some deep breaths, trying to find the strength and courage she knew she would need. Her heart was pounding, and one phrase kept repeating in her mind.
Robin, I have something to tell you ....
Too soon, she heard his footsteps. He walked briskly into the barn, her combat jacket slung over his arm. There was a look of innocent enquiry on his handsome face and her heart lurched painfully. She forced herself to approach him, and he held her jacket open. Shrugging into it for warmth, she failed to suppress a shiver.
“Walk with me, Robin,” she said, suddenly desperate for sunlight on her face. He turned and paced beside her, his easy acceptance making her feel like a traitor. They moved away from the barn, but the damp earth smell and the faint warmth of the sun were too much for Sullyan. It was all too normal, when nothing in her life would ever be normal again.
She stopped and turned to Robin. When she took hold of his hands, he frowned, startled by the intimacy. She began speaking, her voice as level as she could make it, her eyes never leaving her lover’s face. Not even when her words made him try to wrench away.
“Robin, I ....” The words that had echoed in her head refused to come, and she had to clear her throat. “There’s something I need you to understand, and I want you to listen and not interrupt. I cannot come back with you to Albia. What Rykan did to me means that my life there has ended. His actions left a poison within me, and that poison will kill me if I try to cross the Veils.”
His hands jerked within hers but she gripped them all the tighter, desperate now to say what must be said.
“There is nothing you can do to help me. I must stay here and live out what time I have left. But you must return to Albia—I will not see you suffer because of me.”
“I will never leave you—”
Desolate anger surged within her. “You have to! I could not bear seeing you sicken. You must understand, Robin, it is over! Our time together is over.”
Robin’s face went grey and tears pricked Sullyan’s eyes. Grief had made her harsh, but he did not deserve such betrayal. Not from her. She could barely meet his stricken gaze, but forced herself to witness the final moment, the moment Robin was forced to face the ruin of his every hope and dream. His body slumped and she thought he might fall, but her grip on his hands kept him upright. Her heart nearly broke when she realized he would not lean totally on her. Even in his extreme pain, he was aware of her weakness.
He straightened abruptly. Without a word, he pulled his hands away, his strength too great for her to resist. She could sense the pool of tears welling within him, yet he was too numb, too stunned, to shed them.
Helpless, she could only stand and watch as Robin moved away. She didn’t call to him. She knew he needed solitude to come to terms with what he had heard. Gentle as she had been, there was no easy way to hear that the love of your life, your one true soul mate, was leaving before your lives together had even begun. She could almost taste his desolation as she walked back to the barn. Collapsing onto a bale of hay, she buried her face in her hands.
She didn’t know how long it was—only a few minutes, she thought—before she heard light footsteps approaching. Lifting her face, she met Robin’s red-rimmed eyes. She began to rise, but he made a negative gesture and stepped back. Hurt, she gazed at him. He wouldn’t meet her eyes and stared instead toward the horizon, where dark rain clouds were massing again. In silence, she waited for him to speak.
“Will you answer me a simple question? Will you give me a straight and honest answer?”
She nodded. “If I can.”
His voice was hoarse and she was taken aback by his phrasing, but the need in his question was clear.
Wind from the approaching rain clouds stirred the Captain’s short, dark hair. He paused a moment more, considering his words. Sullyan waited with her hands in
Robin, I have something to tell you ....
Too soon, she heard his footsteps. He walked briskly into the barn, her combat jacket slung over his arm. There was a look of innocent enquiry on his handsome face and her heart lurched painfully. She forced herself to approach him, and he held her jacket open. Shrugging into it for warmth, she failed to suppress a shiver.
“Walk with me, Robin,” she said, suddenly desperate for sunlight on her face. He turned and paced beside her, his easy acceptance making her feel like a traitor. They moved away from the barn, but the damp earth smell and the faint warmth of the sun were too much for Sullyan. It was all too normal, when nothing in her life would ever be normal again.
She stopped and turned to Robin. When she took hold of his hands, he frowned, startled by the intimacy. She began speaking, her voice as level as she could make it, her eyes never leaving her lover’s face. Not even when her words made him try to wrench away.
“Robin, I ....” The words that had echoed in her head refused to come, and she had to clear her throat. “There’s something I need you to understand, and I want you to listen and not interrupt. I cannot come back with you to Albia. What Rykan did to me means that my life there has ended. His actions left a poison within me, and that poison will kill me if I try to cross the Veils.”
His hands jerked within hers but she gripped them all the tighter, desperate now to say what must be said.
“There is nothing you can do to help me. I must stay here and live out what time I have left. But you must return to Albia—I will not see you suffer because of me.”
“I will never leave you—”
Desolate anger surged within her. “You have to! I could not bear seeing you sicken. You must understand, Robin, it is over! Our time together is over.”
Robin’s face went grey and tears pricked Sullyan’s eyes. Grief had made her harsh, but he did not deserve such betrayal. Not from her. She could barely meet his stricken gaze, but forced herself to witness the final moment, the moment Robin was forced to face the ruin of his every hope and dream. His body slumped and she thought he might fall, but her grip on his hands kept him upright. Her heart nearly broke when she realized he would not lean totally on her. Even in his extreme pain, he was aware of her weakness.
He straightened abruptly. Without a word, he pulled his hands away, his strength too great for her to resist. She could sense the pool of tears welling within him, yet he was too numb, too stunned, to shed them.
Helpless, she could only stand and watch as Robin moved away. She didn’t call to him. She knew he needed solitude to come to terms with what he had heard. Gentle as she had been, there was no easy way to hear that the love of your life, your one true soul mate, was leaving before your lives together had even begun. She could almost taste his desolation as she walked back to the barn. Collapsing onto a bale of hay, she buried her face in her hands.
She didn’t know how long it was—only a few minutes, she thought—before she heard light footsteps approaching. Lifting her face, she met Robin’s red-rimmed eyes. She began to rise, but he made a negative gesture and stepped back. Hurt, she gazed at him. He wouldn’t meet her eyes and stared instead toward the horizon, where dark rain clouds were massing again. In silence, she waited for him to speak.
“Will you answer me a simple question? Will you give me a straight and honest answer?”
She nodded. “If I can.”
His voice was hoarse and she was taken aback by his phrasing, but the need in his question was clear.
Wind from the approaching rain clouds stirred the Captain’s short, dark hair. He paused a moment more, considering his words. Sullyan waited with her hands in
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