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.“She died,” he said simply.“She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t do anything but pine away, until her body grew so weak it simply gave out.”“And you felt horribly guilty about it?” I guessed, trying to glean some sort of moral from this tale, a lessonlearned or something like that.But Ash shook his head with a bitter smile.“I didn’t think twice about her,” he said, dashing my hopes and making my gut twist.“Not having a soul frees usfrom any sort of conscience.She was only a human, and a foolish one at that, to fall in love with a faery.Shewasn’t the first, nor would she be the last.But her grandmother, the high priestess of the girl’s clan, was not so foolish.She sought me out, and told me what I just told you—she cursed me, promised that I would bedestined to lose everyone I truly cared for, that it was the price for being soulless.Of course, I just laughed it off as the superstitions of a weakling mortal…until I fel in love with Ariel a.” His voice grew even softer.“And now, with you.”He turned away and gazed out over the edge again.“When Ariel a was taken from me, I suddenly understood.We don’t have a conscience, but fal ing in love changes things.I understood what I had put that girl through,the pain she suffered because of me.I told myself I wouldn’t make the mistake of caring for someone again.”He gave a bitter chuckle and shook his head.“And then you came along and ruined al that.”I couldn’t answer.I kept seeing that girl, and the dark, handsome stranger she fell for, died for.“Why are youtelling me this?” I whispered.“Because, I want you to understand what I am.” Ash looked down at me, solemn and grim.“I’m not a humanwith pointed ears, Meghan.I am and will always be Fey.Soul ess.Immortal.Because of my actions that day,someone I loved died.And now, here we are, on the brink of war and—” He stopped and looked down, hisvoice dropping to a near whisper.“And I’m afraid.I’m afraid I’ll fail you like I did Ariel a, that the crimes of my past will ruin any chance we have at a future.That you’l realize who I really am, what I real y am, and when Iturn around you’ll be gone.”He stopped, the wind whipping at his hair and clothes, swirling ashes into the silence.A glider on the walturned its head and buzzed sleepily.Ash’s posture was stiff, his back and shoulders rigid, steeled for myreaction.Bracing himself to hear footsteps walking back down the stairs.I saw his shoulders tremble andcaught the faint aura of fear before he could hide it.I stepped close and slipped my arms around his waist, hearing his quiet intake of breath as I pul ed himagainst me.“That was a long time ago,” I murmured, pressing my cheek to his back, listening to his thuddingheart.“You’ve changed since then.That Ash wouldn’t protect a sil y human girl with his life, or become herknight, or walk into exile with her.Every step of the way, you’ve always been there, right beside me.I’m notletting you go now.”“I’m a coward.” Ash’s voice was subdued.“If I cared for you as much as I should, I would end my life and thecurse along with it.My existence puts you in danger.If I were no longer here—”“Don’t you dare, Ashallyn’darkmyr Tallyn.” I held him tighter, even as he flinched at the sound of his TrueName.“Don’t you dare throw your life away for an unknown superstition.If you die—” My voice broke, and Iswal owed thickly.“I love you,” I whispered, fisting my hands against his stomach.“You can’t leave.You sworeyou wouldn’t.”Ash’s hands came to rest over mine, twining our fingers together.“Even if the world stands against you,” hemurmured, bowing his head.“I promise.”WE STAYED ON THE BALCONY that night, sitting against the wall, watching the storm sweep over the outlyinghil s.We didn’t say much, content just to be near each other, lost in our own thoughts.When we did speak, itwas of the war and the rebels and other, present-day things, staying far from the past…or the future.I dozedseveral times, waking with his arms around me and my head against his shoulder.The next thing I knew, he was shaking me awake.The night had moved on, and a pinkish light glowed againstthe distant horizon.“Meghan, wake up.”“Hmm?” I yawned, rubbing my eyes.Sleeping in armor while leaning against a wall, I realized, was proving tobe a bad idea, as my backside throbbed with pain.“Time to go already?”“No.” Ash stepped to the edge of the balcony.“Come look at this.Hurry.”I peered out over the edge.At first, I couldn’t see anything, but then the light gleamed off something shiny and metallic on the horizon.I squinted, shielding my eyes with my hand.Could that be the glint of metal armor? Orthe shiny top of an iron beetle? My blood ran cold.“They’re coming,” Ash muttered, and I stumbled back from the edge.“We have to tel Glitch!”I scrambled back from the landing, Ash close behind me.As we flew down the stairs, it quickly became clearthat Glitch already knew.The camp was in chaos, rebels rushing back and forth, grabbing weapons andthrowing on armor.Those who had been wounded the day before hurried out with freshly bandaged wounds,limping or carrying those who couldn’t walk.“There you are!” Puck met us at the foot of the stairs, rol ing his eyes as we came charging down.“Anotherarmy on the way and you two are playing kissy-face on the balcony.Suit up.Looks like there’s going to beanother fight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“She died,” he said simply.