Page 56 of The Blood Crown

Tension strung the small space between them before he finally spoke. “If we make it back to Ravenstone—" he hesitated, "there are many things that I wish to say to you."

“When,” she amended, “whenwe make it back to Ravenstone.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, the anguish in his voice enough to make her to look at him. “For losing hope—for doubting that we would find a way out.” He took a step toward her, so close now that his chest brushed against hers with every breath he took. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For saving them—for saving me.”

Her amber eyes met his, a deep resounding ache of longing in her chest. “You are worth saving.”

“What happened between us . . .” His words trailed off as his thumb brushed along her bottom lip, sending a delicious curl of heat up her spine, her magick answering to him even as it lay trapped, thrumming under her skin like a sleeping beast. He bent his head from where he towered over her and the heavy silver chain that usually stayed tucked beneath his collar slipped free.

The glint of copper was unmistakable even in the pale moonlight.

Ven’s fist wrapped around the coin, but not fast enough and whatever words had been on her tongue dried up completely.

For months she had wondered what talisman he kept close to his heart . . . and now she knew.

A copper crescent.

The same one she'd given Cog on the balcony of her old chambers in the Capitol—when she had thought him a mere bird. Before she'd known of the world and the creatures beyond the Valley's edge. Before she had realized magick not only existed, but that she possessed it.

“You kept this . . .” she breathed. The piece of patinaed metal was nearly worthless—enough to buy one of the sugared strawberries vendors outside of the palace gates sold in early summer. She'd offered it to the raven with hardly a thought—with no knowledge ofwhohe might bring it to.

And Ven had been wearing it around his neck . . .

"I thought—" he swallowed, tucking the coin beneath his collar, "I thought you had left for good."

She'd been so certain that it was a memento from a past love . . . a reminder of someone lost.

The words were barely a whisper as they left her lips. "But why?"

A blush stained his cheeks as his eyes dropped. "It was the only thing I had left . . . of you." His stare lifted to hers again, the look in his eyes pleading, begging her to understand—to piece something together so that he wouldn’t have to explain it.

"But you said . . ." Her words trailed off as she tried to make sense of it. His desire for her had been real enough, but he'd been honest—so heartbreakingly honest with her—that there was nothing more between them. Nothing more that he wouldoffer her past those stolen, fragile moments when they had kept each other from breaking.

And there was something like guilt in his expression as he finally spoke.

“We are Bound.”

The words struck her like a physical blow as she stumbled back, her boots snagging on thick roots. Ven easily caught her, his grip around her arm steady, certain. As unwavering as the way he stared at her now.

She’d been guessing at what this was between them for so long . . . And now that he’d spoken the words aloud—it seemed so obvious. She was a fucking fool for how clear it was.

She shook off his grip and hurt flashed across his face as he dropped his hand back to his side.

“How long,” she uttered, face burning—eyes stinging. “How long have you known?”

He swallowed hard, flexing his clenched hand as he searched her face. “I wasn’t certain until the night before you left Ravenstone.”

Months. . . He'd known for months.

The acrid taste of shame coated her mouth. “You offered me the choice to go back . . . to that life . . . tohim,” she uttered. If he’d told her—it might have changed everything. Her voice was lethally quiet as she pieced together the truths he offered. “You said there was no future for us . . .”

“You wanted to return," he said softly, "it seemed less complicated if I bore this burden alone.”

This burden.

He’d claimed her . . . in an enemy kingdom—when neither of them thought to see Ravenstone again. When he didn’t expect the consequences of his actions to follow them back home.

Being Bound didn’t equate to love, and he’d never spoken the word. Neither had she, coward that she was. What transpiredbetween them had been desire and nothing more. He'd nearly made a blood oath to his father that would have separated them forever . . . and he still hadn’t told her. Hadn't thought she was deserving of the knowledge.

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