I loosened my hold on Val and motioned her to rejoin me by the railing. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
She sighed and leaned against the side of the ship, the wind whipping up her hair. “Are you going to ask me to stay on board during the battle?”
That, in fact, wasnotwhat I wanted to say, but… “It’s not a bad idea, Val.”
She swatted aside the hair that blew into her eyes. “I don’t think I can do that.”
“Do you know how to fight?”
“You take a sword and you swing it at the enemy.”
“Yes, well. That’s true, but…Val, it takes a lot of practice to get good at it.”
Scowling, she turned away. Her jaw worked as she gazed at the shore we were quickly approaching. My heart clenched. I understand how she felt. I’d never be able to wait on a ship while everyone I knew and loved fought for survival. It was against everything I believed in. And the fact she was brave enough to want to join us in that fight…
I reached out for her hand, but my knuckles barely skimmed hers. Suddenly, I didn’t know if I could go through with this. I’d never felt more nervous in my life. I cleared my throat. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, though.”
She turned back, and her gaze dropped to where our hands brushed. Her eyes swept back up to my face, and my breath nearly caught from the sudden softness in them. She curled a pinky around mine. I didn’t know if I could breathe.
“What is it you want to say to me, Niamh?” she asked softly.
That was when I understood, when I realized I’d been such an idiot. Valknew. And from the look on her face, she had known for a very long time, and she had been waiting for me to do something about it.
I’d wasted so much time. All these weeks spent together could have been so much more, and yet…and yet, I wouldn’t change any of it. Her friendship had become everything to me.
As the wind gusted her hair into her face again, I brushed aside the strands. I didn’t think I’d ever touched someone—oranything, really—with so much tenderness. The thought of touching so much more of her made me quake.
“You are beautiful,” I finally made myself say, with my hand still on her cheek. “You are brave, and you are kind. Before we face what might be the end of our world, I needed you to hear that from me. I need you to know I care for you deeply.” My thumb swept down to her full lips. “And I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you, holding that axe of yours.”
She stepped closer and tilted back her head in invitation. “I am yours. I have been for weeks. All you have to do is put your mark on me.”
I cupped her face with my other hand and pulled her closer. Breath shuddering, I lowered my head and brushed my lips across hers. The longing and wild yearning cascaded through me, and I deepened the kiss, even as I tried to hold my passion at bay. I was scared of overwhelming her, afraid if I did too much, it would frighten her away. But then she grabbed the front of my leathers and tugged me against her.
Her mouth moved against me with a feverish intensity that matched mine. I kissed her fiercely. My hands roamed down the length of her and relished her curves. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and she was here in my arms at last. I wanted to spend forever like this.
I did not know how long we kissed and stood there enjoying the feel of each other. But when it ended, all I wanted was more. Val pulled back, gasping. Her face had turned a brilliant pink, and her lips bloomed with color.
She gave me a shy smile. “I’ve been waiting for you to do that for quite some time.”
“I should have done it sooner,” I said.
A booming thunder shook through the skies, louder than a moment ago. Val’s smile dropped. We both turned toward the shore and the stormy darkness beyond it. We were only moments away now.
“You best go get changed,” I told her.
“Into the leathers? I thought you wanted me to stay on this ship.”
“I do, but I won’t try to stop you if you want to fight. It’s your people out there, too, and I know you consider Tessa your family.” I pulled a dagger from my side and placed it in her hands. “You’re the one who gets to decide what to do. No one else.”
Fire sparked in her eyes. I knew it would. “I’ll go get changed.”
I waited by the railing, watching the rest of the human forces gather on the shore. When Val returned, she brought Alastair with her. He’d found a few extra daggers to attach to his leathers, making him look like the force of nature he always was.
I held out my hand. He wrapped his meaty paw around mine, and we clung tight.
“We go to war together once more, my old friend,” I said.
“Always a pleasure.” He grinned. “Wouldn’t want anyone ‘cept your annoying ass beside me.”
