Page 27 of The Immortal’s Mark

“You can toss those papers onto the floor.” He points to a cluttered chair in front of him.

I follow his instructions and sit down. Now that I’m here, I have no idea why I came. It’s like my brain wipes itself clean, leaving nothing but static. I clench my hands in my lap and nervously meet his gaze.

He watches me without speaking. After setting the packet aside, he leans back and crosses his arms, giving me his full attention.

“Is there something on your mind?”

“Um…” I clear my throat. “Just wondering how you’ve been. We haven’t really talked since…”

The memory of our last conversation rushes back.

We were in this same room, sitting only a few feet apart. The air was thick with tension. I had been arguing with him about joining the hunt for Adir. After seeing Adir attack Bella in a vision, I wanted Des to go help her.

We argued. And in the middle of it, he revealed how he felt.

“I care for you, Darcie. That’s why I have to stay. That’s why I can’t risk leaving you.”

Then Alexander burst in with the news that Bella and Adir were missing, shattering the moment.

Des and I haven’t had a second alone. He’s consumed by the search while I bury myself in training with Henry. Even knowing how hard he’s working to find Bella, I can’t ignore the disappointment that simmers beneath the surface when he doesn’t try to seek me out.

After all, he already told me how he feels…

Forcing myself not to back out of why I came here, I meet his gaze. “We haven’t talked since the night Bella disappeared. I…I was hoping you could explain why.”

His expression is a careful mask. “We have talked.”

I sigh. “I mean, we haven’t talked alone. Since… you know… what we talked about that night.”

I cringe.

I’m butchering this.

Completely.

“You are referring to what I said?” he asks, slower than before. Almost cautious. “About caring for you.”

“Yeah.” My heart thumps. “That.”

He exhales through his nose and looks away for a second.

Tension coils around my lungs. It’s difficult to breathe.

“It’s okay,” I rush to say. “If you didn’t mean it. Or if it was just⁠—”

His eyes snap back to mine. “I did not speak carelessly.”

The weight in his voice makes my pulse stumble.

“Oh.” My cheeks burn. “Okay. Good. That’s—good.”

Wow. Brilliant, Darcie.

“You must understand,” he says, voice somber, “it has been a very long time since I have allowed myself to feel anything that could compromise my judgment.”

Compromise.

The word lands heavy.