“Urian?”
His heart stopped as he heard a voice he’d never thought to hear again.
Nay, it couldn’t be. Stunned and unable to believe it, he turned, then stood up slowly. “Xyn?”
In human form and dressed in bronze armor over a red chiton, she walked slowly toward him. Her vibrant Titian hair was braided and coiled around her head, exposing her pointed ears. “I felt as if something was wrong.” She glanced about nervously. “If Apollymi finds me here, she’ll have a fit, but I had to come and see if you were all right. I can’t explain it. I just had to check on you.”
His throat was so tight from the sudden rush of happiness and grief that he couldn’t speak. Cupping her face with his hands, he did the one thing he’d always wanted to do.
He kissed her.
Xyn gasped as she breathed Urian in and melted against him. He smelled so intoxicating. Of leather and haxyn, and sweet rowan. No one smelled quite the way her Apollite did. They never had. And she shuddered as his tongue swept against hers. Fisting her hand in the linen of his chalmys, she felt his muscles bunching beneath her fingers.
When he finally pulled away to stare down at her, she smiled impishly up into those beautiful blue eyes. “I take it you missed me?”
He laughed at her question. “More than you can imagine.” A stricken expression darkened his eyes. “I found your letter. And I’m sorry for everything.”
She toyed with his soft hair. “So am I. But I can’t stay.”
The agony in his eyes tore at her heart and made her ache for him. She brushed his hair from his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
His lips trembled. “Tannis died today.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”
A single tear fell down his cheek. “I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat and fell into that staunch, tough leader role of his. “You should go before you get into trouble.”
How could she leave now, knowing what had happened? Knowing what his sister had meant to him? “Do you have anyone with you?”
When he hesitated, she scowled. “Where’s your wife?”
He sighed. “Sheba was killed.”
Xyn felt sick to her stomach. “When?”
“A few years ago.”
Years? He’d been alone all this time? She couldn’t believe it. “You haven’t remarried?”
He snorted with a hostility that set her back. “Why would I?”
Companionship would be the normal reason, but he had one that made a lot more sense. “To eat?”
“I have women willing to feed me now. No need to rush intothatagain when I don’t have to.”
She barely caught herself before she rolled her eyes. He sounded so much like her brother Veles that it was frightening. “So you’re alone?”
“Aren’t you?”
Well … aye. But she didn’t want to think about that. She was a dragon. It wasn’t quite the same thing. They were used to being alone. It was in their DNA. In all her life, his was the only company she’d ever craved.
And crave him, she did. More than had ever made sense.
Burying her hands in his hair, she tugged playfully at it. “My poor Uri. You’ve ever been my aggravation.”
He arched a brow at her.
“It’s true.”
