“Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t. I have a reputation to maintain as a sarcastic asshole.” They launched into the air, Kevin following. “I’m going to give you lovebirds some privacy. Try to keep the magical reality-warping orgasms to a minimum—some of us are trying to maintain a stable lifestyle here.”
They disappeared before I could throw something at them.
“I like him,” Kaelren said.
“Everyone does. It’s infuriating.”
He pulled me close, and I let myself lean into him, breathing in his scent—pine and storms and the garden still clinging to our clothes. I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Counting the beats like borrowed coins.
“Tomorrow there’s a council meeting,” he said quietly. “Strategy planning. It’s going to be brutal.”
“Politics always is.”
“They’ll want to use you. As a weapon, as leverage, as bait.” His arms tightened around me. “I won’t let them. But I need you to be prepared for how they’ll see you.”
“As a tool?”
“As our only chance.” He pulled back to look at me. “The convergenceis coming fast. We have maybe two weeks. Auradelle is moving, and we’re running out of time to prepare.”
Two weeks. Maybe less. Two weeks of Kaelren’s heartbeat. Two weeks of this feeling, this belonging. Two weeks before I’d be alone again.
No.I shoved the thought away. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t waste our time grieving what we’d lose. I’d grieve later, when it mattered. Right now, he was here. Solid and real and mine.
“Then we’d better make these two weeks count,” I said.
“Every moment.” He kissed me, soft and sure. “Starting with actually sleeping. You need rest.”
“Bossy.”
“Practical.”
“Broody and practical. Such a catch.”
“And yet you’re still here.”
“Lucky me,” I said, and tried to mean it.
He led me inside, and for the first time since arriving in Wynmire, I fell asleep in his arms—ignoring the countdown running in my head, ignoring the certainty that I was setting myself up for another loss, choosing instead to hold onto the warmth of now.
Outside, the Thornwood Throne glowed with bioluminescent life. Tomorrow there would be council meetings and strategy sessions. The convergence was coming, corruption spreading through both of us, time running out with every heartbeat.
But tonight, we had each other.
And I was going to pretend that was enough.
Even though I knew better.
Even though I’d learned this lesson before.
Even though loving people who leave had never once protected me from the pain of losing them.
22
Elle
We’d spent three days at the Thornwood Throne—three days of strategy meetings I was barely included in, of watching Kaelren disappear into war councils while the corruption spread another inch up his jaw, of feeling the weight of the convergence approaching like storm clouds on the horizon.
Three days of stolen moments between the planning sessions. His hand finding mine under the council table. Flowers blooming unconsciously in my hair whenever he looked at me. The ache of wanting more time when time was the one thing we didn’t have.
