“I mean it with all my heart.”
“Hmm.”
That was all he said. But the force of his attention coaxed goosebumps from my arms, despite the heat.
I cleared my throat with enough vigor to throw off the sensation. “Don’t tell me you’ve never met someone deserving of loyalty.”
“Never. In my experience, no such thing exists. Most people are unforgivably selfish. Myself included.”
I hesitated. Well, we agreed on one thing, at least. “That’s my point, though. Most peopleareselfish. So when you find one who isn’t, the last thing you should do is pass them by. It’s better to give yourself to them. Humble yourself. Because they might be the only person to ever deserve that, and if you miss your chance, you might never get another.”
“I...see.” Kyven contemplated his palms for a moment, then glanced up through his lashes. “And are you such a person? The kind I ought to give myself to?”
“No.” I scooted back an inch. “Gods, no. What?”
The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Well, you would have me believe you acted out of selflessness last night. That your friend’s well-being concerned you more than a title. In your own words, you married me to protect her, which would make you one of those exceptionally rare altruists you just spoke of. The kind I should humble myself before. Right?”
My lungs sucked at the brackish air as I tried to parse the dexterity with which he’d turned my argument against me. What he saidsoundedlike it made sense, and yet I hadn’t meant that at all.
“No. You’re...getting it backwards.”
“Am I?” The question was mild, but his attention never wavered. That rapier gaze threatened to cut away the bramble of my defenses and leave me with...well, who knew.
Seven hells, I’d wished and wished for him to dispense with those ridiculous half smiles, but now that he had, I wanted them back. Desperately. The way he scrutinized me twisted my insides into configurations I didn’t recognize.
“I didn’t mean anything like what you just said,” I managed. “I’m not anyone special. I’m no one at all, really. Just a girl who found someone to believe in, in a place where everyone’s forced to embrace the worst of themselves.”
“But not you? You resist your baser instincts?”
I considered. “Only because I have the luxury of being able to. If Amryssa hadn’t given me this life, I wouldn’t have the option.”
He inched closer, infiltrating my personal space with the scent of bracken and brine. His eyes were like wintry lances, aimed at my heart.
My breathing stalled. This was...different. A glimpse beneath the mask, only I didn’t see a monster there, but someone quick-witted and inquisitive and...engaged.
“So you’re grateful for what you have,” he said.
I forced air through a parched throat. “Very.”
“And loyal. To a fault, it would seem.”
“I try.”
“So loyal, in fact, that even though Olivian offered you nothing, you agreed to forfeit your new title simply so Amryssa could have a better life.”
My nerves sizzled. Gods among us, why wouldn’t he justblink? “Not that it matters, but yes.”
“And you consider that normal. Just par for the course. You think you’re no one of consequence.”
“IknowI’m not.”
Long moments spun by. Kyven reached out and, when I froze, tucked my hair behind my ear. I shivered. Something about the gesture felt horrifyingly intimate. The brush of his fingers carried an impossible weight, one that made my heartbeat climb into my throat.
I angled away, trying to calm my reaction.
He dropped his hand and blinked, sobered by my retreat. “Apologies. Your hair was blowing around.”
I had no idea what to say. There was no breeze to speak of. Just a ripe, waiting stillness, so thick I could taste it.
