“Ultimately,youwill have to do it.”
Her smile fell. “I’ll do whatever I must.”
She would find no peace in it, and in that, we differed. I could flit to Bledmire and try to do it myself, but I knew I would not succeed. Yes, I held Weldsbane’s core within my soul, but Vera wasn’t the only fae who could see things he wished he couldn’t.
I’d seen that if I tried to kill Ivenrail myself, I’d die from my efforts.
The best vision said that this petite, strong woman at my side had a small chance of ending the king’s brutal reign.
I’d support her and love her and hope to still be standing with her when she delivered the final blow.
Her yawn stretched out.
You’re tired,I said in her mind.
Take us to our rooms, love. I want you. I need your soothing touch.
It’s always yours.In a blink we stood in our suite.
Would you like a bath?I asked.
Only if you take one with me.
My heart roared with a joy only this woman could give me. I prepared the room and magicked away our clothing. As she laughed softly, I swept her up in my arms. She snuggled into my chest.
I flitted us into the vast tub full of piping hot water, settling her on my lap facing me with my hands on her hips and her palms cupping my shoulders.
She smiled up at me. “Here we are again. I’m grateful it’s here in this tub and not at Bledmire, however.”
“You didn’t enjoy our baths at the castle?”
“They were delightful—”
I snorted. “Just delightful?”
“Sinful and delicious are better words to describe those moments, but they always held an edge of bitterness I couldn’t shrug away.”
“You’re safe here.” For now, though I could feel him coming. He’d reach the edge of the continent within a few days, and unless we stopped him, he’d overrun this land and drink down its power to feed his own.
“You’re safe here too.” Her fingertip traced across my throatwhere the collar used to thrive on my fear and my blood and any happiness I dragged from the torturous world I grew up in.
“I love you,” I said.
She kissed my chest and looked up at me. “I love you too. Always and forever.”
“There’s something I want you to do.”
Her head tilted, and her lips quivered, though she quickly smoothed them.
It was a kick in the gut that she suspected I could still be hiding things from her, and I deserved to take on the pain I’d delivered to her with one betrayal after another. I’d lied and hid things from her. Some I couldn’t share, others I held back to guide her—no, tomanipulateher along the only path that might ensure our success.
That time was over.
“I’m wide open to you. No more secrets.” I kissed her quickly. “I promise. Look into my eyes and see that I’m telling you the truth in this.”
Her brow knit as she studied my face and eyes before she nodded. “No more secrets?”
“I haven’t earned the right to ask you to trust me in this.”
