into the distance. “At first, I did not want to wait, and I almost settled a few times. I didn’t understand the value my parents put on waiting for another Lux to appear. I didn’t want to be alone forever, so I joined the army to gain access to the world to search out another Lux. But year after year I failed. So, I tried to make it work with other sub-heat women but it didn’t work out.”

“Why not?”

“A Lux can only create life with a Lux. It is the way our anatomy works. I have never been able to touch a sub-heat woman with my bare hands. And if I can’t even hold her hand, there’s no way I could make a family with her.” *Nor can you with me*. It is my turn to look away now. I mentally envision a wall between me and Jace. He does not need to hear my thoughts right now. 

“Then what happened?”

“Well, after my last attempt at trying to make it work, I realized that I was only hurting these women and myself. So I vowed that I would wait, just as my parents did.” Jace looks at me now. “I never stopped searching, never stopped praying and believing and hoping until the day I saw you on that cliff side. I nearly fainted. I thought my mind had finally caught up with me and that I had gone mad.” He chuckles to himself and shakes his head. He looks at me and gently caresses my face.“What a sight you were.” I let out a shaky breath. 

“And now here we are.”

“Here we are.” He looks at my lips then back at me. 

“Are you going to kiss me?” I am breathless. 

“May I?”