Page 121 of The Ballad of a Bard

And before she died, he needed to know.

There was no denying it, not any more.

There was no point denying it.

Crimson stopped a couple of inches away from him, gazing up into his face. She swallowed and her mouth felt extremely dry as she tried to find the words to tell him everything.

“You’re okay.” He breathed, eyes softening to the pointof pain that exploded inside her chest. Her lungs turned to lead. “Thank the Saints for that. I was so worried that he’d done something to you, that you’d perished in the cells.”

He hadn’t noticed the glow to her skin yet, the sheen of immortality in her eyes. Odd for him, who noticed everything but she pushed it aside for now.

“Other than forcing me to kiss him, he didn’t touch me.” Crimson replied, unsure of how to progress with the truth that burned her mouth, her gums, her tongue.

West’s head snapped towards the Prince in a jealous rage that made her own heart sing like a songbird. “He didwhat?”

“West, I need to tell you something.” She lifted her hand to meet his, pulling it down as she came even closer. Until there was barely any space between them and he was looking down at her in that way that made her skin feel warm. Until the rage vanished and concerning care took over once more in his handsome features.

“Anything, Heartstrings.” He murmured and cupped her face. She leaned into it and savoured the way he said her nickname. Herfull Saint title.“Whatever you want to tell me, I’ll listen.”

Cobalt remained off to the side with Rook, and there was no sign of Thalias or Damien. No sign of her father either.

Crimson took a steadying gulp of cool air, allowing it to sink into her lungs and steady her before she opened her mouth and said, “I love you. I have for some time now, and I’ve been pushing it away. Trying to deny it but I can’t anymore. Iloveyou, Westley Saint.”

West went rigid and a crack spliced her open.

Glass crunched inside her chest, as her heart shuddered violently.

“Don’t say that.” He rasped, pushed her off of him but she didn’t let go of his hand.

“Why not?” She stuttered, “It’s the truth! I’ve been in love with you for a while now, and Iknowthat you feel the same.” Her words vibrated as despair sank into her like a wire hook, ripping her to shreds as he tried to deny it for some Saints-damned reason.

“I can’t fall in love with you, Crimson.” He tried to argue, shaking his head. His russet skin was pale, paler than she’d ever seen it before.

“Why,” Crimson demanded. “Whynot?”

“Because if I fall in love with you, then I willdie.And if I die, then who will be left to take care of your brother?”He gritted his teeth, jaw flexing. His lapidary eyes were wild, frantic, fearful.

She didn’t back down.

Vexation curled in her like bleak smoke over a hearth, coming out in her voice as she said, “Don’t use some mortal phrases to avoid confronting your feelings about me. I’m not just a girl you brought into your life for the sake of finding Heartache. You can’t lie to me. Not when I know you so well, not whenyouknowmeso well.”

He spun around to face her, their audience forgotten in the moment. “Do you know how to kill a Saint?” He asked out of the blue in a harsh, clipping resonance.

Crimson blinked at him, letting go of his hand at last as she faltered back. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh it all connects, Heartstrings.” West tugged her closer, forcing her palm to spread flat and slammed it against his chest. She sensed that beat there, the one she called home, the one she’d come to love and cherish over the days. “There are two ways to kill a full Saint. one, with a weapon madeby a Saint.”

Crimson glared up at him. She knew that.Everyoneknew that. Muse had been killed by her own blades. Even the obnoxious Rapscallion Voss had written a whole chapter on Saints and theweapons they’d created over the years, the ones that could kill the immortals. “I don’t understand why you’re bringing this up now.”

“Two,” He went on with an angry snarl that was rife with anguish and torment. “Byheartbreak.”

Her breath hitched, her throat clogged.

“You arehalfa Saint. Eventually, you will die. And if I let myself love you, if I give into my feels and surrender my heart to you, then I will die too. When you die, it’ll be like someone tore my heart out and ripped it into shreds. So there you go, Crimson.That’swhy Icannotlet myself love you.”

He let go of her hand but she didn’t let it fall.

“Oh you stupid Saint.” Crimson muttered, shaking her head as relief soared through her at his initial reason for denial. “Don’t you see?”

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