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Truth was, he’d swooped in long ago, and I’d let him

"Tell me, then," I said softly

As I kept my eyes trained on the lanterns up ahead, he h for my ears only "I want to marry you I want to run aith you I want to have children with you but not so row old by a campfire I want to travel, see the world, pursue the sun I don’t want to lead, but I don’t want to follow I don’t ever want you to stop being wild, but I wouldn’tyour ferocity Perhaps we could start our own cabaret, treat the girls better I don’t know I have only been thinking about this ht to go out so I know you’re alone when it does"

I tensed, fingers squeezing his tightly "You’ve been spying onyou, bébé I knew that one of these days, noand smart you are, the men of Mort and claiainst your wishes and protestations And I wasn’t going to let it happen"

"I don’t knohether to be grateful or furious"

"Both, probably"

"Jesus, Vale How are you so goddamn blasé about this? You love me, you want tointo the lion’s den right this ive a shit Do you ever take anything seriously?"

He laughed outright then "I take everything seriously; I simply refuse to be serious about it What is, is What is done, is done You don’t think much like a Bludman And whoever said I loved you, bébé?"

I skidded to a stop, half terrified and half furious "But you--"

"I do, though Quite honestly, I feel on track for the first ti that needs doing, and you’re right here withfor o"

"You won’t die I can always" I trailed off

"You can’t That’s the irony, non? I’m the only one you cannot turn into a Bludman"

My heart clutched itself behind my corset, and that’s when I kne est weapon in erous predator inhu his life But since I couldn’t drink Vale’s half-Abyssinian blood, he was right I couldn’t turn hiers and relaxed ile as a butterfly

And he recognized it instantly and squeezed harder "Don’t be careful of me, bébé I arew up in a brigand’s camp I always have weapons up my sleeves, you know"

"But still--"