His eyes flash.
“We have already established I am not as stone-hearted as I pretend.”
“So that’s a no on safety,” I say lightly. “And a yes on wanting to carry me everywhere.”
He bares his teeth in something that’s not quite a smile and not remotely safe.
“Do not tempt me, Oona.”
But he does set me down—slowly, carefully, like he’s reluctant to lose even that much contact.
My feet hit the cool stone of the balcony.
The instant they do, I gasp.
The Barrow says hello.
That’s what it feels like, anyway—a low, welcoming vibration under my soles, like the fortress is some enormous living thing and it just recognized me.
The sensation shoots up through my legs, settles warm and solid in my belly.
I touch the balcony railing with one hand.
“Did you feel that?”
Dagan’s gaze sharpens.
“The Barrow greeted you.”
“That’s what that was?” I laugh shakily. “I was hoping it wasn’t just low blood sugar.”
“It recognizes the one I have bound myself to.” His voice goes softer, almost reverent. “Stone and earth and rock approve.”
I swallow. My throat feels suddenly too tight.
“That… means something here, doesn’t it?”
“In the Rooted Marches,” he says, stepping close again until his chest nearly brushes my shoulder, “nothing rooted survives long if it chooses poorly. The Barrow does not approve lightly.”
Well, great.
Now the castle is shipping us—rooting for a real relationship between us, too.
Heat crawls up my neck, and I’m glad the moonlight is doing weird things with the shadows.
“No pressure or anything.”
He studies my profile.
“Does it displease you? To be claimed by land and Lord both?”
“It…” I blow out a breath, staring out at the terraces below. Lanterns glow along the paths, little strings of light marking the route back to the town square where the last of the Sowing festivities are winding down. “…it scares me a little. I’m not going to lie.”
His hand brushes mine on the railing, pinky finger to pinky finger—so small a touch, I might miss it if I wasn’t hyper-aware of everything he does.
“But?” he prompts quietly.
“But it also feels good,” I admit. “It feels right. Like I’ve been walking around with the wrong set of coordinates in my head and suddenly everything lines up.”
