Page 68 of Dragon Eternal (Dragon Kings 4)
She said nothing as she poured mead into two cups and handed one to him. Then she leaned on her free hand and looked up. “The only time I feel a pang of regret about my roses is when I can’t see the stars.”
“You can still see them, just not as clearly as before.” He set aside his cup and lay on his back. Shaw shifted several times until he found a spot through the roses. “Come lay with me. Let me show you.”
She stretched out beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
He used his other hand to point through the thick leaves and vines. “There. Do you see them?”
“I do,” she replied softly.
Something changed inside Shaw as they lay in silence, looking up at the night sky. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it. Sensed it. His arm tightened around Nia, pulling her close. Out of all of them, she would need protection the most.
“Do you ever regret anything?” she asked.
He watched a rose leaf bend against the breeze. “I try no’ to live with regrets.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“Everyone looks back on things and finds something they wish they’d done differently. That’s life. You learn from the mistake and move on.”
Her hand on his chest flattened over his heart. “I regret not helping others. Especially the children.”
Shaw rolled her onto her back and looked into her eyes. “You’ve been busy keeping yourself alive. No one can fault you for that.”
“I fault myself. I could’ve tried to do something.”
“It would’ve gotten you killed. You know that. It’s why you didna do it.”
She touched his face. “That’s an excuse. You wouldn’t have hesitated, no matter the cost.”
“We’re different people, lass. We come from different worlds. I’ve been bathed in blood and battle my entire life. There are only so many places for people like me. The world needs people who are brave and caring like you. You’re the kind who softens the edges and helps everyone heal from war.”
“That’s not what my role feels like.”
“Your role is whatever you make it.”
Her hand fell away from his jaw. “I want to fight. I’m tired of thinking about only my survival. I might still be living, but I’m no freer than I was as a child. I just didn’t see the cage then.”
Shaw’s heart clenched when he saw a tear fall from the corner of her eye and disappear into the hair at her temple. “If you want to fight, then fight. I’ll be standing right beside you.”
