I grabbed my elbow. “Was she the one?”
“Is it cruel to say no?” Seth stared at the ceiling. “I’ve heard how people talk about their soulmates. I don’t miss her like that. But I was in love with her when she died. I should have protected her. And, I didn’t.” He made a sound of grief that tore at my heart. “And I didn’t protect you, either.”
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. I felt his emotions as though they were my own.
“You’re only human, Seth,” I said, wiping my face.
“By all accounts, I’m a god.”
“Well, you’re a really shitty god.”
He laughed, rolling his head to face me. His countenance shifted, and he stared at me for a long while.
“What?” I breathed.
I hadn’t realized how close we were until he exhaled, and his warm breath caressed my cheek.
“Nothing,” he whispered.
Seth always radiated heat like a furnace. Frigid cold gripped my bones, and I shivered. Pain traced through my bruises.
Resisting the urge to press myself against him, I looked down. “Don’t make it so obvious you have something heavy weighing on your mind, if you want to keep it secret.”
Silence hung over the room. I lifted my eyes, wondering if he’d fallen asleep.
Seth watched me with a steady gaze, his expression soft. When our eyes met, he reached for me, fingers brushing my cheek before he withdrew his hand.
Finally, he spoke, though it was hardly louder than a breath. “I love you.”
Taken aback by his words, I stared at him with wide eyes. My hand curled into a fist between my breasts.
Swallowing, he turned away. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I can’t trust you,” I whispered.
“I know,” he breathed, rolling onto his uninjured side. “Get some sleep.”
A war of emotions tore through my heart. Despite everything, I still cared about him. Shifting closer, I pressed myself against his bare back and took his arm, offering what little comfort I could. He grabbed my hand, holding it to his chest like it were the only thread keeping him alive.
Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the dark until I could make out the tattoos on his arm. I traced the swirling lines, hoping to lure myself to sleep. Maybe I was imagining it, but I could see the sorrow in their runes—like tears streaming from the heart.
Seth drifted off quickly, though his grip on my hand never lessened. I waited by his side until I was sure he’d fallen into a deep sleep. Carefully extracting my hand from his, I pulled the blanket up around him and slipped out of bed, pulling my shoes back on.
Patting my leg, I quietly summoned Whisper and slipped out into the dark hall, locking the door behind me.
If Seth woke to find me gone, I could claim I’d at least taken the dog with me.
Whisper trotted after me as I made my way downstairs and stepped out onto the porch. Finding a seat in one of the rickety wooden chairs resting beside a pillar, I watched the quiet streets, trying to place why I was so distraught.
Running a hand through Whisper’s fur, I breathed deeply, straining to forget the terror I’d felt at the prospect of losing everyone—the terror when I saw the armored horse clip Eleos andthrow him to the ground.
But Icouldn’tforget—least of all the helplessness I’d felt when Haimyx had loomed over me, slowly killing me.
Whisper sat up, hackles raised. Snapping to attention, I stood, ready to run inside and rouse Seth.
A single man crossed the street, but his head didn’t turn in our direction. Whisper’s hackles flattened.
Crossing beneath a lantern still burning with fire, the man’s features were illuminated for a fleeting moment.
