“I need to kill this witch first.”
“No.” Beth shakes her head. “No more killing. I’m done with that. Please keep me here in a safe cocoon in the winter realm, thank you very much.”
“It would be fun to see him try to kill me.” Sabine pouts.
I push past her and rush Beth to my room. Word spreads down the hall, and I have no doubt Leander and Taylor will be showing up any minute. But I need alone time with my treasure. Kicking my bedroom door open, I take her inside and gently lay her on the bed.
She flexes her hands. “Feeling is coming back.” Then she plucks her white shift away from her chest and peers inside it. “And I don’t seem to be rotten yet, so that’s good.”
“Your skin, it’s—”
“Shiny.” Her eyebrows pop up. “And the scars are gone. What in Arin does this mean?” She stares at her body like she’s never seen it before, her eyes watering. “All gone. I can’t believe it.” A gasp escapes her when she feels her shoulder. “Your mark. It’s gone. Oh, no.”
Regret fills me until I’m drowning with it. “I’m sorry.” I drop to my knee beside her. “I know you can never forgive me, and believe me, I will never forgive myself, but I—”
“Why are you sorry?” She reaches out and cups my cheek. “What for?”
“You died.”
“That was my doing.” She lies back with a sigh. “I listened to Sabine. Oh, Spires, I probably would have come for you even without her little sideshow.”
“I should have used my magic sooner. I should—”
“Gareth, get on top of me.” She tugs on my collar. “Please.”
I can’t deny her, not even when I should be groveling face down on the floor. Gently, I straddle her and support myself on my elbows.
“What is this?” She frowns. “Get between my legs.”
My cock isn’t following my penitent line of thought as I slide between her thighs.
“Better.” She smiles, life sparkling in her eyes.
I open my mouth, only to have her put a finger to my lips. “Listen to me. I made the bad choice. Not you. I acted rashly, not you. My death is on me. Not you. You were trying to save lives by not going full destruction. I get that. You did the right thing. I don’t blame you.”
“But—”
“No.” She presses her finger harder against my mouth. “Tell me, has anyone else said they blame you?”
“No, but—”
The finger stiffens.
“No. Because it wasn’t your fault.” She smirks. “And you didn’t even come to join me in the Glowing Lands. I mean, I thought we had a deal that if I were to go to the Glowing Lan …” Her teasing voice trails off as I avoid her gaze.
“Gareth.” She pulls my chin back to her. “Did you … do something to yourself?”
I blink.
“Gareth, spit it out.” She narrows her eyes.
“I tried, but Taylor stopped me.”
“Gareth!” She smacks me on the cheek, which only makes my cock act up more. “Don’t you ever do something stupid like that. Swear to me.”
“I can’t—”
She smacks me again, like a swat from a kitten. “Swear it.”
