Page 62 of Eternally Bound
“You should rest before you leave.”
Kadence blinked at him, thrown off by the abrupt change in conversation. “Excuse me?”
“Rest. It is going to be a tiring day for you, and you will be leaving shortly.”
“Oh… ah… yeah,” she muttered. She had no idea what was wrong with her. She should be jumping for joy. Soon she’d be leaving this place andhimbehind to do everything she’d always dreamed about doing. The knowledge brought her no joy. Instead, it made that awful tightening of her skin start all over again.
Her fingers bit into her arms as she held back the tears burning her eyes. She would not cry in front of him. Sherefusedto do so again, especially since she had no idea why she wanted to cry. Okay, well, she had a little bit of one. She had come to care for this man who she would have gladly staked two weeks ago, and she wasn’t ready to leave him.
Do I want to go?she asked herself.Of course you do, you idiot. You abandoned your whole family for a shot at freedom, and Ronan is offering you more than you ever could have hoped for.
Then why did her heart feel like it was being squeezed in a vise?
“Do you want to leave, Kadydid?” he asked.
Her heart squeezed further at the nickname he’d given her; one she’d come to cherish over the past week. Was that a measure of hope she heard in his voice, or was she only trying to hear it there?
“I want… I want to see the world and learn things,” she whispered.
He glanced to the windows, his hands fisting as on the horizon the night sky began to lighten toward dawn. “And I will give that to you,” he murmured. “I must speak with Marta and Baldric now.”
He kept his head averted from her as he strode toward the door. “Ronan.” He flinched away from her hand when she rested it on his arm. “I should speak with my brother.”
His head swiveled toward her. She couldn’t stop herself from taking a step back from the burning red of his eyes. “Why?” he asked.
Kadence swallowed. “To let him know we were wrong, that you are not all bad, that we all fight a common enemy. Maybe… maybe you could work together. Think of the good that could be done and the lives that could be saved if hunters and vampires united.”
“And do you think he would listen to you?”
She contemplated his question before sighing. “Probably not, but don’t you think it’s worth a chance?”
His hand briefly rested over hers, his fingers squeezing her before releasing her. “I think it’s best if you get away from here. If you leave behind the violence and death of both our worlds and live the life you are meant to live.”
“And what life is that?” she inquired.
“One of happiness.”
“Ronan—”
Pulling her close, he kissed her forehead before releasing her. “Let this go.”
The lump in her throat choked her as he strode toward the doorway. “Ronan!” she blurted when he stepped out the door. He hesitated in the threshold, his shoulders drawn up to his ears and his back hunched. “Thank you, for everything. No matter what, I will never regret anything that transpired between us.”
“Neither will I.”
“When I come back—”
He looked at her over his shoulder. “If you come back, I will be here, waiting for you.”
“You’ll have found someone else by then,” she said with what felt like the worst smile.
“No, Kadydid, there will never be anyone else for me, only you. Do not return here unless you’re ready for an eternity with me.”
Before she could reply, he was gone from the doorway and she was left gawking after him.
CHAPTER 29
Kadence stood in the foyer, her small bag in hand as Marta bustled around her. For the thousandth time, Kadence’s eyes went to the hallway where the poolroom was located. Somehow, she knew Ronan was down there. She kept waiting for him to come to say goodbye, but she hadn’t seen him again since he’d left her room.
