Page 162 of A Blightress of Wrath
“Ilove you,Karus,” he said with a sweep of his thumb across my lip.
“Andyou will love me still,BaronRevich.”
Hehuffed a laugh, unbuttoning my vest, whispering, “Fora fucking lifetime.”Hekissed me hard with the same urgency, the same passion we’d shared since the night we’d bonded and the years before.Hebent his forehead to mine, pulling on the back of my thighs to lift me to him, murmuring, “Youlive,Ilive.Alifetime with you is theonlylifeI’veever found worth living.”
Chapter78
Saelyn
Iwasfifteen and convincedIwas in love.
Iwas so incredibly flustered that summer, avoidingThevin’spersistent requests to swim in theGreatStream.WhatifIslipped and fell?WhatifMoiradecided at that exact time to dive naked into the water as she loved to do?WhatifThevinstill saw me as just the child he grew up visiting a few months of the year and not the young womanIwas blooming into?
Surely,Iwas blooming.
Hopefully.Probably.
Mylong, gangly legs were filling out along with my hips and chest, andIfound myself staring atThevinconstantly that summer, admiring the pale blue of his eyes, the dimple at his left cheek whenImade him laugh.
Hewore me down eventually, chiding me the day before he and his parents were to leave back to theHallowMarshes.Iwasn’t too unhappy about it, sinceIhad convinced my own parents to let me visit his family in theHallowMarshes.Then,Iwould get to see theSpirefor the first time while we sold rhyzolm at the markets.
Iwould seeThevinagain in three months, butIcould not deny him a dip in theGreatStreamthat summer.
Westood on the edge of the bank whileBorossplashed in the water, chasing a stickI’dthrown.Mymother had taught me how to calm the stream just by asking—something to do with the fae blood we shared from the woman who had given some of her power to my mother.
“Whatare you waiting for,Sae?”Thevinasked, gazing out over the steady stream.
“You’rethe one who wanted to come so badly!”Iscoffed, nudging his arm. “Youjump in first!”
Hesmirked, looking me over and frowning slightly. “It’sfunny,” he started, “Idon’t remember your eyes matching the color of this water.”
He’dbeen saying more and more absolutely embarrassing statements like that all summer long, and once again,Ifelt the color rising in my cheeks, suddenly more than happy to escape his gaze and jump.
Idipped my foot into the stream, splashing him playfully. “I’mnot surprised.Younever notice anything right in front of you.”
Hetook my hand, threading his fingers through mine, mumbling, “That’snot true.I’vealways known your eyes were blue,Sae,Ijust…didn’t know they werethisblue.”Hegestured back to the water.
Igulped and bit my lip.
“Shallwe?” he asked, bending his knees to jump.
“Yes,”Ianswered, “let’s jump in together.”
Witha synchronized shout, we leapt into theFelgrenbreeze and splashed into theGreatStreamofFelgren.
Chapter79
Thevin
Saewasseventeen whenItold herIloved her.
Wewere telling stories of the months we’d spent away from each other, having celebrated the longest day of summer and her birthday just the week before.
Shetilted her head to the side as she added yellow paint to the buttercup flower she painted on the slanted ceiling of our fort in the grove of maple trees.Borossnored slightly at our feet whileIadded the long white stripes to the leaves of the crocus field she had painted as well.
Iwrapped up my usual story of how my garden experiments had failed again in the murkyHallowMarshes. “So, potatoes are a no as well.Ithink next springI’llattempt a cherry tree and write home to ask after its progress in the summer.”
Shewiped her cheek with her sleeve and dropped her paintbrush onto her tray of colors. “Potatoesgrow here,” she mentioned casually. “Sodo cherry trees.There’sone not too far away in a little clearing.Wecan visit later if you’d like.”
