He stilled immediately. “What is it?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” She pressed a hand to his chest, holding him at arm’s length—not pushing him away, just... pausing. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Now?”
“Now.” Her voice was firm, but her eyes danced with something he couldn’t quite identify. “Before we get too distracted.”
He released her reluctantly and took a step back, giving her space. His beast grumbled at the interruption, but he pushed its instincts aside. If she needed to talk, they would talk.
“All right. I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath, and some of that dancing light in her eyes shifted into something closer to nervousness. “There’s a new experience I want to try.”
Immediately, every protective instinct in him went on alert.
He’d learned, over the past two months, that her curiosity had no bounds. Freed from the tower’s restrictions, she wanted to experience everything—which had led to some wonderful moments, like her first taste of ice cream or her delighted discovery of theater performances. But it had also led to some terrifying ones.
The time she’d wanted to learn to ride and had chosen the most spirited horse in Ember’s stable. The cliff she’d wanted to climb because the view from the top looked interesting. The night market she’d wandered into alone because she’d heard rumors of exotic plants being sold there, not understanding that night market was often code for less savory transactions.
Each time, he’d bitten his tongue and let her take the risk, intervening only when absolutely necessary. Her freedom mattered more than his peace of mind. She’d spent twenty-one years having her choices made for her; he refused to become another jailer, no matter how well-intentioned.
But sometimes—sometimes—he understood exactly why ARIS had been so protective.
“What kind of experience?” he asked carefully.
“Nothing dangerous.” She must have seen something in his expression, because she smiled reassuringly. “I promise. No wild horses or suspicious markets.”
“Those were legitimate concerns.”
“The horse was perfectly gentle once I understood her personality. And the night market had the most fascinating specimens?—”
“The night market also had three men who tried to follow you home.”
“Who you dealt with very efficiently.” She stepped closer, taking his hands in hers. “But this is different. This isn’t something that could hurt me. It’s just... new.”
“Then tell me.”
She hesitated, and for a moment that nervous light returned to her eyes. Baylin felt his tension ratchet higher. What could make her nervous? What experience could she want that made her hesitate to share it with him?
“You know how I’ve been studying my blood,” she began.
“Yes.”
“Well, part of my father’s research focused on... inheritance. Whether my abilities would pass to any children I might have.” She met his eyes directly. “He concluded that they would. At least partially.”
His heart stuttered.
“He also studied Vultor genetics,” she continued, her voice steady despite the nervousness in her eyes. “From samples heobtained somewhere—I don’t know where. He was interested in how our species might interact at a biological level.”
“Liora—”
She squeezed his hands. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since.”
His mind raced. He knew where this was going—of course he knew—but the reality of it crashed over him like a wave, leaving him breathless.
“What are you asking me?”
She smiled then, that brilliant smile that had captivated him from the first moment he’d seen her on the tower balcony. “I want to have a baby, Baylin. With you. I want us to create something new together.”
