And I thoughtIwas hot.
“You are incredibly attractive,” I say.
Understanding the assignment, Castor adjusts the jacket with a quick tug on the lapels then begins fiddling with his cuffs. “You’re simmering, sweetheart.”
Yes, because I’mhot. Like I just said. “I’m made of fire now. Simmering is a side effect.” I plant a singeing little kiss on his cheek. “Back to affirmations.”
“Oh? Affirmations? Is that what we’re doing? I figured you were merely stating the obvious.”
I giggle. “So weird how you can be both this confident and yet…so insecure.”
“Duplicity. It’s a real gift.”
“You’re a gift.” I take a moment to play with his hair and see if I can do anything with it. At the moment, it’s really givingput me back in my hanfu robes, or else, unfortunately. So straight.So pretty. So silk. He fits so terribly well into ancient grace. My modern styles hardly complement the whole of him in the way I’d like.
“Do you want me to cut my hair?” he asks.
My innards revolt at the very thought, and my hair—which I’ve been trying to keep calm andnoton fire—ignites. Like Hades. From Disney. “Don’t you dare.” I put my hand at his back, a few inches below his neck. “If youevercut your hair shorter than this, I will emotionally, if notliterally,moltuntil it grows back.”
Castor’s teeth bare in a grin. “You want to make sure there’s enough to pull.”
I smack him in the back of his pretty head, then return to my affirmation scheme. “You’re a smart, strong, kind creature.”
“Knowing you believe that means the world to me, Mine.”
“I believe you can do this,” I say, firmly. Because now that I’m fully fae, Ifeelhim through our soul bond at a depth that makesnotbeing married to him agonizing. I believe hecando what he must, but more than that, I believe he needs to. Soon. For my sake.
I do not know how he’s suffered existing in this as long as he has. I do not know how he’s managed to maintain restraint. I cannot sum it up to anything but a great love for me—one that surpasses mere want.
His emotions tremble, and his doubt lurks, so I remind him, “It’s summer, Castor.”
“Yes? It is.”
Stern, I lift my finger and school, “Birds don’t experience mating periods like mammals. Their breeding time is cued by longer days and sunlight. Likewise, for snakes. If we miss summer—”
Castor, dryly, cuts off my dire tones. “We’re people, love. We don’t need to confine our…mating periods…as it were…to a single season.”
Oh… Lucky us!
I flutter my cute little faerie wings, which I keep itty bitty on my back when I’m not using them, for the sake of not setting everything on fire…but also because I prefer to have them present instead of tucked completely away. “We don’t have any instinct?”
“Not like that.”
I do some quick calculations and build a new and improved argument. “According topeoplescience, I am approaching my luteal phase. If missed, we’ll have to push our weddingpastmenstruation. Which could be a week or more, since my cycle is still settling.”
Lowering his face, he shakes his head, then he dips me off balance, looping an arm around my waist to hold me up. “I’ve waited millenia for you.”
“And another moment more would be agony unlike anything you’ve ever suffered?” I ask, hopefully.
He kisses my chin. “I will do my best to not keep you waiting for me.”
The flames licking inside me calm. Lifting my hands, I play with my magic in his clothes, fixing them so he’s back in his usual robes, then I spread my palms against his chest. “More than anything,” I say, “I want to fall asleep with you tonight. I want to hold you close, for hours. I want to look in your eyes and see the love you’ve shown me all this time. I believe you can do this, Castor. I do. If not for yourself, you will do it for me.”
Threading our fingers together, he rights me and kisses my wrist. “There is much to do. Yet priorities persist.” Turning, he takes me with him, reciting all the many things we need to tackle today—finishing the plans for our kingdom’s food sources,meeting with Cael to discuss matters ofhow to run a start-up kingdom, attending an event this evening at Andromeda’s school, which is apparently why Kassandra wasn’t at movie night yesterday. She was busy putting finishing touches on a hoard of crocheted gifts for her students.
“It’s aquarterparty,” Castor says. “Andromeda tells me we have to bring a quarter to usher in the new semester. Traditionally, in order to attend, we would need to do abackground check, but you no longer hold ties to your human background, and not a single one of my aliases would pass, so…”
That gives me pause as we head up the hall, toward the library. “You have human aliases?”
