“Malina, if Julian left, would you stay behind?”
My sister’s face paled and she gave one definite shake of the head.
“You’re not coming,” growled Trajan. “The answer is no.”
My own ire sparked at his stubborn refusal to listen. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” I said, not so gently, “but you told me that I was free now. If that is so, then I’m free to make my own decisions. That includes returning to Rome to help break free that German barbarian so that we have a real chance at defeating the emperor. At creating this new Rome you want so badly.”
Grim-faced, jaw hard as granite, Trajan said through gritted teeth, “I’m not going to use you or your power for my own gain, Lela. I am never going to be likehim.”
Now he was simply being stupid. “Valerius only used my body. Henever once thought to use my power, only to muzzle me and keep me biddable.”
“Valerius was a stupid, fucking worthless shit of a man.”
“Agreed,” I replied calmly. “But I’m offering to use my power for something good. For what it was meant for, Trajan.”
He stared at me, fury radiating. Even his dragon had shown up, glowing from the blue fire of his eyes.
“All right,” said Malina on a sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to let you go. As long as you return quickly.”
“Of course I will,” I told her.
“You don’t know that.” Trajan’s expression had gone dark, his entire demeanor defiant. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“So you’re admitting there’s a chance you might not make it back out this time? Then I’m definitely going. Because my magic can stop anyone in our path.”
Julian chuckled, but Trajan stood and stormed away from us, opening and slamming the door on the far side of the room.
“Well, at least he chose the right room. That’s Ruskus’s bedchamber. Where you two will be sleeping together, I imagine?” Malina arched a questioning brow at me.
We hadn’t discussed my relationship with Trajan, but my sister was an empath. She could read the emotions of us both without me ever saying a word.
I simply smiled at them. “Good night.”
When I entered the room and closed the door, it was to find Trajan at the window, both arms on the corner edges. Outside, it was dark.
“It’s cold,” I told him. “You should shut the shutters.”
There was a fire already crackling in a much smaller fireplace in the room, but it was hardly a match for the chilly night air coming in through the shutters he’d opened.
He didn’t move or answer, his body rigid while he sucked in deep breaths. Slowly, I walked to him and pressed my body to his, wrapping my arms around his waist, trying to ease him down from the emotional cliff he stood upon. After a few moments, his breathing evened out but he remained staring out into the cold night.
“I was prepared to give you up,” he finally said.
I stiffened, still holding my arms tightly around him.
“I brought you as far away from the place that had hurt you the most. I wanted you safe. In mindandbody. You can’t go back.”
I realized I’d hurt him in my demand to return. I released him and straightened.
“Look at me, Trajan.”
He remained where he was, huffing one more great gulp of air before finally closing the shutters and latching them. He turned, his arms stiff at his sides, his expression so full of pain. My heart ached at it.
Placing my hands on his chest, one palm over his heart where I could feel it beating a rapid rhythm, I held his gaze.
“I don’t want to be left behind. I don’t want to be parted from you… my fierce dragon… my dearest protector.”
My darling love.
