Page 128 of My Wild Horse King

But I can’t help feeling sorry for him.

Maybe it’s that, if our roles were reversed, I’m not sure I wouldn’t do the same things he’s done. I can hate what he’s done and who he’s become and still lament that it’s happened, can’t I? Or does it make me a monster, too?

I’m not sure how long I’m standing there, but I’m soaked to the bone and shivering when a large, warm arm drops around my shoulders. “Kat.” Gustav’s large, warm mouth presses against the side of my face. “Come inside.”

“I—yes. I should.” I lean against his chest. “I know I should.”

“Are you angry?”

I shake my head. “I’m proud of you. I’m delighted your plan worked. I’m sad it came to this, and I’m relieved that the largest danger is past. But. . .”

“You feel bad for him.”

I shrug. “I’m sorry if that bothers you.”

He drags me closer, and I turn so my face is pressed against his strong, wide chest. “Don’t be. It’s that compassion I first felt drawn to.”

“Really?” I look up at him.

He drops a kiss on the end of my nose. “I’ve never said this to anyone before, but I love you, Katerina. Truly. I love you for your compassion. I love you for your forgiving heart. I love you for caring about people, even broken people like me.” His arms encircle my waist and draw me in underneath his chin, even though I’m soaked. Even though I’m cold. Even though I’m broken.

“I just want you guys to focus on ways to contain him, if you can.”

“You must understand why they’re afraid,” Gustav says. “If he wakes up and we can’t contain him. . .”

“None of them have powers,” I say. “I know. We already have our hands full, just keeping Boris and Mikhail under control.”

“Well, I’m less worried now that they have no powers, but they are high-level Russian diplomats we’re technically wrongfully detaining.”

“Not that anyone would rat us out, but the world does know they’re here.”

“The Birch Creek people—” Gustav sighs. “I’m glad they’re okay, but putting them at risk stresses me out.”

We barely know them, but I already care about them all a great deal. “I know what you mean.”

“We should get out of here as quickly as we can. We shouldn’t let anything else bad happen to them because of us.”

“Amanda’s heart was repaired thanks to us being here, and you fixed their house,” I say. “So it’s not all been bad for them.”

“I guess,” Gustav says. “But still.”

“Where will we go?” I turn and look up at him. “New York?”

“We?” His eyebrows rise.

“Where you go, I go,” I whisper. “Unless you don’t want me.”

“Then I guess we have some things to talk about,” he says. But he’s smiling. “What do you want to do?”

“Once we deal with Leonid, I’ll go anywhere you want. New York. Latvia. Russia. Costa Rica. Iceland, though it sounds disturbingly cold, to be totally honest. You tell me, and I’ll pack for it.” Even thinking about a world where I’m not dealing with people arguing over what magic they have and what the world should look like, well. It sounds. . .unbelievably amazing. “But maybe whatever we decide, we start with a trip to Costa Rica. Or Hawaii. Or, ooh. I’ve always wanted to see Paris. I could eat chocolate croissants until I fall into a sugar coma and die.”

“You know, I’ve never done much traveling. I always thought it was because I was too busy with school and work, but now I’m thinking maybe it was because I didn’t have anyone to travel with.”

“Oh?”

“Now that you mention those places, I can’t think of much I’d rather do than go see them with you.”

When he kisses me this time, I no longer feel cold at all. We may both be drenched and standing in the mud, but I’ve never been happier. The world may yet hold a lot of uncertainty and danger, but I’m finally facing it with someone I trust to have my back.

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