Dark Choices - I. T. Lucas Page 0,89

I have nothing to atone for, and neither do you.” He sighed. “Dalhu said that the Fates demand a sacrifice for their gift of a truelove mate, and that mine might be my friendship with Kalugal.”

“Would you sacrifice that for me?”

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Yes. I love you, Edna. You are my life, my future, my everything, and I would gladly sacrifice all that I have for you. But by abandoning Kalugal and severing ties with him, I would risk much more than myself. When his grandfather went insane, he destroyed half of the ancient world. Kalugal has the means to do much worse.”

65

Edna

Butterflies took flight in Edna’s belly, the good kind, and for a moment, she heard nothing other than I love you reverberating through her chest and her mind over and over again.

Even though Rufsur had said it already in every possible way other than verbal, hearing the words had impacted her like a ton of bricks. In a good way.

“Edna?” He looked into her eyes. “Did you hear what I said?”

She nodded like a fool. “You said that you love me.”

“I mean, what I said after that.”

“Does it matter?”

He smiled. “Yes, regrettably, it does. My leaving Kalugal might have disastrous consequences for the world, not just us. But if you leave the clan, it’s going to be painful only for you. Except, you’ll be with me, and I promise to do everything in my power to make it worth the sacrifice and for the ouch to go away.”

She shook her head. “I admit that it’s tempting. But before I give it serious consideration, I want to make sure that we’ve exhausted every other option first.”

He kissed her hand again. “Do you love me?”

Edna nodded, but didn’t look at him. Why was it so hard to say that she loved him back?

“That’s it? That’s the suckiest declaration of love I’ve ever heard, or rather didn’t. Suddenly the lawyer is lost for words?” He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head. “You can do better than that.”

She loved him, but for some reason saying the words was difficult. The last time she’d said them was over three hundred years ago, and the results had been tragic. Logically, she knew there was no connection between her loving Robbie and his death, but she’d always carried around an irrational feeling of guilt that she’d been somehow responsible for it.

To love him, she’d defied the Clan Mother and had tempted the Fates’ retribution. Was she doing the same thing now?

Once more, she loved a man whom she shouldn’t love, and to keep him, she might have to betray her clan again, which would in turn anger the Fates. If anything happened to Rufsur, she would never forgive herself.

“I can’t betray my clan to be with you.”

His smile wilted. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t. The last time I acted irresponsibly because I loved a man, he paid for it with his life.”

“Oh, Edna.” He cupped her cheek. “You know that your love didn’t kill Robbie. It was his destiny, and it had nothing to do with you.”

She shook her head. “I angered the Fates.”

Rufsur frowned. “Perhaps not the Fates but the goddess. Could it be that she had something to do with his death?”

The idea was so preposterous that it made Edna gasp. “Never. Annani would never do such a thing. She could have banished me, threatened retaliation, but she did none of those things. Love is the highest value to her, and she would never do anything to stand in its way.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. But things like that happen. Leaders go to great lengths to protect their people, and you were endangering them by exposing who you were to a human.”

“I never told Robbie the truth about me.”

“You would have eventually. Your love story with Robbie couldn’t have a happy ending.” He put his arms around her. “But our story can.” He kissed her softly. “Say the words, Edna. Tell me that you love me.”

“I’m scared.”

“Say it anyway.”

She shook her head. “I’m not a brave soul like you. I’m afraid to jinx us. And now that you brought up the possibility of foul play, it's got me thinking. Kalugal is not Annani. He might consider you leaving him to be with me a betrayal. Is he vindictive?” Edna swallowed. “Is he capable of killing you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive. Many of the men who escaped the Brotherhood with him have left