All That Glitters Aislinn Kerry

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.I won’t wait around for her to drain me like she did the rest of my family.I’m leaving before she has the chance to try.”He watches me, his gaze deep and unreadable.I wish desperately for him to say something, but when he does, it’s no help at all.He says only, “Godspeed, Kynan.” Only that, but there’s something hidden deep within his voice that censures me.I twist my hands and try to pretend that my heart isn’t breaking.I can’t think of anything to say that won’t sound pathetic.I don’t know what Aneirin takes my silence for, but eventually he breaks it.“Where will you go?”“I don’t know.” I shake my head hard.I haven’t thought that far.I haven’t thought of anything beyond the blinding need to get away from the gwrach.“Nye…come with me.”It surprises both of us.I stare at him, shocked by my own suggestion; he stares back at me with a similar expression.Slowly, he shakes his head.“No,” he says quietly.“I can’t leave Paris, Kynan.If you go, you go with my blessings, but alone.”I close my eyes and fight against the despair that threatens to swamp me.“Please,” I whisper.Now I know I am pathetic, but I can’t find it within myself to care.“I can’t.I’m sorry.”I sigh, and even I can recognize that it’s a heartbroken, weary sound.I turn back to my trunk to finish packing, but he grabs my shoulder.“Stay,” he says urgently.“Stay with me, Kynan, and fight her.We can fight her together.”I gape at him.“Fight her? We’ll both die.”“No.She’s not as strong as you think, mo charaid.The two of us—we can defeat her.”“It’s madness.Suicide.” I jerk myself out of his hold.“I would do almost anything for you, Nye, but not this.Not this.”“Don’t do it for me, cara.Do it for yourself.For your family.Do you want to spend your life running?”“Better a long life on the run than a short one making a stand,” I snap.“You will not die.”“I don’t believe you.” I spin back to him again, too angry to care for packing.“She is a monster, Nye, and I am only a man.She will kill us both.”He’s silent for a moment, and I return to my task.Quietly, his voice drifts across the room.“You are a coward.”He could not have shocked me more if he had struck me.I freeze, and slowly turn to him.“For wanting to live? Then so be it.Better to live a coward than die of bravado.”“You will not die.” He strides to me and grabs my arms, dragging me close.“Do you trust me so little?”I bite my lip and speak slowly, trying not to anger him more than I already have.“I trust that you believe you can keep me safe.But I don’t think you could hope to stand against this monster.”Some strange emotion twists his face into a harsh smile.“You might be surprised,” he says, but releases me.“Do you think I would ask you to stay if I thought there was any danger to you, Kynan?”I don’t know how to answer that, so I remain silent.There’s nothing I can say that won’t come out badly, and I don’t want us to part on such terms.I turn back to my trunk, closing the lid and fastening it.When there are no preparations left to make, I stand with my back facing Aneirin, tense.“I won’t sit and wait for her to try to kill me again,” I say.“Perhaps I am a coward, but that would take more strength than I have.”“Wait for her?” Aneirin sounds surprised.“No wonder you think me rash.I’m not talking about waiting for her, Kynan.I am talking about seeking her out before she returns and being rid of her before she can attack again.”I face him.He is slowly wearing me down, like the ocean’s waves erode stone, and I am precariously close to crumbling.“I don’t have the first idea how to go about that.”“I do.”I raise my brows.“How?”“That’s a long story, and one for another time.” He takes my hands, squeezes them gently.His expression is no longer angry, but open and earnest.“Will you stay? Please?”I close my eyes.My resolve crumbles like sand.Weary, I nod and allow him to draw me into a fierce embrace.“Very well.” I bring my arms around his back.“I’ll stay, if you’ll help me.”We search for the gwrach—or rather, Aneirin searches and I follow where he leads—but have little luck.I know I should be terrified, and at first, I am.But that emotion is soon overwhelmed by others, and I cannot bring myself to dwell on the fear.The others are far more pleasant.I don’t speak of them to Aneirin, but I suspect he notices my change in mood.At times, I catch him watching me out of the corner of his eye, a small smile hovering about his face, as though it pleases him.Things come to a head one day when we’re at home.He’s just made a joke, and his eyes are sparkling with humor and wit.I collapse against his chest, laughing helplessly.“Oh, Nye,” I say, dashing tears from my eyes, “I do love you.”We both freeze.It’s the last thing I expect to come from my mouth, and judging by the stunned expression on his face, I don’t think Aneirin expected it either.My cheeks burn, but there’s nothing for it now; I look up at him and wait for his reply.His mouth gapes open, then he closes it and shakes his head, like a man trying to shake off a dream.“Kynan.” His voice is wary, and I don’t know whether it’s that or the hands that he puts on my shoulders, pushing me away, but whatever it is hits me like a blow.I swallow hard against the pain that chokes me.“Kynan, you shouldn’t—”“Shouldn’t what? Shouldn’t say it?” I hadn’t meant to, but now that the words are spoken, I will not shirk from them.“It’s the truth.”He closes his eyes.“You shouldn’t.”“Why not?” I draw back and frown at him.“Oh, Kynan.” He brings his hand up to his forehead.It’s such a weary gesture that I would go to him and try to soothe him, but trepidation freezes me in my place.“I’ll only hurt you.”“You would never hurt me.” I whisper it quietly, but conviction rings through my words.If there’s one thing in all the world that I know, it’s that Aneirin would never harm me.He drops his hand and pins me with an agonized look.“You don’t know that.You don’t know me, Kynan.”“Whose fault is that?” The statement riles my anger.“Every time I try, you push me away [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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