“Yes. A thousand times yes.” My eyes teared up when I said it.
“Then why didn’t you beg him to stay with you? Why would you ever want to be apart from him?”
Blinking my tears away, I shook my head. “This isn’t some fiction book, Tina. The Council won’t even allow a book about an Nman. In what world do you think they would allow him to stay here?”
“But Mark…”
“Mark isn’t real!”
“I know that. But Tyton is real and you’re having a child with him. What did he say when you told him?”
I swallowed and looked down.
“You didn’t tell him?”
Shaking my head, I blinked away more tears. “I wanted to but family means everything to him and it would have driven him mad to know he had a child on this side of the border that he couldn’t raise.”
Tina was quiet. “What if you went to the Northlands?”
My heart sped up. “It wouldn’t be safe. They have a mad king and Tyton is convinced I would be auctioned off in a tournament.”
“But then he could fight for you, couldn’t he?”
“And what if he loses? I’ve seen their tournaments. It’s brutal and inhuman. Men die, Tina.”
“They die?” She scrunched up her face. “Do you meandiedie?
“Yes. I don’t want men fighting for me. I only want Tyton.” It flew out of me with some force.
“Then what are you going to do?”
I looked away, unsure if I could trust her with my deepest secret.
Tina touched my leg. “Devina, what are you going to do?”
“I’ve made a decision.” My eyes stayed downturned because I didn’t want to face the shock in her eyes.
“Yes?”
“I’m not crazy and I don’t want to spend months in a place of reflection. Tyton lives on an estate and I’m hoping he can hide me there somehow.”
“What do you mean hide you?”
“If no one knows I’m there, we can raise our child without the mad king knowing about me.”
Tina brushed her hands through her curls and frowned. “Devina, that’s never going to work. You can’t stay inside forever.”
“I wouldn’t have to. They have land and I could move around. If we go out, I’ll dress as a boy. I’ve done it before.”
“And your child. How would you explain your child?”
Throwing my hands up in despair, I sighed. “I don’t know. I haven’t figured out everything and that’s why I need to meet with Tyton. We have to find a way to make it work.”
Tina’s face softened and her hand landed on her chest. “Aww, that’s just like Deidra and Mark.”
“Except we’re not them.” I tried to bring her back to reality.
“Okay, okay, but…” She looked around. “What’s the plan then?”
