Tristan’s eyes are wide and full of anguish.
I close my eyes so he can’t distract me. “Silas will eventually realise that I’m not crazy and that he can let me go with a clear conscience. And that’s fine, because there is no rush. You and I are both young. There is time. Even if it takes years. We can wait.”
Silence. Nothing but silence.
“This way no one gets hurt because of me.”
I suck in a breath and open my eyes. Tristan’s expression is sombre and thoughtful. There is sadness in his eyes, but oh my stars, I think he is actually listening to me.
“If that is your wish, my love,” he says softly.
My stomach flips right over and my heart throws itself against my ribcage. Oh my. Oh gosh. Oh flipping hell.
My love. He called me, ‘my love.’ I could really, really get used to that term of endearment.
“It is my wish,” I say, a little squeakily.
Tristan nods. He turns to leave.
“Wait!” I cry out.
He freezes and stares at me. I turn to Silas.
“Can I kiss him before he leaves?” I blurt.
Dark eyes narrow. “Fine.”
I don’t need any further encouragement. I run up to Tristan, grab his antlers and yank him down for a kiss. Our lips smash together and immediately the heat of him seeps into my blood. It sinks down into my soul, where it burns ruby and bright. My body presses close to his, as if I am attempting to meld with him.
I can sense our magic. Mine and his. Dancing and entwining. Perfectly suited. Melodies that flow in perfect harmony. His arms encircle my back. He holds me tighter than I have ever been held.
The kiss deepens. I could breathe him in forever. Arrogant, smirking, grinning, motherfucker that he is. This impossible bastard who somehow sees past all my walls and miraculously likes what he finds. This dickbag who can handle me at my worst while also enjoying it.
He breaks the kiss and steps away from me, leaving me cold and alone. I blink at him dazedly.
Oh yeah. That was a goodbye kiss. He has to leave, and I don’t know when I am going to see him again.
I sniff aggressively and ferociously blink back tears.
“Do you really love him?” asks Silas.
I turn my head towards the necromancer. His expression is utterly unreadable.
“Yes. I do,” I confess. It feels a little cringey, but I can cope.
Something flickers in Silas’s dark eyes. A glimmer of hope ignites in my soul. Oh stars, please let him be wavering.
My tongue trips over some words, but I manage to get it working. “Thank you for giving a shit about me. I’m not used to that, so it means more than you could ever know.”
The necromancer nods.
“But I want to be with Tristan. Please let me go.” I suck in a breath. “You can go back to your family.”
My lungs have stopped working. Every single part of me has stopped working. All I am capable of is staring at Silas.
He stares back.
He nods.
