Page 103 of Rose and Shadows
She stopped her spell and strode the very short distance to me, glaring heatedly, but with a noticeable hint of nervousness present. “All that stuff about me using black magic that you’ve been holding at bay. The fact the reason you’re concerned about my frustration levels is because of that, because you think it’ll push me toward crossing that sort of line again.”
“I see.”
“Yeah, you do. So just say it at long last. For fuck’s sakes, just say it.”
“You believe I have not mentioned it because I think you fragile at this juncture? Both from what you’ve endured as well as you being with child?”
“Maybe.”
I reached out and took her hand and she started, frowning, not sure what to make of it.
“I haven’t mentioned it because you arestrong.”
“You… what? I don’t understand.”
I smiled. “I realized that you did not need a lecture from me in order to turn away from that dangerous path. You did so on your own. Not just from Sylas’ commentary on it either when he interrupted the spell, because that would not have been enough to dissuade you in the grand scheme of things anyway. You did so because you have grown stronger than your trauma, beyond your fears and pain.”
“Then… what I’ve been feeling from you… the holding off with it?”
“That was me coming to that conclusion.” I kissed her knuckles. “I may have come a very long way with myemotional intelligencecapabilities, however, I still lag on the processing front when it comes to something decidedly complex. Especially because you were reeling at the time with the news of the pregnancy, trying to reconcile it all, which complicated my assessment.”
Her lips quirked. “Well.Huh.”
I brushed my fingers over hers. “That spell came from a place of needing to help, to find Lazriel and bring him home to us. That was never lost on me.”
“I just… I saw a way through.”
“And you thought it was the only way through. Clouded by terror for Lazriel, I understand. It’s not as if I haven’t acted dangerously myself in defense of those whom I love. ThatPuritascell? Your brother? But black magic—”
“I know. It has to be a hard, immovable line. And it is now. I will never go there again.”
“I have every confidence.” She eased her hand from mine, so she could loop her arms around my nape and sink into me for a moment.
My conversation with Lazriel returned to me all of a sudden.
“Sure that they do not need to be spoken? Of course. She knows. The Brand could not conceal something of that magnitude between us.”
“Yeah, I get all of that. But sometimes hearing something spoken… it’s everything, you know?”
This was it…now.
Perhaps strange when factoring in the bigger picture of where we were headed, and the weight of the mission before us, but right for this particular moment.
For us.
As she moved to ease back, I grasped her hips, holding her to me.
Surprise flickered as her gaze snapped straight to mine.
“I wish for you to know… I mean to state it plainly that… the unquestionable fact that I… what I feel for you is—” I grunted. “I love you,little shadow.”
I wasn’t actually sure what I had expected her reaction to be to those words from me.
But when she offered a frown in return, I realized that hadn’t been a part of my expectation at all.
“Velra?”
Her frown gave way to a smile. She seemed… amused?
