Jealousy bloomed in my chest again. She always knew how to crawl under my skin and say things that pissed me off.
“I don’t give a fuck what yourarranged-marriage husband thinks. And your coven is part ofmyduty. We are tied forever, whether you want to be or not. You are stuck with me.”
I stepped toward her.
“So, you’re just going to linger around me and my husband for the rest of my life—”
“Yes.” I leaned in slightly, voice low and unwavering. “Nothing—not a husband, not a spell, not even you, will chase me from my duty. And the heavens know it will take divine intervention to keep your stubborn ass in line. None of the men out there can handle that. That… ismyduty.”
Her eyes widened, flicking to mine like she was both wary and… intrigued. I let a slow, smug smile curl my lips.
“I really hate you sometimes,” she hissed.
I stepped forward.
“Are you sure about that? Because your eyes tell a different story.”
Her gaze glided over me, and I swore I could feel it on my soul as if it were her hands trailing across me. Her pupils dilated as she stared, then she turned away.
“I’ll make sure you get an invitation to my wedding. Maybe I should prepare a little room in the house for you too, since you seem determined to insert yourself everywhere in my life.”
I smiled at her. “If you insist… I’ll take the room closest to you.”
She whipped around and watched me.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” My smile widened because I knew what she meant. She wanted to know why I was flirting with her.
There was a simple answer; I couldn’t help myself.
“Flirting won’t make me any easier to deal with, just so you know.”
My hands lifted instinctively, as if they needed to grab her and pull her to me. I caught myself, but Elowyn saw the slip. We stared at each other for a moment, the air between us tight and charged, before I blinked and broke the tension.
I could step forward. I could reach for her.Even once, even just feeling her skin beneath my fingertips, would haunt me for a century.
The thought was dangerous, and it was getting harder to ignore. The truth struck me all at once, sharp and unwelcome. If I stayed, I would choose her.
I looked away before the thought could take root.
She couldn’t be mine, and I didn’t understand why. I felt her gaze on me and looked up. The shred of hope in her honey-colored eyes made me realize how cruel it was to lead her on.
“Good luck, Elowyn. I wish nothing but the best for you.” The words were true. I wanted her to be happy. I just hated that it wouldn’t be with me.
I would be haunted for the rest of my life, watching from the shadows. Watching another man touch her, hold her, love her. The thought hollowed out my chest until it hurt to breathe. The heavens had decided I was not worthy of her.
The last trace of hope in her eyes withered to nothing. “Just go.”
I listened.
When my star mist vanished, I was standing in my home alone. My hands shook once before I clenched them into fists, bracing myself against the familiar ache settling deep in my chest.
“I don’t know why you are testing me,” I said to the heavens, my voice breaking despite my effort to keep it steady. “Give me some sort of sign if she is supposed to be mine. Let her be mine. I have been a good god. I have followed the rules and done my duty. Give me any sign. Please.”
I closed my eyes and pressed my hand to my chest, breathing through the ache. It was getting harder to contain.
I had wanted her for so long that the wanting had begun to feel like a wound that never closed.
