Daciana

The festival sprawls before us like an image from a dream. Lanterns hang from every post and tree, their warm glow painting everything in shades of amber and gold. The air smells of roasted meat and sweet pastries, and everywhere I look, humans are laughing, dancing, living without the weight of survival crushing down on them.

“Come on,” Kieran says, his hand finding the small of my back. His palm is warm through the thin fabric of my shirt, his fingers splayed wide. “Let’s try everything.”

I glance up at him. “Everything?”

“Everything.” His eyes gleam playfully, a look I’ve never seen before from my mate. It transforms him,...