“What is it like?” Father asks. “To be heartbound and wake from this heartlanding of yours?”
Arisanna looks up at Cerian before answering. “Waking...is like standing too fast as the blood rushes from your head, leaving you faint. And being heartbound...it’s like walking around with your heart forever living within someone else. When...when Cerian isn’t with me, I feel...”
How can she describe it in a way Father will understand?
“I feel as though the world has gone dim,” Cerian whispers, and Arisanna looks at him in surprise.
“Like I’m half a person,” she breathes.
“As if the only thing that matters is being with you again.”
“And ensuring you’re all right.” She gazes into his beautiful eyes. Those eyes that looked at her with so much devotion as he made love to her, hidden away from the rest of the world in their private haven this morning.
“And this is how Rominy will feel when he wakes without Elowyn?” Father asks, startling Arisanna from her thoughts.
She clears her throat, her face like fire, but if Father notices, he says nothing.
“Yes,” Arisanna says.
Father nods. “I’ll take your mother for a walk. Perhaps I can convince her to eat something. You’ll let us know when he’s ready for company?”
Arisanna looks at Father in surprise. “You want me to stay?”
“Yes. He’ll feel less alone with someone who knows what he’s experiencing. Tell him we love him, and we’re here when he needs us.”
She stares after Father as he moves to Mother’s side and speaks in whispered tones.
Cerian’s arms wrap around her. “Just be mine.”
She only hesitates for a moment before melting against him. Let anyone think what they will. She needs him right now.
And they’ll be stronger together.
“Ithinktheflooris slanted.” Rominy eyes the little bubble that’s supposed to stay in the middle of the tube, according to the directions the heartlanding gave them.
It doesn’t seem eager to cooperate.
Elowyn pokes at the tube and shrugs. “It’s close enough.”
He turns his gaze toward her. “Remind me never to let you build anything in the real world.”
She smiles at him, the light that fell to the shadows earlier shining from her eyes once again.
The setting sun illuminates their island in brilliant reds and oranges, casting a golden sheen on her silvery hair. Her gown catches the light behind her, leaving little of her silhouette to the imagination, and memories of herstanding unclothed at the water’s edge earlier fill him. He tries to push them away, but it’s impossible.
“Perhaps we should be done for today,” she says. Does she feel his heart racing?
He nods and tries to focus on the progress they made. Her treehouse has a floor now. That’s a good start, even if it’s a little slanted. It probably doesn’t matter much.
“Thank you for today,” Elowyn says as she rests her hand on his chest.
Her hand is warm. Stars above, that’s not helping. They’d both lose their heads if he kissed her now.
She must be healing in the real world, though. She seemed full of energy today. It was hard to keep up with her.
With a sigh, he rubs his eyes. They can’t. He needs to focus on something else.
“What are you thinking, my love?” she asks.
