ততততত

𝐈 𝐌 𝐎 𝐆 𝐄 𝐍

Tobin is infectious.

Everything about him seems to ignite a spark from beneath my skin. The sound of his low subtle laughter thrills me, and the way his lips smirk at me after he speaks accelerates the beat of my heart. In just a matter of nights, he's gone from a predictable petty thief to so much more. He's a riddle that I long to solve, and every minute basking in his devilish escapades gets me one step closer to discovering what lies beneath that thieving persona of his.

That first night, he stole the golden rings on my vanity.

The next, he took his map that I fixed up (only because I made it abundantly clear that I didn't need two maps of the Lagulon castle).

The third—a feathered arrow from my quiver.

When Tobin arrives at night, he eases himself into my bedroom as if the space belonged to him too. He replenishes the hearth with firewood, and often finds himself resting near the flames to get some more shut-eye. And I? I find myself joining him, laying next to him with fingers entwined. All I know is that my bedroom is a safe haven for him and I, the one place in this kingdom where the world can't touch us.

Maybe it's why I feel drawn to him in this unspoken connection.

Do I trust him? A fraction of me wants to give this man my heart on a silver platter. He's everything I need to avoid, especially in these days leading up to King Leighton's arrival. Yet, I cave into the temptation of Tobin.

Not that I put up much of a fight.

Tonight, he lures me into his domain—anywhere beyond Lagulon's castle. My ability to leave the castle had been greatly reduced due to the war. Though the reason was enough to keep me caged before, it no longer holds now. One look at Tobin, and I know I'm well taken care of beyond the castle walls.

My eyes flicker up to the warm almond brown of his Tobin's. The gold flecks inside remind me of stars, and they shimmer as they await the wild. He carries my quiver of arrows over his shoulder, while I carry my bow.

"Where are we going?" I ask as we descend into the city of Summervale. We've long outwitted the guards and knights and escaped the castle boundaries.

He grins. "Somewhere that's not here."

"Don't be kidnapping me, Tobin."

He chuckles. "I think I'd have an arrow to the skull if I even tried."

And just like that, we run.

He weaves through the streets, a route I know he has memorized in his head. Around us, villagers dance and music plays and laughter sways, and I bask in it all. Despite the grim reality of our kingdom falling, there's still joy in the city streets.

By marrying Leighton, this is the hope I bring them, the happiness they will get to harness forever.

Stop it. My stomach sinks at the thought of the King of Adorid, but I brush it aside and let myself willow in Tobin's presence.

Tobin squeezes my hand, as if sensing something was off. "You good, princess?" His brows narrow as concern defines the ridges of his face.

I force a grin. "Never better."

He holds his tongue, and I know he doesn't believe me, but the reaction only lasts a moment before we enter into the Lagulon forests. Tobin pulls me off the main road and into the brush.

We're hardly into the thick of it when a whinnying breaks the dead night silence. A horse.

Through the darkness, the stallion is only a midnight silhouette, but I can tell it's brooding with muscle. There's a gleam to its hide when a stray beam of moonlight scathes it. Such a creature would be daunting to stand next too. It's clear that this horse belongs to Tobin.

"Neph," he mutters before pressing his cheeks into her neck for a brief nuzzle. The horse huffs in delight at her master's affection. When Tobin pulls away, he presses his forehead against the bridge of her nose. "You can trust her."

Tobin reaches for my hand, taking it in his clasp. He sets my palm up against Neph's neck. "Imogen, this is Nephthys. Nephthys, Imogen."

Neph nudges my shoulder with her wet nose, pushing me with such force that I stagger into Tobin's chest. Tobin's arms lace around me, bracing me from the fall. A deep chuckle rumbles from behind, a sound that makes my insides heat up like an oven and melt like butter.

He exhales a hot breath against my ear. "There aren't many people I trust, so Neph's pretty protective."

"She needs to be," I mutter, knowing that Tobin has been on the run for hell knows how long.

When I hold my palm up to Neph, she sniffs my hand as if there was some sort of scent to track. The horse hesitates, then settles into my touch, her black eyes closing. I look over my shoulder to Tobin who has this troublesome smirk plastered on his lips. The life he lives is so unlike mine, and I'll admit it—I'm jealous of the freedoms he has.

Tobin steps behind me and pats Neph's side. "The night won't last forever, ya know."

It won't, to my dismay, because little does he know the thief is gifting me more than I could ever ask: a few hours of normalcy, a few hours where I'm not the princess of Lagulon.

A blush develops on his tan cheeks as his knuckles brush my waist. "May I?"

I nod, and at once I feel the grip of his large strong hands holding my torso. Tobin exhales, a lost breath falling against my nape. There's a tender stroke of his thumb against the cloak, one subtle enough as he traces the ridges of my rib beneath.

My eyes flutter closed, but only until he hoists me upward onto Neph's back. I clammer onto the horse, clumsy in finesse. A hrmfff escapes me as I cling to Neph like a bear to a tree, but find myself perched and eventually upright.

