Bellinor pulled away from the kiss, cupping her face with his palms.
“Do you love me, my dear? Do you love us?”
Love. It was the one thing she still felt with all of her being, but she saw the consternation in his furrowed brows, the frown etched on his face. He still didn’t know. Even after she’d said the words. Even after she’d gone into the void for them.
“Does love exist in le Voile?” she asked, every muscle tensed as she awaited his response.
Rul looked on with interest, his jaw clenched tight and his hands gripping her waist.
“It exists because I say it exists,” Bellinor answered, and a grin pulled at her lips, elation filling her with a delicious lightness.
“And you’re the Devil who rules the Veil.”
“I am. I rule this place. And I rule you, my little love.”
She looked down at her body, her new muscles, her heightened form.
“Not so little anymore.”
Bellinor chuckled, petting her cheek sweetly.
“No, you’re not. But you’re still my little love. Because I love you.” He turned, placing his other hand on Rul’s cheek. “And I love you too.”
His gaze was back on her as she lay frozen on the bed.
“I’m sorry for punishing you when you said it before. I’m sorry for hiding away from you. Both of you. After what happened withher, I vowed to never feel that way about another. I couldn’t let myself be betrayed again.”
With his eyes on Rul, he continued.
“But I’ve loved you since the moment I created you. You saved me from my torment, my loneliness. I don’t know what would have happened to me without you here.”
He gave her a sheepish smile, like the words were difficult to say.
“And you. When I saw you devoting your life toher, the way you delighted in your penance, I knew I had to have you. I knew we were alike–you, me, and Rul. I felt the craving of your soul, and I needed to be the one to satiate it, the one that you wanted to satiate it with.”
His gaze traced her new form with a mixture of reverence and melancholy.
“And now… look what I’ve let you become.”
With warmth in her heart, she focused on Rul, who had tears in his eyes.
“Do you still love me?”
He gripped her hand, squeezing tightly.
“Of course, my sweet. I will always love you.”
She turned back to Bellinor, taking his hand as well.
“Do you love me like this?”
“I do. But this isn’t what I wanted for you…”
She shook her head, stopping him before he could continue.
“I wanted this for myself. This is where I was always meant to be,whoI was always meant to be. I want your love, deserve your love. I deserve not to be alone anymore.”
“Yes, you do. And you’ll never be alone again.”
