Then I watched her remarkable eyes get bright and her big, badass, hide-shirted, hide-pants wearing, sword bearing, knife belt sporting husband pulled her even more protectively closer as she smiled back.
* * *
Valentine
“You are here,” she heard the deep, appealing male voice say, her body turned and her eyes went from the beautiful vista of the glassy dark sea and its tall-masted ships to the beautiful vision of the tall, dark man who formed out of the shadows of the castle beyond him.
“I am here,” she agreed to the obvious.
He stopped on the balcony six feet from her.
“I have waited some time,” he informed her and the witch Valentine Rousseau knew by the tone of his voice he did not like waiting.
“I know you have,” she said softly.
“And I have heard no word,” he told her something else she knew and something else it was clear he did not like.
“Ulfr,” she whispered, not believing she was going to do this but she was going to do this so before she could stop herself from doing it, she said quickly, “I will return your payment.”
He stared at her, his green eyes gleaming even in the dark night illuminated only by the soft lanterns of the city.
Finally, he guessed, “She is dead in your world too.”
Valentine shook her head.
Ulfr’s brows rose. “Then you have not found her?”
“I have found her,” Valentine said carefully and she watched his big, heavenly body grow taut which made it even more heavenly.
“Then, what –?” he started.
“In my world,” she quickly interrupted him, “Ilsa is married.”
It must be said, as she watched his heavenly body grow more taut, Valentine found it a fascinating show.
He remained silent and it wasn’t until he spoke again that she understood he did this to consider his options.
Then he declared the one he’d chosen. “This matters not.”
It was a surprising, dictatorial choice but Valentine couldn’t help but think he was right, it didn’t matter. With her eyes beholding the specimen of man before her, Valentine knew a woman could love a man in her world and be taken from him and offered to this man and she’d eventually forget her other man existed. She knew this even though she knew very little about Apollo Ulfr. What she did know was the depth of his capacity for love and her experience was only three men had its equal and they were all of this parallel world and they were all currently residing in this castle.
Unfortunately for him, the one woman he wanted, it was Valentine’s considered opinion, was the one woman in both their worlds he had no hope of winning.
“It does,” Valentine told him cautiously.
“It does not,” he returned immediately.
“Ulfr –” she started.
“Bring her to me,” he ordered.
“Ulfr, it’s my understanding you are at the cusp of war,” she reminded him.
“This is my concern, not yours.”
Valentine took in a delicate breath.
Then she told him what he needed to know.