“What I said…” Iyana frowned.Em only raised a brow at her, and then it all hit her again.She had told him she loved him.It was true, but now, with him staring at her that way, the words couldn’t pass her lips again.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Emmeric’s eyes narrowed.“Liar,” he purred.
Iyana’s stomach erupted with butterflies when Em calmly placed his cup down and prowled towards her.He deftly plucked her still mostly full cup from her hands, setting it down on the bedside table.All Iyana could do was stare up at this man, stare into those brilliant blue eyes that were looking at her like she was the whole world.
He crowded into her space, forcing Iyana to lie back as Emmeric climbed atop her and boxed her into the bed with his body.It was not a position Iyana was going to fight to get out of.The weight of him on top of her always felt safe.
His lips brushed against hers, but as Iyana tried to close that distance, Emmeric pulled back slightly.Only far enough that she couldn’t easily reach him.
“Say it again,” he murmured against her mouth, their breaths mingling together.Iyana’s heart beat faster, but she was done being scared of living her life.Emmeric was who she wanted.She wanted his smiles, his anger, his days and nights.All of him.Iyana wanted all of him, forever.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Those bright blue eyes sparked just before Emmeric crashed his lips against hers.He kissed her like he was starving.Like he could taste the words on her tongue.Iyana ran her fingers through his soft hair.
“Again,” he demanded.
“I love you, Em.”
He rested his brow on hers, staring at her face, and Iyana sensed the love flowing between the two of them.She sighed in bliss.Thoughts of the upcoming war threatened on the edges of her mind, but she ignored them.There was nothing other than Emmeric in this moment.
“Marry me,” he said, suddenly.Both of their eyes widened, and the shock flowing from him told Iyana that he hadn’t meant to say that.His mouth opened and closed a few times without any sound coming out.But when he tried to sit up and give her some space, Iyana tugged him back to her and kissed him soundly.
When they separated, Emmeric kept his eyes closed, like he was scared to see anything too telling in her expression.“Was that a yes?”
“It wasn’t a no…” she hedged.Because she didn’twantto say no.If they weren’t about to go to war, she would have agreed in a heartbeat.“But with everything else going on, Em, I—I don’t think—”
Emmeric silenced her with a finger to her lips.“I understand, Iyana.Our future isn’t a given, and it’s hard to plan ahead when we could all be dead in a few weeks.”
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as Iyana nodded.The thought of their family dying was too raw to think about.She had to hold on to the hope that they would all make it through this.
“When this is over and we’re on the other side, will you think about it?”he asked.
“Yes,” Iyana whispered.
Emmeric rolled, taking Iyana with him, and she giggled.They spent the rest of the morning delighting in each other and trying to ignore the dark future bearing down on them.
Thenextweekwasa whirlwind of activities—training, researching, strategizing with the Tsenira siblings, and meeting with the king and queen.Iyana threw herself into training wholeheartedly, pushing herself to her limits every day.Each night, Emmeric would draw her a hot bath and massage out her aching muscles, which allowed her to go just as hard the next day.Sometimes they would have enough energy to enjoy intertwining their bodies, but some nights, they both passed out in a jumble of limbs on the bed.
Finally, it was the night of the full moon, and Team Save Arinem again hiked through the jungle to Yrza’s mystical lake.Sekhan had wanted to go as well to meet the deity that Nyr worshiped the most, but Kaz convinced him to stay behind.She told Iyana that she wasn’t quite ready to open up about her personal history with Yrza.
It was easier this time around for Iyana to keep up with everyone else.She really was able to appreciate how much the training had been doing for her—both physically and magically.Both she and Emmeric were getting stronger, and they were able to work together flawlessly now.Emmeric could funnel her magic without missing a step or a swing of his sword, and Iyana was able to combine working with the daggers and her magic at the same time.She was nowhere near proficient in using the weapons and felt more confident in her magic, but she agreed with Talon and Em that it was an important skill to hone.She’d learned that lesson in the Dead Lands when the only thing that had saved her life was stabbing a dagger into one man’s thigh and another in the emperor’s chest.The memory sent a shiver down her spine, but Iyana shook it off and made sure she was keeping up with the others.
They again waited at the still water until the full moon was overhead and Yrza rose out of the lake in a blaze of light.Iyana realized the gods all seemed to love a certain level of pageantry when interacting with humans.
Kaz was rooted in place, watching the goddess walk towards her with a predatory hunger.Yrza walked right up to her, wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply.The shifter didn’t hesitate this time, pulling Yrza close.Iyana smiled, genuinely happy her friend had found someone she cared for at this level.
“You returned to me,” Yrza said when they broke apart, her voice still as ethereal as Iyana remembered it.
“I always will,” Kaz replied.They continued to cling to each other—one dark and the other light—until Zane cleared his throat.Kaz drew back slightly, but still within arm’s reach.“We need to ask for your help.”
“I will aid you in whatever way I can.”
“When we confront the stars, will you join us?”
Yrza turned her silvery gaze to Iyana.Even if she spent every day in the presence of a god, Iyana thought she would never become accustomed to the sheer intensity they always carried.She turned back to Kaz and visibly softened, running a hand along Kaz’s cheek.The shifter shut her eyes and leaned into the touch.
“I will try.The others do not like us to meddle in the affairs of humans, and they may try to bar my entry into this world.”
