worked up I can’t tell what emotion it is. “I want a home, Eldrin. I thought coming here would give me answers, instead, I have more questions.”
His face cracks when I talk of a home, his arms dropping from where they’re crossed over his chest. Taking a step back, I spin to return to Vaeril, only to be stopped by Eldrin’s hand on my shoulder.
“Clarissa,” he murmurs, but I shake him off, walking back to where my friend waits by my door.
“I’ll speak with you later,” Vaeril says to the twins, before turning a pointed look at Naril. “Do you think you can keep him under control?”
Sighing, Naril nods and places a hand on his twin’s shoulder. “Come, brother.”
Without another glance at them, I open the door to my quarters and stalk inside, aware of Vaeril following me as he pulls the door softly closed behind him. Walking straight into the living space, I find a comfortable chair and curl up, staring out the window at the beautiful scenery.
“Clarissa, can we talk?” His voice comes from behind me, but I don’t bother to turn, instead sighing and rubbing my hands across my face.
“I think I’ve heard enough today, Vaeril,” I murmur, feeling bone weary. It’s funny how I’ve done nothing physical today, yet I feel more tired than I did after we arrived at the palace.
Vaeril comes into my line of sight as he takes a seat on one of the chairs opposite me, resting his elbows on his knees. “I understand that, but I need to know you’re okay.”
Pulling my gaze from the window, I look over at him with interest. “Why?”
“What do you mean?” He’s confused, searching my face for an explanation.
“Why do you care if I’m okay? Is it because of this bond between us? You hated me when we first met, then tolerated me when I could help you escape. When did that turn to this?” I gesture between us, my voice getting louder and more frustrated as I talk, but I’m not done. This has been bugging me for a while, and now that I’ve started, I find that I can’t stop myself, needing to know the answer. “What I’m trying to ask is, are you only interested in me now because of the bond, is it making you feel this way?”
Understanding enters his eyes, and he leans back in his chair. “I don’t know exactly when it happened, it was slow. But the bond doesn’t make you feel anything, it just enables you to be closer to your mate,” he clarifies. Reaching up, he runs his hand through his long silver hair, suddenly seeming nervous.
Why?
“You can reject the bond if it’s not what you want, if you don’t want me as a mate. I won’t pressure you into this.” As soon as he says it, I can tell he wants to take it all back, but he can’t, he won’t. He’s always been honest with me.
Why wouldn’t I want him? It should be the other way around. Why would he want to be paired with a hybrid who has nothing, who owns nothing?
“You know I’m part elf now, so you don’t have to be so disgusted with my human heritage,” I joke, but the words come out flat. I meant it as a slight to myself, but anger flares in his eyes and he jumps to his feet at the accusation.
“I was never disgusted by you!” he insists, but at my look he huffs. “When I first met you, I was disgusted—but not by you, never by you. I was disgusted at what they would do to a poor youngling like you, that they would put you down there with a being that could kill you,” he explains, pacing in front of me, his mind lost in his memories. “I am used to humans treating me with disgust, so I expected that from you too.” Suddenly, he’s in front of me, kneeling at my feet. “When you didn’t, I was intrigued, but then I thought it could be a trick to get me to tell you my secrets. Then you showed me your marks and I knew we were more alike than I had realised.” Reaching out slowly, his fingers brush my slave marks, and a shiver of arousal snakes through my body, bringing a small gasp from my lips. His eyes jump to mine, his expression knowing. “When you broke the spell on my cuff, that’s when I knew you were different. Besides,