Page 173 of Death of the Glass Angel
Exhaling, he pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. Relief flooded Des, and she nestled into the crook of his neck.
Nobody had ever hugged Des. Evander seemed wary of her, and Gemellus was aloof and standoffish.
Before meeting Talon, those men had been her entire world. Her horizons had finally expanded, and now they would snap closed.
Warmth enveloped her. It spread through her skin into her soul. All her life, she’d yearned to be strong, to stand alone. She hadn’t realized how dearly she wished to be held by someone who saw her as more than a mistake.
“I have to leave tonight,” Talon murmured into her hair. “The right of exile spares the accused life—but he, too, is exiled.”
“Is that such a bad thing? It’s too dangerous for you here.”
“Hm.”
“We’re leaving on the morrow. You can ride with us, at least a ways.”
“Des, I. . .”
Des pulled out of his arms and stepped back, studying the remorse on his face. “You’re planning to disappear, aren’t you?”
“For a hundred years the alliance has stood.” Talon leaned against the wall. “It’s about to come crashing down. I. . . don’t know what the future holds.” He crossed his ankles. “I need to report to Lark.”
“But the road to Sigilus takes you through Piona.”
“Des,” Talon said sharply. “I have no past. No future. My life belongs to someone else. At best, I could sneak in to see you every few months. You deserve better than that.”
“I don’twantbetter than that.” Des met his even gaze and faltered.
A songbird’s every word was laced with lies. How much could she trust, even as he assured her?
Curse the way he could read her like an open book. Talon’s gaze swept over her face, and he gently took her hand. “Whatever lies I spun for others, what I felt for you was real. In another life, I would have chased you to the ends of the earth. I would have fought off all your suitors until your hand was mine alone.”
“Why not this life?” Des asked quietly.
“Because you’re a princess, and I’m nothing. An expendable tool to be used and discarded.”
“Then leave the songbirds.” She twisted her fingers around his. “Who cares what they think?”
Talon looked away. “You cannot leave the songbirds, Des. Not without repercussions. We guard our secrets closely.” He smiled weakly. “I care more about your safety than my happiness. And the best way to protect you is to silence everyone who tried to hurt you.”
“While I sit prettily at home?” She jabbed her finger into his chest. “I’m stubborn. If you try to slip away, I’ll follow you. If you try to disappear, I’ll find you.”
“Oh, will you? I could shake you easily.”
“Not with that head wound, you couldn’t.”
“It’ll heal in a few days. What’ll you do, then?”
“How hard could you be to find?” Des threw up her arms. “Do people often see irritatingly handsome cefra walking around? I’ll ask for purple eyes and a perfect jawline, and they’ll all point to you.”
“Are you flattering me?” Talon raised an eyebrow.
“No.”
He glared at her, and she glared back.
“Fine.” He exhaled. “The last thing I need is for you to get yourself stabbed in the backstreets of Clodia, looking for me. I’ll write. And give you a name you can write back to.”
Narrowing her eyes, Des studied every corner of his face, searching for a clue he was lying. “Do you promise?”