“She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t do anything but pine away, until her body grew so weak it simply gave out.”“And you felt horribly guilty about it?” I guessed, trying to glean some sort of moral from this tale, a lessonlearned or something like that.But Ash shook his head with a bitter smile.“I didn’t think twice about her,” he said, dashing my hopes and making my gut twist.“Not having a soul frees usfrom any sort of conscience.She was only a human, and a foolish one at that, to fall in love with a faery.Shewasn’t the first, nor would she be the last.But her grandmother, the high priestess of the girl’s clan, was not so foolish.She sought me out, and told me what I just told you—she cursed me, promised that I would bedestined to lose everyone I truly cared for, that it was the price for being soulless.Of course, I just laughed it off as the superstitions of a weakling mortal…until I fel in love with Ariel a.” His voice grew even softer.“And now, with you.”He turned away and gazed out over the edge again.“When Ariel a was taken from me, I suddenly understood.We don’t have a conscience, but fal ing in love changes things.I understood what I had put that girl through,the pain she suffered because of me.I told myself I wouldn’t make the mistake of caring for someone again.”He gave a bitter chuckle and shook his head.“And then you came along and ruined al that.”I couldn’t answer.I kept seeing that girl, and the dark, handsome stranger she fell for, died for.“Why are youtelling me this?” I whispered.“Because, I want you to understand what I am.” Ash looked down at me, solemn and grim.“I’m not a humanwith pointed ears, Meghan.I am and will always be Fey.Soul ess.Immortal.Because of my actions that day,someone I loved died.And now, here we are, on the brink of war and—” He stopped and looked down, hisvoice dropping to a near whisper.“And I’m afraid.I’m afraid I’ll fail you like I did Ariel a, that the crimes of my past will ruin any chance we have at a future.That you’l realize who I really am, what I real y am, and when Iturn around you’ll be gone.”He stopped, the wind whipping at his hair and clothes, swirling ashes into the silence.A glider on the walturned its head and buzzed sleepily.Ash’s posture was stiff, his back and shoulders rigid, steeled for myreaction.Bracing himself to hear footsteps walking back down the stairs.I saw his shoulders tremble andcaught the faint aura of fear before he could hide it.I stepped close and slipped my arms around his waist, hearing his quiet intake of breath as I pul ed himagainst me.“That was a long time ago,” I murmured, pressing my cheek to his back, listening to his thuddingheart.“You’ve changed since then.That Ash wouldn’t protect a sil y human girl with his life, or become herknight, or walk into exile with her.Every step of the way, you’ve always been there, right beside me.I’m notletting you go now.”“I’m a coward.” Ash’s voice was subdued.“If I cared for you as much as I should, I would end my life and thecurse along with it.My existence puts you in danger.If I were no longer here—”“Don’t you dare, Ashallyn’darkmyr Tallyn.” I held him tighter, even as he flinched at the sound of his TrueName.“Don’t you dare throw your life away for an unknown superstition.If you die—” My voice broke, and Iswal owed thickly.“I love you,” I whispered, fisting my hands against his stomach.“You can’t leave.You sworeyou wouldn’t.”Ash’s hands came to rest over mine, twining our fingers together.“Even if the world stands against you,” hemurmured, bowing his head.“I promise.”WE STAYED ON THE BALCONY that night, sitting against the wall, watching the storm sweep over the outlyinghil s.We didn’t say much, content just to be near each other, lost in our own thoughts.When we did speak, itwas of the war and the rebels and other, present-day things, staying far from the past…or the future.I dozedseveral times, waking with his arms around me and my head against his shoulder.The next thing I knew, he was shaking me awake.The night had moved on, and a pinkish light glowed againstthe distant horizon.“Meghan, wake up.”“Hmm?” I yawned, rubbing my eyes.Sleeping in armor while leaning against a wall, I realized, was proving tobe a bad idea, as my backside throbbed with pain.“Time to go already?”“No.” Ash stepped to the edge of the balcony.“Come look at this.Hurry.”I peered out over the edge.At first, I couldn’t see anything, but then the light gleamed off something shiny and metallic on the horizon.I squinted, shielding my eyes with my hand.Could that be the glint of metal armor? Orthe shiny top of an iron beetle? My blood ran cold.“They’re coming,” Ash muttered, and I stumbled back from the edge.“We have to tel Glitch!”I scrambled back from the landing, Ash close behind me.As we flew down the stairs, it quickly became clearthat Glitch already knew.The camp was in chaos, rebels rushing back and forth, grabbing weapons andthrowing on armor.Those who had been wounded the day before hurried out with freshly bandaged wounds,limping or carrying those who couldn’t walk.“There you are!” Puck met us at the foot of the stairs, rol ing his eyes as we came charging down.“Anotherarmy on the way and you two are playing kissy-face on the balcony.Suit up.Looks like there’s going to beanother fight [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]