Page 90

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not asking you to promise me the rest of your life. I’m asking whether what we’ve been doing means something, anything, to you.”

“It does.”

“Then tell me what it means.”

He opened his mouth, but nothing came.

Ria nodded slowly. “That’s what I thought.”

His expression changed. “That’s not fair.”

“Maybe it isn’t.” Her voice wavered, and she forced herself to steady it. “But I can’t keep pretending this doesn’t hurt.”

Asterion took a step toward her.

“I stayed because Korinnae needed me,” she said. “I stayed because I wanted to help your family. But somewhere along the way, I started staying because of you.”

He looked at her, and for a moment she thought he might finally say what she needed to hear, but he kept quiet.

“If you want me to stay, Asterion, you need to tell me. I’m not going to keep guessing.”

His face remained unreadable, and Ria felt her chest tighten as she realized he still wasn’t going to tell her. She swallowed and nodded, more to herself than to him.

“Then I have my answer.”

She turned toward the hallway, but his voice stopped her.

“Ria.”

She paused without looking back, waiting for him to say something that might change her mind and give her a reason to stay. When nothing came, Ria took a breath and continued down the hall, forcing herself not to turn around.

Chapter 13

Asterion

Asterion stopped in the doorway of Ria’s workshop and found her packing. Jars had already disappeared from two of the shelves, leaving bare spaces where herbs, powders, and strange ingredients had accumulated over the past few weeks. Her enchanted satchel sat open on the worktable, accepting each item she dropped inside before shifting its contents to make room for the next.

He had known she was going away. She’d made that clear enough. Knowing it and seeing her dismantle the little corner of Alindale that had become hers were two different things.

“You’re packing.”

Ria didn’t look at him. “That’s generally what people do before they leave.”

He stepped into the room. “When?”

“Tomorrow, probably. I need to make arrangements in the Upperworld first.”

“Tomorrow.”

That finally made her turn. “Is there a problem?”

Aye. There was a problem. He didn’t want her to go. The answer came easily in his head, yet he couldn’t force it past his lips. Wanting Ria here was the simple part. Asking her to stay meant asking what came after. She had a life in the Upperworld, people who depended on her, and work she had spent years learning to do. His place was here with Korinnae. He had no right to ask Ria to rearrange her entire life when he couldn’t tell her what he could offer in return.

“Korinnae will want to know.”

Her expression changed, and he immediately knew he’d said the wrong thing.

“Of course I’ll tell her.”