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I bite my lip. “He’s older than the island of Galmoleth. Some say he’s suspended his life through chaos magic, but there’s no proof of that claim.” I look down at her again, knowing nothing I can say will change the fate of her friends. “I am sorry for everything that has happened. For everything that will happen. They don’t deserve it.”
She says nothing for a time, and even her hand goes still. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
I can only nod.
“Did you know? Before…”
“Before I accepted the task?” I look at her quizzically. Her affirmative is a mouthed ‘yes’, and I stroke her back as if to reassure her. As if I could reassure her. “I’d never seen a human before that day. I didn’t think your kind was any more than standing cattle, to be honest. I didn’t know. If I did, maybe I would have gone against my King’s command, but someone else would have taken to the task without hesitation.
“I am glad it was me, if it had to be anyone. Because I have you.”
Her glittering eyes finally meet mine, and she issues a half hearted smile. “I’m glad it was you, too.” But she’s still troubled, and I can’t blame her. “I’m just worried about the others, and those we left behind. It’s not an easy world, down there.”
“No, it isn’t,” I say, dragging her closer. “You are so brave, Cora.”
“No more than the next person that survives Protheka.”
I can’t help but smile. “You stand in a caste all your own. When you stood fearlessly to protect those you cared about, I was only just beginning to see the fire inside of you. But you have no equal. Not even close.”
She accepts my embrace meekly. “It’s kind of you to say so.”
“I mean it,” I say in a growl. “Or you wouldn’t have intrigued me.”
I can feel her swirling emotions, and hope none of them are regretful. Since the moment I laid eyes on her, she has never been far from my thoughts. Her soft lips press against my collar bone. “It’s not the life I imagined for us, but I want to make the most of it.
“I want to see the others.”
My heart sinks at her declaration. “I don’t know if the King will allow us to. He has the errant belief that you will rile them up.”
Her glare is unconvincing. “And who gave him that impression?”
This woman, I think, hating how she sees right through me, though it gladdens me to know that little will slip past her. It will do her well in Ti’lith. “I did, before I knew better.”
Cora’s gaze softens. “You really think I’m that much trouble?”
“I think you’re just the right amount of trouble.” I kiss her forehead. “And I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
She relaxes against me and sighs. “Good to know.”
I stare at the ceiling as we lie together in the silence. Our concerns linger in the air, never far from us. I can feel hers, threatening to spill out. She wants to protect her friends, and I understand why. If they are anything like her, though, they’ll be alright.
I have to know that, or I am responsible for their deaths.
The King’s words echo in my mind. He imagined some will die for the sake of our race, and I wonder if the sacrifice is worth it. Would Cora still care for me, if she knew all that I do? Would she hate me?
One day, I’ll tell her everything.
I swear it to myself, knowing that whatever alliance we’ve forged will likely be broken beyond repair. I will lose her trust and affection, and she will wall herself off from me. Will she hate the child we create, too? I can’t imagine she would, even if she despised me. She’s as stubborn as an Ur’gin and as fearless as a Gilak.
My little human.
“Giroth,” she murmurs again, sleep dragging at the edges of her constitution.
“Yes?” I ask again, running my claws through her golden hair. “What is it, Cora?”
“I want to see them again.” I open my mouth to remind her that it’s impossible when she puts a finger to my lips. “I know you can arrange it. Please,” she asks with some emphasis. “That’s all I ask, for everything I’ve already given you.”
She stuns me with her quiet insistence, and I can’t help but nod. “I’ll do my best.”
