“Oh.” He took her breath away. Tears wel ed in her eyes.
“You don’t have to say that.”
“Women need words, Morgan tel s me. And it gives me pleasure to say them.”
He knelt before her on the grass.
“Conn.” She was shaken. Embarrassed. He was a proud man. Prince of the merfolk, lord of the sea. And at any moment, anyone could look over and see him kneeling at her feet. “What are you doing?”
“Something I should have done long ago.” He took her hands. Her fingers trembled in his strong clasp. “Lucy, my love. My heart. Wil you marry me?”
The earth whirled and settled around them. She swal owed the ache in her heart, the lump in her throat. One of them had to be practical. They had duties. Obligations.
“What if I can never give you children? You need an heir.”
“I need you. I wil always need you.” He looked up at her, his silver eyes blazing. “Recommit to me, Lucy. Here, 2 7 2
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in a church, in the sight of God, according to the custom of your people. Take me as your husband. Wil you?”
Her tears washed her grief away. She forgot pride and obligation, forgot whoever might be watching. Al she could see was Conn’s eyes, Conn’s face, ful of heat and love and tenderness.
She felt an overwhelming rush of love for him.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, please, I wil .”
He rose to his feet and pul ed her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. The sun sank to the surface of the sea, trailing banners of scarlet and gold.
*
*
*
A fist closed in Lara’s chest. She didn’t trust Zayin, not for a moment. But she couldn’t bring herself to believe that the Master Guardian would actual y hurt her. She edged backward toward the door, feeling with her foot for the threshold, keeping her eyes on him.
“Please.” Zayin sounded more derisive than angry.
“Don’t put me to the trouble of coming after you.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
“We’ve been worried about you,” Zayin said. “Simon in particular.”
“I’m fine. You can tel him so.”
“Tel him yourself. Come home with me.”
Home. A vision of Rockhaven rose in her mind, glossy and sharp as a photograph, the strong, stone wal s, the jewel ike windows, everything she’d once loved, everything that was permanent and safe.
She shook her head without speaking.
“Frankly, I’m relieved to find you alive,” Zayin said.
“This room stinks of demon. Demon and fish.”
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Shocked, she met his gaze.
“You do know he’s possessed,” Zayin said. “Aqua Boy.”
Lara sucked in her breath. “You
“I knew he was a danger to you.”
“Not anymore. Iestyn cast the demon out.”
Zayin stared at her, arrested. “He did.”
“We did.” The memory of it straightened her spine.
“Together.”
“Wel .” Zayin leaned back in the chair, his big body deliberately relaxed. “It appears we underestimated you.”
“So you see . . .” She exhaled. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“Possibly. But then you have an obligation to protect others
“Do you real y believe that?”
Black eyes flickered. “Simon does. And you are Simon’s disciple, are you not?”
Her chest felt tight. She didn’t know what she was anymore.
What she believed. “I can’t go back to the way things were.”
“No one would expect it. You’ve changed,” Zayin said, with an assessing look. “Other things can change. If you came back of your own volition, Simon would welcome you with an open heart and open arms. We need you, Lara.
What you have learned, you can teach to others.”
His words tore at her soul. More than physical safety, she craved emotional security. Simon’s praise and approval, a valued place at Rockhaven, were al she’d ever wanted.
The burden of freedom, the weight of fear, pressed on her heart. Her lips felt numb. She heard herself say, “What about Iestyn?”
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“What of him?”
“I can’t just leave him.”
Zayin glanced around the empty room. “And yet he is not here.”
A flush heated her face. “He’l be back.”
“For how long?” Zayin asked.
She stared at him, stricken, seeing Iestyn’s face, alight with joy. Hearing Iestyn’s voice, bright with hope.
Zayin pressed his advantage. “Let it go, Lara. Let him go.
He’s free to be with his own people now. And you can be safe with yours.”
“So you’re asking me to trade a chance at happiness for . .
. What? Security?”
“I’m tel ing you. Give up your infatuation with this boy for a guaranteed future.”
But there were no guarantees outside of Heaven. Iestyn had said that. The only thing certain was change.
Lara gnawed the inside of her cheek. She
She was more confident now, more sure of herself and what she wanted. She didn’t need to look to Simon for approval anymore or to the nephilim for safety and acceptance.
