“Anyway.” She jerked her mouth up in a feral smile. “This was fun. We should do it more often.”
“We will.” I swept my arm around her waist and tugged her close. I was sure she thought I was going to kiss her, but I held her instead. Comfort was what I wanted to give her most.
“You carry so much heartache alone,” I whispered against her hair. “If only I could inhale every slice of your pain.”
“You’ve given me hope my world will no longer be dark,” she mumbled against my chest.
“A dark passage still stretches ahead of you. I’ll cover the roof with stars to light your way, to guide you to me where I wait at the other end, unable to think or breathe until you stand by my side.”
“Merrick.” She looked up at me, and in her tear-swept eyes, I found something to cling to. Would she . . .?Couldshe?
There was still time. Please, let there be enough time.
“Would you like to see my gift?” I asked.
Her smile came out shaky, but it was true, and it stabbed through my heart cleanly. “You don’t need to give me anything.”
“These are sturdy. Effective.” I flicked my fingertip on the hilt of one of the blades sheathed at her sides. “But this . . .”
She could flit her body, but I could move objects. I’d arrived before her to hide this. A blink, and I held out my gift wrapped in cloth in my hands.
Her head tilted and a bemused expression traveled across her face. “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.”
We sat on one of the soft mats, and I laid the gift on her thighs. She delicately peeled back the cloth, revealing twin blades.
“I had crafted them to match the hilt of your sword,” I said.
“You made them yourself?”
I nodded, biting my lip, watching her face. “I wasn’t always with my advisors.” No, I was making something for her.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” Her eyes darted away from mine. “About my sword. I should tell you that . . .” She explained that the man she’d loved had given it to her years ago, that she’d used it since, and it showed in the wear on the blade and the hilt. “You need to know that Lore took it from me when I boarded the ship.”
“He mentioned something about that.”
There would be no penetrating her guarded look. “How much does he tell you about me?”
“We share what’s going on in our lives, but we mostly stick to updates. He fills me in on what I might’ve missed while I slept, and I do the same for him. This way, I’m in control at all times. I want to know everything he has to say about you.” A low growl rumbled through my chest. “He admires your strength and bravery.”
“What else does he share?”
“He updates me on your progress with magic. He tells me what you say, how you might be feeling.”
Her shoulders curled forward. Was she worried about what he’d told me? “Everything?”
This bothered her when it shouldn’t. He and I were best friends. We’d never betray each other. “Only what I need to know. He told me he’d had your sword repaired. He showed me how it looked when it was finished.”
Her eyes wide, she slid the sword from the sheath slicing down her spine and tilted it this way and that, admiring it in the light.
“You two have similar skills,” she said.
“Like you, we have others, though our elemental magic is strongest. I think our skills mirror each other because we’re close. We grew up together and have been best friends all our lives.” There wasn’t much I didn’t share with Lore.
“The swords and blades are gorgeous. I can’t imagine using them in battle.”
“Do it. If they get dinged or suffer wear, I’ll make them new again for you.” I tapped one of the golden blades. “When I saw what he’d had done with your sword, and he told me how much it meant to you, I knew I had to give you a gift from my heart as well. They’re not ordinary blades. I infused them with protective magic. They can not only destroy a magical blade like the one that attacked you, but they’ll also never break, never tarnish. When you wear them, they’ll extend my ward around you.”
