The look she sent him held admiration, as she was reminded once again the twisted paths this man's mind sometimes traveled down.
"Will you really let the swarm take them?" Eva asked.
"They certainly think so."
That hadn't been what she asked.
Eva ignored Van's small snicker as she focused on her lover.
Sensing her gaze, Caden slammed the tip of his knife into the ground. "I haven't decided."
Eva waited.
Finally, he looked at her. "What is your opinion?"
To an outsider, it would sound like he was asking her advice, but Eva knew that wasn't it.
In reality, he was trying to decide how much she could live with. How far he could push before she decided he was a monster.
His question was really asking if she could accept who he was.
The answer was yes. She could.
Caden was who he was. He might try to soften his edges, conceal his darkness and pretend he wasn't a killer, but Eva saw through him.
He wouldn't survive for long if he continued to throttle himself for fear of how she'd see him. Just like she wouldn't if she continued to pretend she was fully human.
Love wasn't about just showing someone one side of yourself. The prettiest of sides.
It was about seeing everything. All the ugly bits. The scars and jagged edges. The pieces that didn't fully conform.
It was about seeing all that and loving the person because of those bits. Not despite them.
If Eva denied him this part of himself, he'd suffocate. Pure and simple.
And that, she wouldn't allow.
"You do what you must," Eva said. "Besides, I thought our deal was you handle the human side while I wrangle the mythologicals. You're not trying to change it are you?"
Caden's smile was small. "No, lady."
Van harrumphed. "You really have no opinion about this?"
Eva shot him a look. "He has his skills; I have mine. Unless he crosses a line, I won't interfere."
"Where exactly is that line for you?" Van asked.
Sensing Caden's gaze on her, Eva left aside the fact this wasn't Van's business and answered. "Children and the truly innocent."
The rest were on their own.
Eva had never been the type to protect those who meant her harm. These lands were a dangerous place. They'd swallow the unwary in an instant. Sometimes you had to be brutal to be kind to the ones you loved.
Caden's thoughts were hidden as he inclined his chin. "Understood."
His word felt like a promise, though Eva hadn't really been worried.
Despite what outsiders thought of the Anateri commander, Eva knew he wasn't a mindless killer. Every action he took, every life he reaped was with one goal in mind—protect what was his.
