“To make sure she inherited everything without Urcolin getting his hands on us, controlling us! She dreaded that, and I made a promise.” She shook her head violently. “I thought there was no other way than to agree. But later, I knew he’d take control of everything and it would be my fault for bringing him into our lives.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I just didn’t see a way through. That’s why I tried to drown myself. To free her.”
“It’s all right now, Giss. You succeeded. You prevented his getting control of you and your sister. Try not to cry,” he said gently.
“Don’t you want to know what I promised?”
“Do you want to tell me?”
She sat up, looking away and rubbing the tears from her face. “He forced my other suitors to give up. He ruined their family fortunes. He destroyed them. He said if I gave in and married him, he would be able to stop hurting people. He told me Zawri was still in his way. He had a plan. She’d—be found unstable. I’d have lost her, and she’d have lost herself. I promised to marry him and let him do whatever he wanted to do with my body, as often as he wanted. I was never going to be allowed to say no. But later, when I was alone to think, I realized I wouldn’t be able to take that for years. I didn’t know if I could take it for one day. So I made my plan. Killing myself was my sacrifice to save my sister. I would have done that for her. Because she’s that wonderful. She always did everything she could to protect me and take care of me. Now I learn she was kidnapped because she took my side in something. I can’t stand it. I can’t. And you—you think because you can manipulate my body into feeling pleasure that I’ll forgive you? Well, I don’t forgive you. Or myself. We’re both to blame, and I blame us both. And if my sister is broken because of this, I will never let you have me again. And I will never let myself have you. No matter how much I want you. No matter how much I care about you. If she’s damaged beyond repair, you and I are finished. That’s our punishment!”
He drew back, shaking his head. “She’ll be all right. You’ll see. If she’s upset, she’ll get over it. They’re not villains.” He got up and paced, but she saw the concern on his face. He knew it was a possibility. Finally, he walked to the bureau and pulled the top drawer open. He tossed a dagger onto the bed.
“That dagger stays in this drawer.” He sat back down. “See this pulse in my neck?”
She nodded.
“You put the blade behind it and drag it around to the front. Cut right through the pulse.”
She stared at his neck. “What are you saying? Why are you telling me that?”
“So you’ll know how to kill me in my sleep if you need to.”
A startled laugh escaped her throat. “Honestly, though, what are you talking about? If I’m here alone and—?”
“No.” He took her hands in his, rubbing them between his palms. He blew into his cupped palms and kissed her hands before releasing them. Then he picked up the dagger and put it back in the drawer. “I want you to know it’s there if you need it.”
“Linc,” she whispered. “What a reckless thing to tell me. What if I’d known that earlier and tried to stab you when I was in a rage?”
He smiled ruefully. “If you want to be successful, you’ll have to wait until I’m unconscious. Trust me on that.”
She leaned forward, resting her forehead on his arm, bent double like a cloth doll. “How much do you love me?” she asked softly.
Without hesitation, he murmured, “More than life.”
“Clearly,” she whispered. She turned her head, resting her cheek against his forearm.
“For how long?”
“When did we meet?”
