bChapter /bb169 /b

    “You’ve licked my tears and nothing happened.” I think for a few seconds. “Wait, Atarothz told me we… counteract each other or something. That’s why I was able toe back after…”

    “I broke you and you came back, I licked your tears and survived. It doesn’t seem far–fetched if Lilith truly thought of us as the perfect union- two halves of a whole.”

    A remain silent, trying to process this information and turning his theory over in my mind. He could be right–it makes sense.

    “If the Pures weren’t terrified before, imagine if they found this out,” I say.

    “I won’t let them find out.” He reaches out to take my hand. “Besides, we’re not sure yet.”

    “Yet?”

    “At some point, we’ll have to settle the doubt.”

    “By killing a Pure?”

    “You think you won’t have to do it at some point? I think we both know it’s too naive to believe that.”

    “I don’t need tears for that, Cassian. I take souls.”

    “Then let’s just call it an experiment to confirm our theory.”

    “I’m not sure if I should be scared by how easily you talk about killing one of your own.”

    “I won’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who poses a threat to you–you should know that by now.”

    I take another bite of my breakfast, knowing full well that the possibility of his kind wanting to harm me is very real. However, thinking about it would only drag me into a spiral of worry I don’t want to fall into today–not after the wonderful night we’ve spent together. Cassian must think the same, because he finishes the contents of his chalice without adding anything more. Just as I finish my te, he wipes the corner of

    his mouth with his thumb and stands, offering me his hand.

    I take it, intertwining my fingers with his.

    “Where are we going?”

    He doesn’t answer right away, too focused on leading us through the castle andter through the gardens. I look around in recognition- nothing has changed since I left. Everything is still full of that dark, dangerous beauty.

    “Earlier I told you I wanted to show you something.”

    “The gardens?b” /b

    He steps closer, never breaking my gaze, until we reach what looks like a wall of vines. He pushes them aside with his hand and helps me step through without catching my feet on any of the scattered roots. While the rest of the gardens, despite their gloomy appearance, are perfectly maintained, this side seems to have been forgotten. That doesn’t take away from its majesty–the view chills the blood but also steals the breath. I quickly realize this looks like a cemetery. There are only five graves, and I know for sure to whom two of them belong.

    I walk with his presence at my back, and when I pass one of the headstones, I can clearly read the surname Vitalle, though the first name bis /bless legible.

    “Blyana Vitalle, my mother,” he murmurs. “And that is my father, stor Vitalleb./bb” /b

    b14:16 /bbSat/bb, /bb9 /bbAug /b

    I say nothing, instead, I reach out to brush his hand and give it a squeeze, letting him know I share his pain. A breeze lifts my hair and stirs the leaves in its path. The scent of flowers fills my lungs.

    “I know it’s painful and I don’t know if you’re ready,” he begins to say as he guides me a few steps forward, “I just wanted you to know that! didn’t abandon them. I know they’re important to you, and what matters to you matters to me too.”

    I know what he’s talking about before my eyes see it. Three tombstones, side by side, with the surname Ruggiero on each and my family’s names freshly carved. There are fresh flowers, and I don’t know what detail makes my eyes fill with tears. Not a single one falls down my cheeks, as if Cassian’s confession had scared me enough to keep them from spilling. He wraps his arms around me while I break silently. He ces a kiss on my hair and I dig my nails into his shirt to stop myself from screaming or losing control. I can no longer be the person who couldn’t master her temper; losing control could unleash something serious that I would regret.

    “Darling, you can cry with me,” he whispers in my ear.

    I shake my head, with a lump in my throat that keeps me from speaking. So, since my tears have frozen on the edge of my eyes and the words refuse toe, I do the only thing left to me. I kneel on the ground and caress the letters of my sister’s name, closing my eyes to push away. the cruel images that assault my mind. Cassian doesn’t move away from me, warming my body with his presence. He is patient; he doesn’t seem to mind that I stay here on the ground for so long that the damp earth begins to seep into my bones.

    “Your brotheres almost every day.”

    He knows perfectly well that hearing that gives my soul somefort. Every time my mind turned toward them, I selfishly closed the door and tried to forget them, because it was too painful for me.

    “Maybe you’d prefer their bodies to rest in Ravka…”

    I lift my gaze toward him, standing there watching me.

    “Can they stay here?”

    “Of course. They’re your family and you…” I catch the slight movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. “You are mine.”

    “You hate humans.”

    “True. But not you.”

    I get to my feet, aware that my dress is ruined with dirt stains and leaves stuck to it. I move forward to take shelter in his arms and wrap my own around his waist to be closer to him. I inhale the scent embedded in his clothes.

    “Thank you, Cassian.”

    “Anything for you, ra.”