Page 64 of Captured

He looked at her hard. “I’m eighty-two years old, your highness.”

“Exactlymy point,” she snapped, looking fiercer than he’d seen her in a long time—maybe ever. “By now you should be old enough to know that love is a gift from the gods, and it should be treated with honor and care. You’ve given your life in service to the crown, Dimitri. You were a legend in Jasen’s father’s time. He never would speak of it, but I’ve seen the reports, seen the paintings. Then you left, returned and became a legend for Jasen. Then you disappeared again, returning only when the crown needed you to protect and guide a new set of princes. You’ve done that.”

“I haven’t.” Dimitri’s fists clenched. “Ari?—”

“Is out there, and we’ll find him,” she said, resting a light hand on his arm. “And when he returns, you will be here for him. I know you will. But the royal family isn’t the only reason worth living, Dimitri. Love is, too. Especially the kind of lovethat comes on the wings of Eros, to strike you unawares. Not even Zeus can deny a love like that.”

Dimitri scowled at her. “I committed myself to Zeus and to Oûros a long time ago. It was an honor and a privilege. I have no regrets about that.”

“Nor should you. But you were a boy then. It’s a different choice now.”

He stiffened. How was it possible she was saying the same things as Zeus’s agent on the island? What was going on here? “I wasn’t a boy. I knew exactly who I was, and I made my choices honorably.”

“You did, yes. But this is the first time in all your long life that you’ve fallen in love. We are all made new in that moment, if we choose to be.” She leaned forward and poked a long finger into his chest. “Choose it. Choose love. Don’t just protect that girl, grow old with her. That’s the biggest gift any soul could give another.”

Then she turned and sailed down the corridor.

Forty-Three

Lauren barely waited for the room to clear before turning on Nicki. “Are youinsane?”

Nicki bounced on her toes. “So I maybe got ahead of myself. But it’s not my fault. Stefan has that smirk on his face that I want to rip off him every time he looks my way. I haven’t been so universally disapproved of since Mrs. Matusek in the third grade.”

“Nicki, that’s not what I’m talking about. This is a nonstandard experience if ever I’ve heard of one. What if you...” She pointed at Nicki’s chest. “Collapse or whatever?”

“I won’t,” Nicki scoffed. “I only told you about my situation because we were zip-lining, but before that, you had no idea—none. I’ve never gone into cardiac arrest, and I probably won’t, no matter what my family history.”

Lauren closed her eyes. On the day that Emmaline had met Prince Kristos, the two of them had gone zip-lining in the middle of the Oûros mountains while Fran and Emmaline had toured the royal palace. Before they’d reached the base where they’d begin their expedition, Nicole had measured out a cocktail of beta blockers, which she downed with the practiced ease of someone long used to medication. She’d explained the bareminimum of the risk she took on a daily basis regarding her heart condition and had refused to say anything more.

Lauren had gotten the rest out of Emmaline, and it wasn’t good. It wasn’t bad, hopefully, probably, but Nicki would never know for sure until she consented to get fully tested. Which she was dead set against. And that meant that every time Nicki pushed herself too far, she ran the ultimate risk.

So, of course, she pushed herself too far on an almost daily basis.

“They have to know, right? Stefan and the others. They worked up a file on you.”

“They did.” Nicki grinned. “But my heart data wasn’t in it.”

Lauren narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”

“Because I haven’t been tested for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Not officially.” She waved off Lauren’s glance. “I got the beta blockers due to migraines I had, and I take them because hey, they might keep anything worse at bay. And though I’m sure our families all got a full financial workup once the whole Emmaline thing hit here to make sure none of us needed the royal family’s cash reserves, apparently our medical conditions weren’t considered a potential threat to Oûros national security.”

“But they should know.”

“Why?” Nikki shook her head. “Worst case, I get dizzy and sit down. If it’s worse than that, well, I’ll deal with it. If I can find a way to bring along an AED, I will. But I told you before, I’mfine.I would have collapsed by now if I was going to.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t not know it either.” She shrugged. “It’s kind of a moot point anyway. If the Oûros Powers That Be decide Ari is in the middle of some sort of danger zone or somewhere super public and official, they won’t let me go anywhere nearTurkey. They’ll handle it with their brass and flash. But if he’s somewhere kinda remote, you gotta admit I’m great cover.”

“More like you’re a menace.”

“Well, don’t let anyone know about my heart thing, okay?” Nicki’s eyes widened, and she looked more earnest than Lauren had ever seen her. “Promise? If I get the chance to go and do this—it would mean a lot. I can’t go through life half-assed, you know? I need to actuallyliveit, every day, every moment that I have. Promise me you’ll let me try.”

Lauren sighed, her own heart twisting. And, as Nicki said, she was probably fine. Familial cardiomyopathy didn’t necessarily affect everyone in the gene pool. Nicki might have been lucky. Shewaslucky, Lauren was sure. “Promise,” she whispered. Though it required all her long years of practice to keep the tears at bay.

Nicki’s grin was quick and full. “I don’t care what Emmaline said about you. You’re good people.” She was still laughing as she moved toward the door, and only then did Lauren realize that the door wasn’t closed.

Hadn’t the king shut it when they’d retired from the room? Or Cyril?

---