Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 143

Chapter 143

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Kaelani stood alone near the edge of the glade, shadows weaving around her feet like they sensed the shift inside her. The dream -if that’s what it was–still clung to her skin. Her breath felt heavier. Her heartbeat… slower, then quicker, then unsure altogether.

The wine was still warm in her blood, but that hadn’t been some drunken vision. She’d been there. She had felt his presence. Footsteps broke the silence.

She turned quickly, fingers tightening on the goblet–then relaxed at the sight of Draevyn emerging from the thicket, moonlight etching his profile in silver.

“I was wondering where you ran off to,” he said, voice low, casual–but there was a flicker of something more curious beneath the surface.

His gaze swept the secluded alcove, then settled on her face. Whatever lightness had touched his tone faded slightly when he saw the unsettled look in her eyes.

“Is everything alright?”

Kaelani hesitated.

The dream–walk. The restaurant. Julian’s face. The way she’d felt the heat radiating off him–felt the panic, the rawness of his voice.

She fidgeted, shifting her weight, and forced a soft breath through her nose.

“I’m fine,” she said, her voice more even than she expected. “It’s just the wine… kicking in.”

The music seemed to come into focus again–clearer now, softer. A slower melody threaded through the trees, delicate and hauntingly beautiful. The notes curled through the clearing like smoke, wrapping around Kaelani’s limbs, tugging at something inside her she hadn’t realized was frayed.

Draevyn took a step closer, his voice low.

“May I have this dance?”

He held out a hand, palm up, inviting.

Kaelani stared at it for a moment, uncertain. Her fingers twitched at her side.

A faint smile played on his lips, “You’ll break my heart if you refuse.”

That earned the barest breath of a laugh from her. She breathed in slowly, then placed her hand in his.

He guided her in gently, his hand settling at her waist while hers rested lightly on his shoulder. Their other hands remained joined his touch warm, grounding.

And then… he began to lead.

As they danced, Kaelani couldn’t help but think how beautiful it all was.

The forest shimmered around them like something out of a dream–enchanted and endless. Twin moons floated high above, casting pale light through the canopy, and the stars blinked like blessings overhead. Firelights drifted through the trees in lazy spirals, trailing silver–gold sparks in their wake. Everything smelled of night–blooming blossoms and distant magic.

It was… perfect.

More than she ever could’ve imagined

More than she ever thought she’d deserve.

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So why, then, did it feel like she was dancing with a hole in her chest?

Why did something ache so deeply inside her, even here, even now?

She tried to push the thought away—but it pressed up through her ribs like it was fighting for air. Her mind betrayed her, dragging her back to a different dance. One carved not from stars, but from memory.

The dream with Julian.

The red dress.

That old love song playing slow and melodic.

The way he held her–arms wrapped tight around her body like she was everything he never wanted to lose. Like letting go would’ve killed him.

But he had let go.

Not once.

Not even just twice.

Too many times he could have told her what she was to him.

And each time he remained tongue–tied, it cut deeper than the last—until she wasn’t sure there was anything left in her that hadn’t been carved hollow by his own actions.

Draevyn’s hand unlocked from hers.

With a gentleness that betrayed the power he carried, he reached up and tilted her chin toward him. His fingers were cool, careful.

Her eyes met his–glistening with unshed tears.

He studied her for a moment, his voice a low murmur that curled like mist in the space between them.

“What dares to trouble you tonight?”

Kaelani blinked quickly, tipping her face downward. “It’s nothing.”

Draevyn’s head tilted, the faintest crease between his brows

“Anything that can bring such pain to your eyes… isn’t nothing.”

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