Gods, how I loved her. But I shouldn't have shared my feelings with her, not now, not like this. I just hadn't been able to stop my heart's truth from spilling out. "I shouldn't have said it—" I began to apologize when Nelle pressed a hand to my mouth, stopping me from saying anything further.

"Say it again," she whispered.

The words vibrated against the tips of her fingers. "I love you, little bird."

I curled my hand and slid my knuckles gently along the curve of her face, down the column of her graceful throat to rest it on the bottom of her neck, the roped collar butting up against the side of my hand. Nelle didn't say anything for a long time, simply dropping her hand to my shoulder, her thumb resting in the hollow between my collarbones, as she stared at me with a bewildered crooked grin caught up in awe. All too soon, her expression collapsed into regret. As her eyebrows angled up, she swallowed thickly. "I can't—"

"I know," I hastened to say. How could she feel anything like that for me?

Her gray eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I can't give you what you want..." She sucked in a deep breath as her thick lashes fluttered shut. "But I can give you this." I felt her then, a humming skittering sensation beneath my flesh as she shared with me the tangled riot of emotions within her. She leaned closer, and her hands skimmed upward to frame my cheeks as she pressed her mouth to mine.

My fingers trailed around the nape of her neck, burying themselves into her lovely, wild hair. She glided her lips against mine in a barely-there touch, sending intimate shivers coursing across my skin that I felt all the way to the depths of my very soul. She nudged my lips open to kiss me deeply. Every caress of her tongue, every endearing slide of her lips, sang an enchanting melody to the steady rhythm of our twin-hearts beating as one, the bass note of my helpless groan. The kiss was wickedly sweet and spun from silvery moonlight. She gave me everything she felt. Everything that troubled her. Everything joyous too. She poured bright, buttery sunshine through her kiss to vanquish every dark crevasse that lurked inside my being.

As the willwips flitted above and we basked in ethereal hues of metal, she let her truth stir through my blood once more, warming my heart as her pure delight and happiness fluttered inside my chest like a swarm of glowing fireflies rising into their twilight flight.

What she felt for me was tentative. A fragile flame. The first glimpse of sunlight slipping over a mountain peak to tiptoe across the sky. But she cared deeply.

Cool air prickled my mouth when she broke the kiss to rest her forehead against my own. Her hands slid forward to feather through my hair and curl around the nape of my neck. Her breath whispered across my lips as she asked, "What are we going to do? Your aunt and your brothers know what you feel for me, that you've been protecting me."

"No," I replied. "They may suspect it, but they'll believe it's tied to our connection as Wyrm and Tamer."

I'd already run through what had occurred in my mind, what had been seen, what I'd said aloud. My aunt was too caught up in her rage and sorrow to have overheard my heart's confession to Nelle. My brothers had come at the moment rage had set my blood on fire when I'd learned of the vileness of the Emporium and what Nelle had been subjected to. They'd witnessed the color of my eyes blow straight to Nelle's and they'd fallen to the might of the Tamer. My wrath turned to bloodshed because Nelle was my possession, I owned her, and the dominant nature of the Tamer could easily be mistaken for the reason for my explosion.

I snatched a glimpse between the swirling Birds of Prey guarding the rookery against the men and women gathered outside, heard the cadre's footsteps, the quiet murmurings as they parted, sliding aside to allow my aunt to step through their ranks. I mentally sighed. There wasn't any time left for us.

I cast a calculating glance about the rookery. It wasn't an ideal hideout, but for some strange reason the Birds had taken to Nelle. This place would be safe for her, long enough for me to do what I needed to, to divert my aunt from her to me. I knew what my aunt wanted—my surrender.

I brushed a hand gently across her temple, soaking Nelle in one last time. Why couldn't we have been just a girl and a guy with nothing between us but interested glances and flirtatious smiles? I'd have taken Nelle Wychthorn out on dates, fucking courted the shit out of her until I'd charmed her into giving me her heart. Though our two families weren't aligned in rank, we would have stood firm and convinced them we belonged together.

I carefully lifted Nelle off my lap, steadying her as she got her feet beneath her before I rose. Confusion creased her brow as she stared up at my looming figure.

I took her delicate hands in my own, brushing my thumbs back and forth over her soft skin. My voice lowered with the desperate need for her to hear what I had to say and what she had to do. "My aunt isn't going to stop. We need to give her what she needs to feel like she's in control of the situation. Stay here in the rookery. The birds will protect you, and my sister will look out for you too. Caidan as well." At her puzzled expression at the mention of my siblings, I added, "You fractured them both, little bird. They'll take care of you because it's the right thing to do."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have to give my aunt something."

"You?" She started panicking, breaking free from my grip to rise on her tippy-toes to take hold of the sides of my face, drawing my head down to meet hers, pale with worry. "Ferne said if your aunt got hold of you, you wouldn't be the same. What did she mean?"

I replied with a bold-faced fucking lie. "Ferne doesn't know what she's talking about."

Anger burned in her gaze. "Graysen!"

"I'm going to be fine."

Her anger fled, turning into anxiety. "Please don't give yourself to her. We'll both leave. Please Graysen, let's just leave together."