Tobin mounts the stallion without any strife. He sits behind me, closer than I anticipated. My spine flushes against his hard chest as his hands weave over my waist to reach Neph's mane. He has no saddle, no reins, no nothing, and it's clear he guides her through subtle tugs.

He starts Neph off with a trot. "I'll try to be gentle."

"Gentle?"

"Riding Neph can be a little rough," he states. "You're not ready for it."

I release a stubborn huff. "Tobin, I may be the princess, but I'm not made of glass. Go as fast as you need."

Over my shoulder, Tobin crooks a brow. "You sure about that? Because once she starts running, we ain't stopping until we get there."

"Go," I challenge. "Unless you're too scared to—TOBIN!"

He tugs on Neph's mane, urging her to accelerate speed until we're riding faster than a gust of wind. Oh gods, Neph is rough to ride on, nothing like the royal horses. Tobin leans his body forward, closing his biceps around me to stabilize me. The gesture forces me to clench onto wisps of Neph's mane to hold myself steady.

"Tobin," I grit.

"I warned you, princess," his lips curve against my neck, his tone playful.

We ride into the wild, and I revel in this new world beyond the castle walls. Fireflies gleam in the clear night, illuminating our path to god knows where. We're far from the castle, guards, and knights—and I feel free. I can taste it on my tongue and feel it against my skin.

Neph slows down as she enters into a meadow. The long grass parts for the horse, the wildflowers swaying in the gentle breeze. Up here, the trees become towering pines that touch the stars. Ahead of us spreads a glass lake that mirrors the celestial heavens, the waters a smooth crystal that reflect the tall peaks of Mt. Elora. Beside the sandy shore is an old house, a homestead, which has seen better years. Vines cover the east walls, but the wooden structure remains upright.

I stare wide-eyed, in awe of the beauty around me. "What is this place?"

Tobin dismounts Neph, and I already miss the heat of him behind me. "My little secret," he answers with a wink, then extends his arms out to me. "You gonna jump, princess?"

Those arms. He has his tunic rolled up to his elbows, his forearms exposed with blue veins taut from the muscle beneath. It's hard not to stare at them, and a part of me lights up with giddy knowing I'll be in them in a moment's notice. I dismount Neph and tumble into his chest.

He catches me, stabilizing me within his hold. "What do you think?"

"Of this place? It's beautiful. Just look at how tall the pines are, and the water is like glass and...?" I pause, glancing at him. Tobin shoves his hands in his pockets, his cheeks blushing with a subtle bashful rose. "It's your home, isn't it?"

"It's no castle," he mutters under his breath.

I take his hand in mine, our palms morphing together. There's something about his touch that sedates the world to be clearer, to be lucid. At once, the demons I face don't feel so strong. "I don't always need a castle, Tobin. This—this is perfect enough."

Tobin let's Neph run free within the meadow while he leads me towards the wooden home. His home. This place. These lands. Words fail me as I gaze at how magnificent my kingdom truly is, and then fail me more when I gaze at the dark brown chestnut curls at the back of Tobin's neck. His features are sharp enough to cut a finger, and the gaze of his curious brown eyes electrifies me like a lightning strike. He's brought me out of a world of luxury and gemstones and into one of a wild, untamed fugitive.

I love every second of it.

He tells me to wait outside the homestead as he enters in, coming out moments later with a bottle of sweet red wine. "How 'bout a drink?"

I bite the inside of my cheek to refrain from smiling. "It wouldn't be wise for us, would it be?"

He smirks, the gold flecks in those brown irises twinkling like the stars above. "I know you got something on your mind, princess. This might help you sort your shit out."

"Well then," I pry the bottle from his grasp, taking a petite sip. "We can sort it out together."

We take a seat by the shoreline of the glass lake. Tobin tosses my quiver of arrows and bow to the side, out of our way and grasp. He lounges backward, claiming majority of the wine for himself as he takes a long swig. When his lips part from the bottle, a drop of red liquid descends down his chin, over that sharp barren jawline of his. A shiver runs through me, a rush of foolish adrenaline.

Tobin catches the shiver and extends his arm out, wrapping it around my back. He has this habit of tracing my spine with his fingertips. He's done it every night, and I find myself closing my eyes and arching my back at the touch. Even now, he rests his palm on the lower square of my back, his fingers tracing up each vertebrae until they caress my shoulder blades.

"I envy you," I say, gazing over at the thief lounging next to me. "Because out here, nothing matters."

"You don't envy me," he mutters under his breath, his voice hoarse.

"I do, Tobin. You ride out here on your horse, and you do whatever the hell you please. You get to dance in the streets and drink all the wine you want. You don't—" my voice hitches as the reality of King Leighton crashes on me again. I wish I could tell Tobin about the betrothal, but I fear that these fleeting moments between us will disappear. In these few days, we've built something between ourselves that I know will never be replicated again in my lifetime. I just want to hold on with white knuckles for another minute, another breath. "You don't have the responsibilities that I have."

