“For what?”
“For being the opposite of him in every possible way.”
Jonus bends down and presses his lips to my forehead, right there in the middle of the event, in front of every journalist and editor in Washington DC. I don’t care. Let them watch.
Eventually,the event winds down and Lucy never showed.
I’ve called four times and it’s gone straight to voicemail every time. My texts sit unread. Now I’m worried.
Aldar is openly agitated now — pacing near the exit, tablet in hand. The composed tech genius who coordinated a firefight from his hallway monitors is visibly rattled and it’s unsettling to watch because Aldar doesn’t rattle. He leaves without saying goodbye to anyone.
“He’s in love with her,” I say to Jonus as we watch him go.
“He has no idea,” Jonus agrees.
Later, back at the hotel, I sit on the bed still in my event clothes and try not to worry about my friend. There are a million reasons why she might not be answering. Her phone might bebroken. Maybe she got a flat tire. Maybe…Well, whatever it is I know that Aldar is on it.
I blow out a breath and change out of my clothes and into pajamas.
Over the remains of room service, Jonus mentions casually that the bed was delivered to our new house yesterday. Dane supervised.
“A bed. That’s the first piece of furniture you put in that house?”
“It’s the most important piece of furniture.”
I shake my head but I’m smiling. “You have a one-track mind.”
“I have excellent priorities.”
We chat about Garlen and Ellie’s house. The remodel is underway and the entire first floor was gutted by the attack. Insurance is covering it but it’ll take weeks. New windows, new walls, the kitchen completely rebuilt. Garlen and Ellie are in good spirits, though. Ellie told me on the phone that she’s using the remodel as an excuse to upgrade the kitchen appliances and Garlen doesn’t get a vote.
In the meantime, the whole family is eating meals at Dane and Laurie’s. The household has shifted next door and Laurie is in her element with a full house. She’s been cooking for an army and loving every minute of it.
“They won’t even notice we’re gone,” Jonus says. “When we fly home from DC, we go straight to our own place. Our own bed.”
I press my hand briefly to my stomach without quite knowing why. Something feels different lately but I can’t name it.
Jonus sits beside me. Takes my phone gently and sets it on the nightstand. Takes my hands in his. “She’ll be okay. Aldar won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Aldar doesn’t even know he’s in love with her yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. An Irontree doesn’t need to understand what he’s feeling to act on it. He’ll protect her whether he has a name for it or not.”
I nod in agreement. Jonus didn’t have a name for his feelings for months. He flew to Colombia before he’d said “I love you.” He bought a house before he told me he wanted a future. Irontrees act first and understand later.
He reaches into his jacket pocket. “I have something for you.”
I stare at the small black box.
“It’s Irontree gold, from the family mines in Maine. My grandmother’s ring, resized.” He opens it and a warm gold band with a simple stone catches the hotel room light. “Orcs don’t traditionally exchange rings. But I know humans do and I want you to have something that tells the world you’re mine.”
My lips twitch. “Are you proposing to me in a hotel room?”
“Technically, I proposed when I flew to Colombia and when I carried you through a jungle. I proposed when I told you about the house.” His dark eyes hold mine. “This is just the part with the ring…Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
He slides the ring onto my finger. Kisses my hand. Presses his forehead to mine. “There’s something else. I’ve been able to scent a change in you for the last two days.”
