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“I need to apologize,” I nodded. “I can’t go to him now, though – he left for the battlefield again this morning. But as soon as he’s back, I will approach him.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Ruth smiled again.
“Thank you for talking things through with me,” I squeezed her hand, trying to show my gratitude.
Ruth looked down at our hands with a puzzled expression. “You’re so young, Grace. It’s refreshing to see things from the perspective of someone who hasn’t been jaded by centuries of living.”
“How old are you, Ruth – if I may ask?” I stared at her, my eyes full of curiosity. I had never asked her the question before, although I had often wondered.
“Over three centuries,” she chuckled. “Old compared to you.”
“I’m glad you consider me a friend, regardless.”
She nodded, squeezing my hand back. “Of course I do. Good luck with talking to your husband.”
“I’ll need it,” I sighed. “I made this mess, now I have to fix it. At least I know where I went wrong. That’s the first step to making things better.”
I just hoped Silas really would still want to speak to me.
Chapter Twenty
Silas
Luke and I stood side by side, overlooking the plains on the border with Rosworth. Our army was marching forward. I had decided it was time for us to counterattack instead of just sitting near our camp waiting for the enemies to keep coming to us. Meanwhile, Athalis was to launch a simultaneous attack of their own against the forces of Rosworth’s army closest to them.
I didn’t expect much difficulty today since our allies were joining us, but war was unpredictable. Anything could happen, I reminded myself.
“How’s Grace doing those days?” Luke asked me.
I blinked once, then twice, taken aback by the question. “We’re not talking,” I said after a pause.
“Do you still sleep together, though?” Luke flashed me a smile.
I shook my head. “No, we don’t.”
“Bummer. I hoped you guys would make up quickly, but it seems your issues are deeper than just a lover’s quarrel,” he said.
I lowered my head. “She called me a monster.”
Luke whistled. “That bad?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “And she’s right. I am one.”
Luke frowned. “Not this again. You’re not a monster, Silas. You fought to protect her. She got a little scared, but she will come around.”
I shook my head. “She hates me.”
“It will pass,” Luke sighed. “She’s young. There’s a lot she still doesn’t understand about the world yet. She’ll see things the way they really are soon enough.”
Silence fell between us. After a pause, I said, “I love her.”
Saying those words turned out to be easier than I had thought. They were the truth, after all. Still, admitting them brought pain into my heart. I once again remembered Grace’s frightened face after she had watched me kill so many vampires in her defense.
I didn’t want her to be afraid of me.
Luke looked at me, his expression serious. “All the more reason for you to be honest with Grace. Tell her more about yourself; the things you’ve only ever spoken about with me. Tell her about how broken you felt after the war, how long it took you to heal, how happy being around her makes you feel.”
“How can I burden her with all of that?” I waved my hand in dismissal.
