“Is that the only reason you said it?” He was teasing, happy, but I heard the concern as well.
“Silly man, I said it because I love you. I always have and I always—”
He cut her off by kissing her, so deeply and passionately that I had to duck my head because I felt like I was infringing on an extremely personal moment.
The old Lia would have worried that Xander had said he loved me for the same reason—so that I would be able to track him. I might have thought that he’d never said words of love to me before.
But that wasn’t true. All his words had been words of love—I just hadn’t been able to see it.
And he hadn’t said the actual words because he thought I was in love with someone else and he didn’t want to end up with a relationship like his parents’.
He had said he loved me because that was how he truly felt.
The goddess would have struck him down if he’d said it falsely.
My heart throbbed with sharp aches as I thought about him, reliving over and over again the moment he’d told me he loved me. I desperately missed him.
I had to get him back.
Stephanos said with a smile to Zalira, “You do know that you just made it impossible for me to leave.”
“We will be reunited soon. Go and do what needs to be done,” she said.
He kissed her one last time and then he and Rokh finally headed out of the cave.
I went and put my arm around Zalira as she watched him go. She said, “If this is the end, I had to tell him. I would have regretted passing into the next life and never saying it. Because I do love him.”
“You have to have hope,” I said. “Believe that all will be well.”
Ahyana joined us. “If we do live, then what are you going to do?”
Zalira shrugged. “If we’re still standing when this is all over, we’ll figure it out then.”
“I never would have guessed that Rokh would be the last one to confess his true feelings,” I said to Ahyana, teasing her a bit.
She blinked several times and then said with a sly smile, “You’re right. He should have been the first. There’s another thing he’ll have to try and rectify to get back in my good graces.”
“We should try and get some rest,” Zalira said.
“I’ll take first watch,” I offered. I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep. Not while I was this worried about Xander.
I was also afraid that, if I went to sleep, I might lose our connection. It was an irrational fear but I needed the constant, tiny pulse from his light.
The others settled in and I stayed up, watching the cave entrance. My mind was a jumbled mess of emotions and thoughts. I was glad that I’d asked everyone to keep hidden the truth of what we’d been lookingfor in the goddess’s cave. Because it meant Dolion didn’t know and wouldn’t be able to tell Artemisia.
What had he told her? She knew that we could do magic. Did she have the specifics?
Thinking of her led me to Xander and wondering what she might be doing to him. I didn’t expect that she would be treating him well. She would probably enjoy torturing him.
The thought made my stomach turn over. I had to stay calm. I had to deal with everything from a practical standpoint. Xander must have been terrified falling but he hadn’t shown it. He hadn’t allowed panic to take over. He had immediately sprung into action and been ready to fight his way clear.
I had to do the same.
Hours had passed when suddenly a glimmer of light happened near my feet and Luna appeared. How had she found us? We weren’t where she had left us.
“There you are!” I loudly whispered, picking her up. “Where have you been?”
She stared back.
