FOREVER KNIGHTS: #17 Marked As Mine

When they were both tired and sated, he collapsed to lean with his forehead to hers. “Elsabet? Tell me what you’re doing on the Isle?”

“I can’t.”

“Should I be stopping you?”

“Probably.” She admitted.

He caught her to him and backed up. Holding her off her feet as he backed into a chair behind the desk. Slumping into it and swinging her so she sat across his lap. “Are you okay, in truth?”

“No.” She shook her head slowly.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing.”

“Can I tell you what I was always gone doing?”

“I know what you were.” She sighed.

“It was nothing to do with other women.”

“I think most of me knew that.” She fiddled with her hands in her lap. “You were taking care of the people of Ardae.”

“Well not really the people.”

The peasants. The royals don’t need any tending.

“I know.” She cut him off again. Pinching his cheeks. “Sebastian, I have looked into many things since I’ve been free.”

“I was never with another woman.”

“I do see that.” She reiterated slowly as if to get it through his head. “I know what you are, Sebastian.”

“You do?”

“You’re a meddling fool. A lovesick hound seeking to take care of every lost pup you come across…Including me. Your heart is the purest thing I’ve ever known.”

He swallowed. Blue-green eyes staring at her intently. His brows lowered in confusion. Where is this coming from?

“I thought you meant you knew what I was.”

“I do.” She chewed her lower lip. “You’re exactly what you told me. You hid what you were by laying it out before me. When you’d told me you were part of a sect of Templar Knights in the UpperLands that were made immortal by a falling, it sounded so farfetched I’d assumed you were toying with me.”

He was expressionless. Staring at her a long while

“Yes, I know. You weren’t. You always had a way of telling me more than I thought. And somehow I always missed it.”

“Because you wanted to believe the worst of me.”

“I didn’t want to care for you.” She corrected.

“Are you certain you do?”

“Yes. Evidenced by the fact that I still do not wish to.”

There was a resounding knock on the door. “Captain! We’re here.”

“I know.” He called back his eyes not leaving Elsabet.

“You knew we were arriving.”

“I can feel the change in the water.”

“What are you going to do?” She asked. A hint of worry entering her voice.

She wants to know if I’m going to keep her captive on the ship.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the shackles.

“You’re unchaining me?”

“Come, Elsabet.” He clucked in his pocket. “We both know if you’d really wanted away from me you could’ve taken the key from my pocket at any time and I’d have let you. I only put them on you so you could pretend you had no choice but to be where I was rather than admit you wanted to be.”

Her eyes narrowed on him but she didn’t pretend either of them were foolish enough to believe any denial she made.

Bast stood with her on the dock.

She’d been staring up at him a long while.

She wants to say goodbye but doesn’t know how.

“I know.” He told her. Stroking a hand along her cheek and under her chin. And smoothing her hair back with the other.

Cherishing her face. Lord knows when I may see it again.

He watched her go until she vanished from sight.