I smiled into her hair, happy to have her in my arms forever. Unfortunately, as the seconds ticked by into minutes, the silence between us gave way to a truth that could not be ignored.
“I’m sorry about Ravyn.” Sincerity rang in her voice. “I actually liked her.”
“Your magic healed her when nothing else could.”
Lexa tensed. “How did you know about that?”
“I know everything.” I smiled at her displeased grunt. “I thank you for giving my sister that much more time to live. If not, Sin Garu would have killed her that much sooner.” I swallowed my despair, still trying to reconcile Ravyn’s death against my raging need for revenge. “At least she’s with Faustus now.”
Lexa rolled off me and glanced away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I feel your anger, Arim. After all this, I’d think you’d at least be honest with me. I’m not asking you for anything.” Lexa wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“I am honest.” Confused, I grasped her chin and forced her to look at me. “What are you talking about?”
“You blame me for what happened to Ravyn, don’t you?”
“Why would I?”
Lexa tried to leave my side, but I manhandled her in place, secretly pleased at her icy glare. I much preferred her anger to her hurt.
“As much as I hate to admit it, Sin Garu is my brother. He wants me, and he’ll do whatever he can to get what he wants. No matter who gets hurt.”
I stared at her, bemused by the frost of her gaze that could at turns be seductive and calming. “Lexa, you yourself said Sin Garu wants to punish me. The best way to do that would be to harm those I care about.” Ravyn, my heart whispered, too late.
“I’m a Dark Lord.”
“And I’m a Light Bringer, kin to the Storm Lords. My kind have fought with yours forever. It’s a past we cannot change, but a future we can mold as we see fit.”
“And what future is that?” Lexa asked, her expression shadowed. “This new peace between us won’t last. Not when everyone you hold dear considers me the enemy.”
I said nothing, thinking about the future, imagining a world without Lexa. I’d allowed mistrust to blind me once.
I wouldn’t let it happen again. “Lexa, we both know you and Sin Garu are bonded by nothing more than Ini’s blood. You’ve done more to help Tanselm and the Storm Lords than anyone could have expected, especially after how you were treated.” I rubbed her shoulders, forcing her to maintain eye contact. “I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am that I didn’t believe in you — in us. But as I’ve said before, and I’ll say again, we can’t change the past. This is our future, Lexa. We’re both fighting for a world without oppression, free from evil persecution. Dark or Light, we want the same thing.”
“Do we?”
The Lexa I’d once known had wanted love, a family, children of her own, and a purpose in life to help others. I couldn’t believe she’d changed that much about the core of her basic personality.
I frowned. “I want my people safe. I want to love and be loved. Don’t you?”
She stared at me for a long moment, but eventually nodded.
Cupping her cheek, I added in a gentle voice, “I want children. I want to hold my son or daughter in my arms. I want to stand with you year after year and watch our children grow strong with love for Tanselm and its people.”
Her eyes watered, and I smiled with tenderness as she blinked furiously to clear her unshed tears.
“I…” She coughed, clearly uncomfortable. “I want to be happy.”
“And children wouldn’t make you happy? A man who would worship the ground you walk upon wouldn’t thrill you to no end?”
My little Dark Lord looked nervous, and I couldn’t be more pleased. No, my Lexa hadn’t changed. But breaking through those shields guarding her heart would take patience and time. I planned to give her all the time in the world, whatever I had left. I pushed aside the lingering sadness that hovered just beyond thoughts of Lexa, concentrating fully on the woman I planned to take as wife.
“You always make things so damned complicated,” she suddenly snarled. “Arim, can’t we just focus on the now?” Her breasts brushed my chest and made me want her all over again.
“Of course, Blue. Anything for you,” I murmured and cupped her, molding her breasts in my large palms. By the Light, I loved her body.
