shouldn’t she give him the freedom to maybe find someone who could have his child and break his curse?
Pain stabbed through her, the force of it almost taking her breath away. Yet again, her body had betrayed her heart and she had to fight back the tears. She knew what she had to do.
Curling up against his side, she took a deep breath. This was going to be one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
“Declan, wake up.”
“I’m awake. I’m just trying to regain the use of my limbs.”
“Honey, we need to talk.”
He rolled over and looked at her. “That is never good.” Sitting up, he leaned against the headboard and gathered her close. “Go ahead, lay it on me. I can take it.”
“I think you should leave in the morning. You need to find the woman who can break your curse and since I’m infertile, I’m not her.”
“Fuck that! I don’t want to leave you.”
“And I don’t want you to go. But—”
“But nothing.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then captured her fingers. “What we have between us is magical. I’ve lived a thousand years and never felt its like. I won’t abandon it or you because of Morrigan’s whims. I don’t deny I deserved her punishment. I was callous and selfish and didn’t care who I hurt, but I won’t hurt you. I won’t leave you.”
Joy surged through her, suffusing every cell in her body. She knew she should protest, should force him to go, but it was so damn hard to go against everything in her heart. “I love you. I don’t know how it happened so fast but I know what’s in my heart.”
“And I love you. I’ve never said that, felt that before. I can’t lose you.”
“But if I don’t let you go, you may never find the right woman. The one who can save you.”
“How do you know if I did find this imaginary woman, I wouldn’t turn to dust and die right then? That’s what happens when the fairies release you from under their hill. You think it’s only been a few hours or so but it’s actually been years. Once you touch mortal soil, you turn to dust.”
“That’s only in stories and myths.”
He gave her an arched look.
“Oh yeah, you’re probably in a position to know whether that’s really true, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Isn’t that a risk you’d be willing to take to end your torment? It must have been hell watching people grow old and die while you stay the same. I really don’t know if I could handle getting old and wrinkly while you still look the same.”
“So you’re just going to give up? You’re not willing to fight for what we could have together?”
Anger surged through her. How could he accuse her of giving up when it was the hardest thing she’d ever done? She was trying to do the right thing, the noble thing, and he was weakening her resolve.
“It’s not fair. I know that sounds petulant and immature, but it’s just not right.”
“I agree. I’ve finally found a woman to love and she doesn’t want to keep me.”
“You know that’s not it. I’ve never felt like this before. You make me feel strong, powerful, like I can do anything I want.”
“You can. You have such strength inside you.”
“But I can’t have your child.” And the pain of that lack damn near killed her.
“Then I’ll live with you, as long as I can for however long the gods give us.”
Ciara gave up fighting him. She couldn’t resist his desires as well as her own. “We’ll have to move around every few years so people don’t realize you’re not getting any older.”
“I own hotels around the world. We can stay in a different place every night, if you’d like. As long as you’re with me, I’ll always be home.”
Her throat clogged with tears and she tried to blink them back, but a few spilled down her cheeks onto his chest.
“Here now, what is this?”
“These are happy tears. I love you so much.”
As she reached across him to get a tissue off the nightstand her left wrist brushed against his chest.
Pain stabbed through her, the force of it almost taking her breath away. Yet again, her body had betrayed her heart and she had to fight back the tears. She knew what she had to do.
Curling up against his side, she took a deep breath. This was going to be one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
“Declan, wake up.”
“I’m awake. I’m just trying to regain the use of my limbs.”
“Honey, we need to talk.”
He rolled over and looked at her. “That is never good.” Sitting up, he leaned against the headboard and gathered her close. “Go ahead, lay it on me. I can take it.”
“I think you should leave in the morning. You need to find the woman who can break your curse and since I’m infertile, I’m not her.”
“Fuck that! I don’t want to leave you.”
“And I don’t want you to go. But—”
“But nothing.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then captured her fingers. “What we have between us is magical. I’ve lived a thousand years and never felt its like. I won’t abandon it or you because of Morrigan’s whims. I don’t deny I deserved her punishment. I was callous and selfish and didn’t care who I hurt, but I won’t hurt you. I won’t leave you.”
Joy surged through her, suffusing every cell in her body. She knew she should protest, should force him to go, but it was so damn hard to go against everything in her heart. “I love you. I don’t know how it happened so fast but I know what’s in my heart.”
“And I love you. I’ve never said that, felt that before. I can’t lose you.”
“But if I don’t let you go, you may never find the right woman. The one who can save you.”
“How do you know if I did find this imaginary woman, I wouldn’t turn to dust and die right then? That’s what happens when the fairies release you from under their hill. You think it’s only been a few hours or so but it’s actually been years. Once you touch mortal soil, you turn to dust.”
“That’s only in stories and myths.”
He gave her an arched look.
“Oh yeah, you’re probably in a position to know whether that’s really true, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Isn’t that a risk you’d be willing to take to end your torment? It must have been hell watching people grow old and die while you stay the same. I really don’t know if I could handle getting old and wrinkly while you still look the same.”
“So you’re just going to give up? You’re not willing to fight for what we could have together?”
Anger surged through her. How could he accuse her of giving up when it was the hardest thing she’d ever done? She was trying to do the right thing, the noble thing, and he was weakening her resolve.
“It’s not fair. I know that sounds petulant and immature, but it’s just not right.”
“I agree. I’ve finally found a woman to love and she doesn’t want to keep me.”
“You know that’s not it. I’ve never felt like this before. You make me feel strong, powerful, like I can do anything I want.”
“You can. You have such strength inside you.”
“But I can’t have your child.” And the pain of that lack damn near killed her.
“Then I’ll live with you, as long as I can for however long the gods give us.”
Ciara gave up fighting him. She couldn’t resist his desires as well as her own. “We’ll have to move around every few years so people don’t realize you’re not getting any older.”
“I own hotels around the world. We can stay in a different place every night, if you’d like. As long as you’re with me, I’ll always be home.”
Her throat clogged with tears and she tried to blink them back, but a few spilled down her cheeks onto his chest.
“Here now, what is this?”
“These are happy tears. I love you so much.”
As she reached across him to get a tissue off the nightstand her left wrist brushed against his chest.
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