"I can't do that." I cupped her cheek, brushing away the fresh tears with the pad of my thumb. My voice was strained, full of warning and determination to make her listen. "Promise me this. Don't try to save me. Save yourself."

She struggled, more tears falling as she shook her head. "No."

"There's no time nor energy to be spared for anything else but to free yourself."

Godsdammit, I tasted indecision on my tongue. Denial. Then rebellion.

The imposing tone of the Tamer growled from my chest, its timbre low and laced heavily with command. A touch of the sway vibrated down the lines of power. "Promise me."

"Okay," she cried, breaking under my authority. "Okay. I'll do it."

I took one last look at her, imprinting her image into memory. The pale hair caught up in ribbons and pins, the wild spirals framing her face, with those large luminous eyes edged by thick lashes, shining back at me full of wretchedness. The freckles scattered across her honeyed cheeks that I'd always thought gave her a mischievous air. And the tears glossing her sassy mouth, the top lip charmingly fuller than the bottom. Dipping my head, I wrapped my arms around her diminutive figure, my skin buzzing and sparking with the hyper-awareness we always experienced when we were in each other's presence as I drew us together once more. I licked the salty tears from her lips, stealing her anguish for myself, and gave my little bird a soft, lingering kiss that told her everything that she meant to me.

My eyes were closed as I drew in her unique scent with its fiery undertones. Then I pulled away and turned to stride across the rookery, her body heat disappearing as cold, stale air brushed up against my exposed chest. By the time I'd reached the open doorway, a subarctic chill had begun to leach the warmth from my heart.

***

I stood inside the rookery with shock taking hold. Graysen had left. He'd willingly given himself up to his aunt, all for me. Sage padded over, bumping my hand with his moist muzzle, while the Birds of Prey whorled about in agitated streaks of ghostly silver, and I wrestled with the fact that Graysen had once again placed himself in danger to protect me.

I burst into motion, desperate to see him one last time, to share what was in my heart. I couldn't let him disappear without hearing it. Straw crunched beneath my bare feet as I pivoted and dashed toward the stone staircase that wound around the outer walls of the rookery in a spiral. Sprinting up the crumbling steps, round and round and round in dizzying alarm, I headed to the very top of the rookery where perching rods stretched from wall to wall. Large holes were gouged through the curved sides—windows, from the days of long ago, when we released our ravens to fly between estates with messages borne on the backs of wings.

Sage was right on my heels, his claws clipping stone as we hurtled through sparkling clouds of willwips that cast an unearthly glow about the rookery and painted the fearsome birds in soft, gem-like hues. When I reached the last few steps of the staircase, I had to crouch down and push my hands up above my head to shove against the heavy hatch. The rusty hinges creaked in protest as I levered upwards. A puff of dust and dead leaves billowed outward as I let go and it crashed open upon the rooftop.

Then I was lunging upward, the velvety black night greeting me, the moon shining with enough illumination to keep my fear of the dark at bay. I sucked in a lungful of fresh air as a bracing wind nipped my flesh and whipped my hair to slide across my eyes.

I raced to the rampart where a chunk had been knocked free from the defensive wall sometime over the centuries. Standing at the very edge of the rooftop, I jittered on the spot, unmindful of the tiny stones breaking free and rattling down the side of the tall rookery. Sage stood beside me, whining with worry, but I couldn't spare him a single, swift glance.

My gaze was focused on Graysen. I strained to keep him in sight, not even daring to blink. My heart twisted mercilessly in my chest as I watched him head toward his aunt. The words were caught in my throat thick with tears—No. Don't go. Stay!

He was under guard.

He wasn't fighting this either.

The soldiers surrounding him kept a safe distance and had crossbows tipped with stingers leveled on his formidable figure.

Graysen and his aunt faced one another in the middle of the lawn. His back was to me, and though I could see Valarie, I couldn't hear what she'd said to him. However, I read in the stiff lines of their battle-ready postures, the way both of them traded barbs quickly and fiercely, it wasn't good.

A large figure broke free from the shadowy garden and I watched nervously as Kenton joined his brother and aunt. He eyed the rookery coldly before murmuring something to Valarie.

I wasn't sure I was breathing when I waited, hoping desperately for Graysen to turn around and glance my way.

But he didn't.

And then he was pushing into motion, falling into line beside his aunt.

Turn around, turn around, turn around...

Please, please, please...

I watched helplessly as Graysen moved toward the Keep through the gardens, across the drawbridge, and along a cobbled path to the steps leading to a terrace and an entrance enshrouded with shadows.

The majority of the soldiers remained behind while Graysen trailed behind his aunt up the wide steps. As he breached the terrace, he finally glanced over his shoulder toward the rookery. He was so far away I could barely make his eyes out, but I knew with his keen sight he'd see me, that he'd read my lips as I mouthed my message, shouting it silently with all my might.

Graysen read and understood what had fallen from my lips, what was held in my determined heart. I could tell because his footing faltered and he almost stumbled.

And then he was righting himself, turning away, and striding with purpose across the terrace with wild, white roses tangling around its balustrades. I kept my unwavering gaze on his broad back as he entered the Keep, darkness closing in all around him.

And then he was gone.