Page 128 of Echoes of the Raven
“Just what I should have done a while back.”
Valeria shakes her head. “That’s not what I’m asking.”
I push air through my nose in tired amusement. “I am leaving,” I confess. “I have been going abouteverythingthe wrong way, and in my blind pursuit, I have caused much pain. I was given the power to shape the fate of so many, and I grew arrogant and callous. I did not understand the responsibility that was set upon my shoulders. Go and use the amulet as you wish. I am sure you will do better than me.”
Grabbing a lock of her hair, I rub it between my fingers, enjoying its silkiness. “I am glad I met you, Valeria Plumanegra. Goodbye.”
VALERIA
“I am glad I met you, Valeria Plumanegra. Goodbye.” Korben walks away, his shoulders straight, his steps firm.
I glance down at The Eldrystone, the true culprit in all of this, Niamhara behind every actionandinaction.
And Korben?
Only a victim, a victim willing to erase himself from what’s to come next. He doesn’t want to destroy Castella.
“Wait!” I look up.
His head swivels, though not quite enough to meet my gaze.
“Stay,” I say. “Stay and figure this out with me.”
His breath hitches, and he turns his head again, facing completely away from me. His shoulders rise and fall visibly. I walk over to him, go around, and stand in front of him.
A silver line wells in his eyes, unshed tears from a male I thought was cold-hearted beyond repair.
I press a hand to his cheek. His eyes close as he leans into my touch. Feeling as if I can finally rest after an interminable journey, I lay my head on his breastbone, wrapping my hands around his neck.
He presses his cheek to the top of my head and lets out a sigh. His strong arms envelop me, and a sensation of safety descends on me. When I broke him out of Nido, he was a threat I had to constantly watch. My goal seemed impossible, little more than a treasonous action against my sister. But here in his arms, with his heart beating against my ear and his utter surrender at my feet, I think we can make this work.
We can free his kin and help them return to their homes. We can convince my sister there’s a better way, and broker peace between our people.
Taking his hand, I lead him back to the room and gently close the door behind us. When I turn to face him, his expression makes him almost unrecognizable. The lines around his eyes and mouth are soft. His lips are parted, tremulous, as if he’s afraid of something.
I think I know what it is.
“I would never stab you in your sleep.” I let that sink in, then add, “Watch out when you’re awake, though.”
He sputters a laugh. His hands shoot out, grabbing my waist and tugging me against him. The press of our bodies is heady. Heat radiates through the fabric that separates us.
“That,” he murmurs, his voice husky, “is not what I am worried about.” He’s still vulnerable, a trait I want to hold on to because, for the first time, I have a glimpse into a part of him I’ve yearned to see, something I need to guard.
“What are you worried about then? That you’ll fall in love with me?” I laugh nervously and immediately want to take back the words.
He shakes his head. “No, Princess, that already happened.”
A thrill runs down my spine, and my universe seems to shrink to the pinprick of his pupils only to explode and expand into a million possibilities. He just conceded he’s in love with me. It seems impossible that he would ever let anyone through his barriers, let alone admit it.Oh, Gods!
He gently strokes my cheek with his thumb. “What I am truly worried about is that I have allowed you to burrow so deeply within me,” he murmurs, pressing a forefinger against his chest and making a twisting motion, “that if you were to reject me, my very soul would crumble.”
If his admission of love hadn’t sobered me up, this certainly has. He doesn’t ever seem to do anything in half-measures, even love. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating.
He leans his forehead against mine. “Do you want me, Valeria Plumanegra?”
“Y-yes,” I confess in a rush of breath. “I want you, Korben Theric, Rífíor, Bastien. I want you in all your shapes and forms. I want you even though I’m terrified of what comes next. I want you. I want you.”
He laughs then, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a genuine sound of happiness from anyone. And knowing that it has come from him—this male of glacial glares and surly grunts—makes me reevaluate everything I know.