Rather, he doesn't have to end a war.

I exhale, but all I feel is the pierce of his kind eyes. "You probably think I sound like a fool wanting a life like this."

He grunts. "My life is just as fucked as yours."

"It's probably not."

"I have my own battles to face," he whispers as he leans in against my ear. I steer into his proximity, closing my eyes as his breath fans against my skin. "I'm safe nowhere, princess. Not even here. Sooner than later, I'll have to run."

"And I don't want you too," the words escape me in a form of desperation. "I think I've grown accustomed to your visits."

"You know I raised Neph here?" he begins to say, changing the topic just slightly. "I lived here for months. Isolated. Alone. Just Neph and I. That all came to an end when the knights tracked me down, but by the time they arrived I was gone." He takes a long swig of the wine. "That's why I always have to run. It takes a toll on a person."

"Certainly when they're a petty thief."

He scowls, slightly offended at first, but his expression soon smoothes as he closes his eyes. He leans into my temple, brushing his lips against my crown before placing a gentle wine-wet kiss.

"Don't envy me, princess," his voice drips out in a growl.

"I do," I squeak as his lips kiss my temple. "I will."

His hand on my back takes hold of my waist. I lean towards his embrace as his lips fall down my skin to my cheekbone. He places another tipsy kiss, this one a cautious uncertain brush. His fingers curl into my cloak, eager to spread beyond the restricting fabric.

How much wine has he drank? I only took a few sparse sips, but he's downed it all like a bee seeking nectar. Gods, this thief. He steals a few kisses instead of a valuable pearl.

I find my eyes locked shut as my body alights with the next kiss against my skin, my nerves igniting with a lustrous fire for him. His open mouth sinks down to my throat, where he whispers my name under a heavy tipsy oath. "Imogen."

I curl my fingers around the nape of his neck, knuckles brushing the wisps of his hair as I hold him against me. "Tobin, the wine—"

The wine bottle knocks from him, the little remnants of it spilling into the sand as he ushers me to lay down.

My spine hits the sand. He feels too good, like dawn breaking as I breathe in crisp morning air. Instead, it smells of Tobin. An evergreen musk mixed with sweet wine.

I press a hand to his chest, my fingers spreading against his tunic as I pry his brief kisses away from my skin. He lays above me, his brown eyes brimming with a delectable wild heat.

"Gods, you're better than wine," he groans, his lips tainted with a salacious smirk.

So is he, and I'm ready to get drunk on him.

I'm ready to taste the wine tainting his beautifully smirked lips with a kiss—

A shrill horse neigh breaks the spell.

Tobin's kind brown eyes widen, his body drawing stiff. Neph barrels towards us through the open meadow, her motions jittered with fear. The rosy tipsy blush on Tobin's cheeks pales to a ghostly tone. On instinct, his palm falls to his sword.

Whether we like it or not, we have a visitor.

Tobin scrambles to his feet. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," he chants under his breath. It's like it's the only word he knows.

I sit up and smooth the wrinkles on my cloak, brushing my hand against the place on my neck where Tobin's lips found sanctuary in a symphony of delicate kisses. Only now, our affections seem so small compared to the fear cascading the meadow.

Tobin reaches for my arm, hauling me up. "We need to hide."

"Tobin?"

"Someone's here," he hisses. "Get in the homestead. They can't know that you—the fucking princess—is out here."

"Tobin—"

"Princess," he urges, drawing his sword from his sheath. His hand grips the hilt, veins tight and tendons clenched. "Don't come out until I get you, and don't make a fucking sound."

I run into the wooden home, shutting the door behind me. It smells of alcohol and wine in here. Through the slivers of moonlight, I catch the empty glass bottles glistening—some shattered, some intact. All empty by Tobin's doing. My heart sinks at the observation, until I notice the walls.

They're painted. Murals of the mountains and trees. Images of a man and a woman, of a boy and girl, of a horse that mimics Neph running through the meadow. Not once has Tobin been known to be artistic, considering the map I stole the first night was a dud. Yet, it's possible that he wasn't the one that drew up the map.

Who is Tobin anyway? Gazing at this one-roomed house makes me feel lost all over again.

I pry myself away and gaze out through a crack in the window.

An intruder appears in the meadow. He rides a tan horse, one that looks pathetic compared to Neph. Black hair whisps behind him, and a sword remains strapped to his hip, much like Tobin. He's dressed in commoners clothes, but even I can tell he's a fox waiting to strike.

And there, approaching the stranger with a sword in hand, is my thief.

── •✧• ──

I really want you all to enjoy an early update of Only After Nightfall, especially if you're having a bad day. Apparently, a little bit of Tobin & Imogen can cure that, so I'm told.

I love writing about Tobin & Imogen. Reworking this story was the BEST decision I could make, because now their characters have so much more chemistry, and AHHHHHH it's just going to get a lot more interesting in the next few chapters.

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