on the isle and she’d never see him
again.
“Tell me.” Lucy’s heart ached as if someone had carved out a
hole. “Please, just say it.”
“Your brother’s disappearance, the mourning you went through,
every tear you’ve shed for him...” He swallowed hard and brushed his thumb
across the back of her hand. “...it’s all my fault.”
Blood that had frozen in Lucy’s veins while waiting for a
response thawed then flowed heavy.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “How is any of that your
fault?”
“I should’ve been here,” Caleb whispered, his voice grave. “I
left him to work this portal alone. It’s relatively stable and has been for as
long as we know. I knew Tristan would be able to control it...I didn’t expect a
beast like that to come through.”
“Caleb, you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”
“If I’d been here, if I hadn’t been flying around the Sindraco
village, we would’ve fought the beast together. Tristan wouldn’t have gone into
the portal. I wouldn’t have followed. This whole mess would’ve never
happened.”
Lucy read the guilt in his eyes and could almost see the weight
of the past bearing down on his shoulders. A few key words plucked at Lucy’s
memories of that night. “You came down to the Sindraco village the night Tristan
disappeared?”
Caleb nodded, his Draco specks shimmering honey-gold. “I went
to find you. I had to see you, though I don’t really know why.”
“I thought I saw you that night, flying over the southern ridge
of the village. I waved, but you didn’t see me.”
“No, I saw you, but I couldn’t land. I knew I couldn’t have you
the way I wanted, but I couldn’t stay away from you, either. Guess not much has
changed.”
“Caleb—”
“I came back to the castle the instant I heard your brother’s
cry.” Caleb’s strong hands found her shoulders. “Please forgive me for bailing
on my duty to stand by your brother’s side.”
“I don’t think it’s my forgiveness that you really need.” He
needed to forgive himself. “But if you want it, you have it.”
He seemed to tighten from her words, his jaw clenching into a
solid rock. “I don’t feel any better. You gave your forgiveness too easily.”
“Would you rather I rake you over the coals?”
“No, but damn it, all this wouldn’t have happened this way if
I’d done my job.”
“You went after him, Caleb.” Lucy cupped Caleb’s chin in the
heart of her hands and stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. “You went inside a
portal without hesitating, without knowing what was waiting for you on the other
side. You lived in a wasteland without giving up the search. Hell, you’re still
searching now. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” The dark,
depths of his eyes twinkled. “I know I’ve behaved like an ass, but it’s only
because I don’t know how to put what I’m feeling into the right words. Luce,
I’ve never felt this way before. I think I’m in love with you.”
Lucy’s heart raced. Could she freeze this moment? Savor it?
Stick it in her bag and take it with her? Her eyes fluttered closed. She had to
hear it one more time.
“Say that again,” she said.
Caleb caught Lucy’s mouth and kissed her so softly that the
rest of the world melted away. “I think I’m in love with you.”
Caleb’s words, and this moment, meant everything to her. Even
though he’d added I think to the beginning, as if he didn’t want to admit that
he’d fallen in love with her fully, Lucy knew how much it took for Caleb to say
what he had.
With a sigh, Lucy said, “And I think I’ve loved you since the
first moment I met you.”
He seemed to shudder, his shoulders giving a little hitch
before he scooped her up and squeezed his arms around her middle. This was what counted, and what mattered.
But her world still wasn’t complete. Her brother could be out
there somewhere and they needed to find
again.
“Tell me.” Lucy’s heart ached as if someone had carved out a
hole. “Please, just say it.”
“Your brother’s disappearance, the mourning you went through,
every tear you’ve shed for him...” He swallowed hard and brushed his thumb
across the back of her hand. “...it’s all my fault.”
Blood that had frozen in Lucy’s veins while waiting for a
response thawed then flowed heavy.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “How is any of that your
fault?”
“I should’ve been here,” Caleb whispered, his voice grave. “I
left him to work this portal alone. It’s relatively stable and has been for as
long as we know. I knew Tristan would be able to control it...I didn’t expect a
beast like that to come through.”
“Caleb, you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”
“If I’d been here, if I hadn’t been flying around the Sindraco
village, we would’ve fought the beast together. Tristan wouldn’t have gone into
the portal. I wouldn’t have followed. This whole mess would’ve never
happened.”
Lucy read the guilt in his eyes and could almost see the weight
of the past bearing down on his shoulders. A few key words plucked at Lucy’s
memories of that night. “You came down to the Sindraco village the night Tristan
disappeared?”
Caleb nodded, his Draco specks shimmering honey-gold. “I went
to find you. I had to see you, though I don’t really know why.”
“I thought I saw you that night, flying over the southern ridge
of the village. I waved, but you didn’t see me.”
“No, I saw you, but I couldn’t land. I knew I couldn’t have you
the way I wanted, but I couldn’t stay away from you, either. Guess not much has
changed.”
“Caleb—”
“I came back to the castle the instant I heard your brother’s
cry.” Caleb’s strong hands found her shoulders. “Please forgive me for bailing
on my duty to stand by your brother’s side.”
“I don’t think it’s my forgiveness that you really need.” He
needed to forgive himself. “But if you want it, you have it.”
He seemed to tighten from her words, his jaw clenching into a
solid rock. “I don’t feel any better. You gave your forgiveness too easily.”
“Would you rather I rake you over the coals?”
“No, but damn it, all this wouldn’t have happened this way if
I’d done my job.”
“You went after him, Caleb.” Lucy cupped Caleb’s chin in the
heart of her hands and stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. “You went inside a
portal without hesitating, without knowing what was waiting for you on the other
side. You lived in a wasteland without giving up the search. Hell, you’re still
searching now. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” The dark,
depths of his eyes twinkled. “I know I’ve behaved like an ass, but it’s only
because I don’t know how to put what I’m feeling into the right words. Luce,
I’ve never felt this way before. I think I’m in love with you.”
Lucy’s heart raced. Could she freeze this moment? Savor it?
Stick it in her bag and take it with her? Her eyes fluttered closed. She had to
hear it one more time.
“Say that again,” she said.
Caleb caught Lucy’s mouth and kissed her so softly that the
rest of the world melted away. “I think I’m in love with you.”
Caleb’s words, and this moment, meant everything to her. Even
though he’d added I think to the beginning, as if he didn’t want to admit that
he’d fallen in love with her fully, Lucy knew how much it took for Caleb to say
what he had.
With a sigh, Lucy said, “And I think I’ve loved you since the
first moment I met you.”
He seemed to shudder, his shoulders giving a little hitch
before he scooped her up and squeezed his arms around her middle. This was what counted, and what mattered.
But her world still wasn’t complete. Her brother could be out
there somewhere and they needed to find