I think for a moment, then add:
“I’ll do better. I’ll build a wall to block it completely. Seal it off, so neither of us has to see it again.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” she says softly, then presses her lips to mine.
The kiss is gentle at first, just a brush of her mouth against mine, but then it deepens and I lose myself in the taste of her. We kiss for a long minute, my hands tangling in her hair while her fingers trace the line of my jaw. When she finally pulls back, I’m breathless and aching with need.
“I love you,” she says.
Blood rushes through my veins. I feel like I’m soaring even though my feet are firmly placed on the ground.
“I love you,” I say it back.
She laughs, the sound bright and free.
“I love you,” she repeats it.
I lift her in my arms and stand up in one smooth motion, then twirl her around the room while she laughs and clings to my shoulders. The fire blurs past us in streaks of gold and orange, and I can’t stop smiling. I’m dizzy and breathless when I place her back on her feet.
I drop to my knees before her and wrap my arms around her waist, pressing my face against her stomach while my tail wraps around her ankle.
She plays with my hair, her fingers gentle and soothing, and we stay like that for a long time while the fire crackles and the night deepens around us.
I breathe in her scent, and I think that if she let me, I would stay like this, kneeling before her in worship and surrender, for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Tressa
The early morning sun warms my skin as I stand at the top of the staircase, watching the road that winds through the palace grounds. The weather has turned pleasant, almost hot, and I can feel the excitement buzzing through the palace like electricity. Servants hurry past me with fresh linens and flowers, their faces bright with anticipation. They love me now, after everything that happened, and they want to make sure Alana and her sisters feel welcome.
I smooth down the front of my dress, a beautiful emerald-green gown that Altair insisted I wear this morning. He’s been making me change three times a day, saying he wants to see me in every single dress he bought for me. I don’t mind. It makes him happy, and I like seeing that light in his eyes when he looks at me.
When I finally spot the carriage approaching, my heart leaps. I rush down the stairs, not caring if I look undignified. I’m waiting at the bottom when the door opens. Alana steps out first, and the sight of her makes my throat tight. She looks beautiful and healthy, so different from the last time I saw her.
I throw my arms around her. She holds me just as tightly, and I breathe in the familiar scent of her hair.
“It’s been too long,” she says against my shoulder.
“I know, I missed you so much.”
When we pull apart, I notice her four sisters climbing out of the carriage behind her. They’re all younger than Alana, staring up at the palace with wide eyes. I count them quickly, and my smile falters.
“Where’s your mother?” I ask.
Alana’s expression shifts.
“She didn’t want to come. I insisted, believe me, but she said she couldn’t leave my father. In the end, I had to concede.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, reaching for her hand.
She shrugs and squeezes my fingers.
“It was her choice. I couldn’t do anything about it.”
I want to say more, but I can see she doesn’t want to dwell on it, so I turn to her sisters with a bright smile.
“Come inside, all of you. Let me show you your new home.”
