Kingdom of Ash

given him in months and months. Since that
day on the ship, when he’d touched her hand
as they’d swayed in their hammocks.
Her smile faded, but the color on her
cheeks lingered. “Did you mean it? What you
said.”
He held her stare. Let some inner wall
within him come crumbling down. Only for
her. For this sharp-eyed, cunning little liar
who had slipped through every defense and
ironclad rule he’d ever made for himself. He
let her see that in his face. Let her see all of it,
as no one had ever done before. “Yes.”
Her mouth tightened, but not in
displeasure.
So Lorcan said softly, “I meant every
word.” His heart thundered, so wildly it was a
wonder she couldn’t hear it. “And I will until
the day I fade into the Afterworld.”
Lorcan didn’t breathe as Elide gently