Page 70 of Light and Shadow
“Maybe the lass was right about you thinking your princely duties outweigh the duty of the heart.” He nods, looking pleased. “She’s a smart one, our Harper.”
Once the dwarf leaves me alone, my thoughts do not give me a moment’s peace. I am a dolt.
For the next two days, we journey west.
Harper bolts the cabin door each night. When I open my mind to search for hers, I find that closed to me as well.
Without complaint, I sleep on the deck. It’s a small penance for my stupidity.
During the day, Jax, Nainsi, Fancor, and I train her with sword and arrow. She has good instincts, a fine eye for the target, and is willing to learn. We couldn’t ask for a better student.
On the third night, I’m lying on the deck when a whiff of grass crosses the bow. I squint into the darkness and make out the shadow of land in the distance. The southern end of the west continent is finally within our sight. I breathe deep the hint of flowers and trees.
Silent as a cat, Harper steps onto the deck. I know she’s there before I turn. Though her mind still blocks me, I sense her in other ways. My skin tingles and my heart beats faster when she is present. We are connected through deeper means than hearing thoughts. She steps to the rail and her shoulders rise and fall.
I move beside her. “You can’t sleep?”
Shaking her head, she says, “Is that land?”
“We missed the islands completely. That’s the continent. We should arrive at the gulf just north of Clandunna.” I long to reach over and pull her close. My fingers itch for contact.
“Back where we started.” She sighs. “Will we go by land once we arrive?”
“No.” I hazard touching her back, and when she doesn’t move away, I skim my palm up her spine to the base of her neck. “We’ll need to send a hunting party out and gather provisions, but we’ll take this ship up the coast to the north port.”
She faces me. “I understand why you were scared.”
“I’m sorry for the way I reacted. I do love you, Harper. I have prayed day and night that you know that.” It’s hard to breathe with my pulse racing so fast.
Like magic illuminating a room, her mind opens to me. Her love flows into me, and my soul sings in unison with hers. My throat is tight with emotion, and I open my arms to her.
Harper steps into my embrace and cries against my chest. Air rushes from her lungs. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want to be angry with you. I left my world to save yours. If we don’t succeed, it is all for nothing.”
As much as I long to hear her tell me she still loves me, I don’t deserve that level of comfort. “We will do what we must. I promised to keep you safe so you can return to your mother. I will keep my promise even if we fight. I will love you, even if you despise me. I don’t know how to atone for what I said.” I lose my words.
“I don’t despise you.” She presses her cheek to my chest and wraps her arms around me. Together, we watch the horizon. “How far is the land?”
“Half a day’s journey. We will arrive midmorning.” Even after all this time in Domhan, she still smells uniquely of her world and her essence. I’ve missed her, despite being on the same ship and training together. I’ve missed the feel of her in my arms and the sense of her thoughts close by. “We should try to sleep. Dawn is only a few hours away.”
After dislodging from my embrace, she lies down on my blanket pallet and turns on her side.
Lying beside her, I curl my front to her back and slide my arm under her head.
She snuggles into my biceps and sighs. “This is better.”
It is. It’s more than I deserve and everything I’ll ever want. “I won’t freak out again,mo chroi.” I use her words so we’re clear on what we are speaking of.
“I’ll try not to lose my temper if you do.” I can feel the niggling inside her mind. “One thing, though…” She rolls to face me.
I skim my hand over her cheek and thread her hair through my fingers and out of her face. “The vision?”
She nods. “Are you certain it came from me?”
“I honestly don’t know if it was from you or me or some magic made by the two of us together. I know what we saw was beautiful and feels impossible at this moment.” My throat tightens.
“It does. I can’t argue with that. Do you think it was the future or just a fantasy?” Her green eyes seem lighted, though there is no moon, only starlight.
“Maybe a possible future. I don’t know, Harper. Even seers will caution against believing their visions entirely. The past is set in place, but the future is always variable. And since there were dragons in the vision, even the past can be false.” My gut is churning with the realization.
