Page 144 of A Promise of Peridot
“I mean—” She shook her head. “Do, eventually. Do ask me. I want to be wed. I want to be with you, but first...”
First let’s make sure she has a life to spend with me at all.
Arwen’s hand splayed across my chest as we listened to the rhythmic sounds of Acorn’s snores twined with the wind rustling between the balcony drapes. Arwen dragged a finger across my forearm. All its small raised lines and pale white marks. “Why do you have so many scars? Are these from being in your dragon form?”
“Some.” I scanned my own biceps and torso. “I wish I had more valiant stories to tell you. Most of them are from a pretty standard Fae childhood.”
Her brows met in confusion.
“Fae heal very quickly. Growing up, Fae children tend to findthemselves in precarious situations because they know they can survive almost anything.”
I could hear the pieces clicking together in her mind. “So, when I heal quickly... that’s not due to my healing abilities, that’s just part of being Fae?”
I dipped my chin in confirmation.
“Would I also age very slowly? Would I have lived thousands of years?”
“Yes, bird.”
“Longer than Mari, and Ryder, and Leigh... longer than you?”
I tucked a finger under her chin and brought her eyes to mine. “Yes. Youwilloutlive us all. Even me. I’m not full-blooded. But I’ve got at least another thousand years in me, so don’t get too excited.”
Arwen continued her lazy strokes, this time across my abdomen, and I shut my eyes against all that stood against us as soon as we left this room. Hemlock wouldn’t be easy, but hopefully we could get in and out, as long as—
“Why are you so... fit?”
I choked on a laugh. “What do you mean?”
She sat up and stared at my abdomen. “You’re practically carved out of stone. Do you exercise a lot or something?”
I shrugged. “I suppose I do. In my free time. I don’t have a lot of...”
“Hobbies?” she supplied.
“I was going to say friends.” The truth sounded fairly depressing. “Other than Griffin. And Acorn. So I train whenever I can. Sometimes out of boredom.”
“I know you didn’t appreciate my offer of friendship in the caverns, but you are probably my closest friend. Don’t tell Mari.”
I chuckled. “I’d say don’t tell Griffin, but I’m sure he wouldn’t give a shit.”
“Oh, yes, he would. He loves you.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea why.”
She pushed back to put space between us and held my eyes in hers. “Don’t kid yourself. You’re a good man, Kane.”
If I had any hope of that being true, I owed her one final truth. “I have to tell you something.”
“I swear to the Stones, Kane, if you have kept one more horrible secret from me, I will castrate you.”
“I doubt castration will be necessary, but I don’t want anything else between us, either. Last night when you came to my bedroom, I was preparing to leave for the Pearl Mountains.”
Arwen paled. “Why?”
“Remember what Beth said about the way of the Crow? Long before we found you, I heard rumors of a sorcerer who lived there in isolation. Someone who might be able to make me a full-blooded. I hoped to take the place of the Fae from the prophecy. I’m not even sure if it can be done, but apparently thisWhite Crowis our best chance. I have to go see him, Arwen. I want to find a way for us both to survive. But if for some reason that’s not possible... if there’s a way I can take your place—”
“Absolutely not,” she said, sitting up straighter. Acorn jolted awake with Arwen’s movement before realizing nothing was wrong and closing his eyes once more.
