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"But you said--"

"I said I didn’t want you to meddle with life and death, not that you couldn’t do so" Matthew took my hands in his "I’ve been covered in blood, held a man’s future in ain So in your own soul dies each time you make the choice for another I sahat Juliette’s death did to you, and Champier’s, too"

"I didn’t have a choice in those cases Not really" Champier would have taken allto helpto kill Matthew--and would have succeeded had I not called on the goddess

"Yes you did" Matthew pressed a kiss on my knuckles "You chose death for them, just as you chose life for h they tried to harht hi him on the street to starve, life for baby Grace when you rescued her from the fire Whether you realize it or not, you paid a price every tih he did not: My life belonged to the goddess for as long as she saw fit

"Philippe was the only other creature I’ve ever knoho made life-or-death decisions as quickly and instinctively as you The price that Philippe paid was terrible loneliness, one that grew over time

Not even Ysabeau could banish it" Matthew rested his forehead against mine "I don’t want that to be your fate"

But my fate was not ht I saved you Do you remember it?" I asked

Matthew nodded He didn’t like to talk about the night we’d both almost lost our lives

"The oddess" My heart was ha

"We called Ysabeau after you fixed me up, and I told her I’d seen the, but he still looked bewildered "I didn’t save you, Matthew The goddess did I asked her to do it"

His fingers dug into ain with her in exchange"

"You were dying, and I didn’t have enough power to heal you" I gripped his shirt, afraid of hoould react to h But the goddess drew the life out of that ancient oak tree so I could feed it to you through htened, lifting ods and goddesses don’t grant boons without getting sohtas she saved you"

Matthew let go abruptly "Eoddess wanted a life for a life--not a death for a life She chose mine" My eyes filled with tears at the look of betrayal I saw on his face "I didn’t know her decision until I wove oddess said she still had work forto fix this" Matthew practically dragged ate

Under the dark sky, the nposts to illuminate our way We reached the crossroads quickly Matthew pushed me to the center

"We can’t," I protested

"If you can weave the tenth knot, you can dissolve whatever prohly

"No!" My stooddess I can’t just wave reement disappear"

The dead branches of an ancient oak, the one the goddess had sacrificed so that Mattheould live, were barely visible Under my feet the earth see the center of the crossroads The burning sensation in ers

"You will not bind your future to some capricious deity Not forwith fury

"Don’t speak ill of the goddess here," I warned "I didn’t go to your church and oddess, then use your ic to sued

"Get out of the crossroads, Matthew" The irling around ht sky, trailing fire like a co

"Not until you call her" Matthew’s feet remained where they were "You won’t pay for my life with your own"

"It wasaround ainst my neck "I chose you"

"I won’t let you"

"It’s already done" My heart thudded, and his heart echoed it "If the goddess wants ladly Because you’re mine, and I’m not done with you yet"

My final words were aloddess had once said toCorra’s cries The fire inheat as the connection between Matthew and

"You cannot oddess for, or any price I’ve paid because of it," I said "Nor will I break ht about ould happen if I did?"

Matthew re

"Without you I would never have known Philippe or received his blood voouldn’t be carrying your children I wouldn’t have seen my father or knoas a weaver Don’t you understand?" My hands rose to cradle his face "In saving your life, I saved mine, too"