“Hellebore. I didn’t ask for their best. I demanded it.” His grip on her hands tightened as his voice darkened. “I threatened your father with war if he would not give me your hand. They didn’t want to send you away. I made them. Don’t hold my actions against them. Your family—your brother, I’m certain he would give anything to have you back in his court and away from the Sun Elves who stole you away.”
Hellebore’s tightening throat was proving to be a problem, threatening to choke any word she might form. She took a deep breath. “I don’t—You don’t know that, and neither do I. My family’s actions can speak for themselves, and the last thing you should be doing is arguing their case when doing so means letting you die!”
“That doesn’t answer my question. If you don’t want to go back after my death, no one can make you. Why do you want to save my life when it means giving up your chance at freedom?”
“I thought you were the one who was insistent about the fact that I’m your wife. I’m not a prisoner here.”
“Answer the question. Why do you want to save my life when your success will mean that you stay married to me for the rest of our lives?”
She didn’t know. She didn’t have an answer that made any sense. All she knew was that the thought of any life after his death wasn’t one she wanted.
“I’m your alchemist. You’re my king. One of the most important things I do is keep you alive.”
Taiyo narrowed his eyes and tugged on her hands, forcing her to step even closer. He shifted until he was on the very edge of the bed, her standing between his legs as he stared up ather. “Don’t lie to me. You just said this has nothing to do with obligation. Why don’t you want a chance to go back and marry someone else? Someone you love? The chance I took away from you. Why choose to save my life and choose me?”
What did he think he was getting at? Did he know nothing of her?
“Why would I want something I never had any intention of achieving? You didn’t take a chance away from me when you married me. You can’t take something away from me that was never going to happen. I was never going to fall in love with anyone. Any marriage I might have had would have been very much similar to ours, a practical, political arrangement with a clear purpose and no emotions or affection attached to it.”
Speaking of, they were far too close for the bounds of a purely practical arrangement with no affection attached to it. She started to step back, but then his hands settled on her hips, curling into the silk and holding her directly in front of him. Her breath caught in her throat.
His eyes searched hers as he whispered, “Where have you hidden your heart?”
The heat of his hands even through the silk was distracting. Her mouth felt dry, which simply had to be because of how long they’d been talking. She swallowed, her own voice just as low. “The heart is just an organ.”
“And yet… you still won’t answer me. What are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.” She narrowed her gaze at him, ignoring the way his fingers softly shifted. His thumb brushing back and forth had to be because he was trying to distract her, although why was beyond her. What bothered her more was the fact that it was working. She said, “All that matters to you is this: I am promising you now that in four months when the eclipse comes, you will survive it. I will save your kingdom. I will save your life.And I wouldn’t tell you this if I wasn’t certain. You can be certain of that. I don’t give away hope lightly.”
He stared at her for a moment, and she could still see him, searching and searching for the answer to why.
And then his hands on her hips were pulling her closer until she was in his lap and his head was pressed to her chest, the sheer capelet and nightgown the only thing between them, his arms wrapping around her. His ear was pressed over her heart and one of his palms rested in the same spot on her back. His other arm was locked around her waist so she was flush against him.
Heat flooded her cheeks, but Taiyo breathed out, causing the fabric to rustle. Her breath stuttered, and her admonishment never came out as he smiled. “There it is. Oh, and it isracing.”
Hellebore could easily push him away. It would be no trouble. But she was certain her cheeks were a vivid red, and since there was still a little bit of the sunset left, she might as well wait until it was darker and his energy went with it. So she stayed where she was, reaching up and running her fingers through Taiyo’s hair, twirling the orange and gold ends with her fingers and listening to his breathing.
She didn’t care what it would take. In four months, she would not be seeing him into a grave. She’d sooner go in herself.
Why?
Hellebore never liked why. She avoided why. She preferred how. So why would have to wait.
Chapter 17
Haruko’s presence in Hellebore’s lab was not one she’d anticipated, but there her sister-in-law was, the door flung open, crashing into the wall while Hellebore leaned over Taiyo’s shoulder, going over the healers’ records of his condition that he’d brought with him.
Haruko’s eyes darted around the room before they landed on them, the pair of them completely frozen.
Why was Haruko there and what exactly had she expected to come bursting in on? Hellebore elbow deep in his guts?
Taiyo, however, immediately rose from his seat and said, “Haruko, outside, now.”
Then the siblings were gone, and Hellebore was thoroughly confused. There was no way Haruko knew that Hellebore knew about Taiyo’s condition, given she’d only discovered it the night before. So what was Haruko doing rushing into her lab?
Elaine and Phoebe had been all a titter when Taiyo had joined her in heading to her lab. In the past he’d only visited briefly to collect her to go to the garden. Although, it probably didn’t matter how Haruko knew now that she was there.
Hellebore just picked up the records again and continued reading, ignoring the muffled voices out in the hallway. Soon enough, the door was flying open again and Taiyo was hissing, “—ko, don’t!”
