Her thumb runs along the heel of her hand, but after a while, her head drops. “He needs to know. About the ravaged hoard.”
I nod. Of course he does. Shame whirls in me at having forgotten to mention it to him. I’ve been so wrapped up in Zhoric, in Ozias’s attentions, that it slipped from my mind.
“Can I tell him?” she asks. Her face is so open and raw, that even if I had a reason to deny her, I wouldn’t. I’ve already taken up so much of Ozias’s time these days, and it’s clear that they care deeply for one another. It reminds me of how I feel with Ninon spending so much time with Issa. Atlanta has been trying to convince Ozias of her theory on the ravaged a long time, and I don’t want to take this moment away from her.
“Of course you can,” I say, then after a beat, I ask, “Are you angry at me? For keeping this from you?”
Atlanta sighs, pushing her hair back from her shoulders. “I understand where you’re coming from, but I could have helped you. You could have been in real danger if Zhoric—”
“Wanted me dead?” I finish for her.
“To put it mildly.” She’s quiet again. The early morning air is so cool it makes the hair along my body stand on end. “This isn’t going to be easy,” she murmurs, almost as if she didn’t mean to say the words out loud.
“What?”
“The end.”
While I contemplate that, Atlanta rises, pats me on the shoulder, and descends the stairs. “Get some rest,” she calls over her shoulder.
I sit there long after she’s gone, until my body feels numb. Then I stand and go back to perch on the receiving room’s terrace to watch the sun rise. The light washes Dyeus in gold, chasing away the blue of the night. I didn’t sleep at all. I wonder if Zhoric did.
Laying my forehead down on my bent knees I close my eyes and try not to think of him alone in his rooms, but I can’t help but wonder if last night he suffered on his lone balcony again.
When I open my eyes, it’s because I feel the heavy weight of a hand on my shoulder. I gasp, raising my head, and find Ozias sitting beside me. A small flicker of disappointment rushes through me, but I push it away.
“Do I snore?” he asks.
“What?”
“You’re sleeping here. I wondered if it was because of me.”
I blink my bleary eyes and note the sun has tracked higher in the sky. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep.”
Ozias hums and takes my hand in his. I let my legs stretch on the ground, wincing as my muscles protest.
“We can take things more slowly,” he offers.
“No,” I say, thinking back on my conversation with Atlanta, remembering the reason why I hid all the things I did. For Ninon. “There’s no time to waste. I want to end this thing with Dyeus as soon as we can.”
Ozias dips his head to catch my eye. “I meant this thing between us.”
My heart flutters. “Oh.” I avert my gaze to our entwined hands. “And what is this thing between us?”
“Potential. I hope.”
“To bond?”
He inclines his head. I fall silent and close my eyes.
“It’s your choice, Kaisa. You don’t have to answer our kind’s calling. There are other options.”
I shake my head. “To go against our nature? I don’t think I want to fight that anymore.”
Glancing up, I see him offer a small smile.
“Are you afraid?” I ask.
“Of what?”
