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“Fair enough In the meantime, you can at least tell ames before this one What was your boyhood like? Will you finally tell ht, he murmured, “I was called Aric It h “How prophetic of my parents”

Aric At last, he’d told me When I’d first arrived here, he’d said, “Death is all I’ll ever be to you”

No longer “Go on”

“When I was a boy, I ell aware that I’d been blessed with fortune My father was a warlord who ruled a fortified settle center in what’s now Latvia”

So that was his accent

He returned to his seat “We were the wealthiest family in the land, andwhat they had, I agreed when ed me to marry I’d just turned sixteen, and it was time for me to start a family of my own”

Had Death—or rather, Aric—been ined it was even possible I felt a surprising flare of jealousy “But your touch”

“I wasn’t born with my curse” Shot, refill “My father held a dance for me to choose a wife I danced with ued with illness—just fro my hand Yet at the time, no one had reason to believe I was the cause It wasn’t until th, until my touch killed in seconds, that I kneas responsible Two of my last accidental victims were my parents”

Even after all this tirief, I left an to comprehend what I was I was damned to win, to be immortal for all time, to be alone” He exhaled a weary breath “And then Ito reveal what had happened between us?

“I’d gone more than a year without contact by this ti without a single handshake or a relative’s ees hands”

Even here, I’d had contact I roughhoused with Lark, and I’d had those fleeting contacts with Death His existence ht to end you Yet you never fell ill I can still rely soft your skin was Hoarone hoarse, he said, “I shuddered to feel it againsthis throat “You were as stunned as I was”

“Did we?”

He gave a curt shake of his head, eyes beginning to glow—this tier, I pressed on “Then if we haven’t slept together, have you ever?” I wasn’t a virgin, but he uess not But you’d intended to with me?” To ave a pointed glance at the necklace, I said, “What if I never can rerated, “I told you, creature You folded first”

“The two of us had called a truce before?”

He rose with a disgusted expression—but I didn’t think it was directed toward usted with hione sideways

“I ready fortoward an adjoining door

I scrah the doorway behind hi and walls were solid black, the floor veined blackon a stand, as if another man were in the rooh bed His sheets were twisted

Did he suffer from wicked drea that I’d seen his most personal space

“Do you knohat I think, Death?” When I perched on the edge of his bed, he turned aith a sharp inhalation “I think you ym”

Jaw clenched, he crossed to his ar to miss me when you leave Whenever you’re out there by yourself, does that gut-wrenching loneliness co back?”

He stiffened

“You hate this existence, and I think you secretly hope I can help you find another one”

“It doesn’t matter what I hope Because I can’t trust you”

“If you could, would you want more with me? Would you want to be with me?”

“This was a mistake You need to leave” With hasty , another over his left “You are forbidden froasped “You do want to be with ht want o yet Just talk to me, Aric”

He tensed at the use of his name, as if I’d struck hiht kill you If I recollect how you’ve betrayed me already in this life”

I shot to my feet “What have I done to you?” He’d captured me, imprisoned me When I’d attacked hiaway, he yanked off his shirt to don his breastplate Even in the

He shoved on his gauntlets and turned, see surprised to see that I was still there Did no one else disobey hi” He strapped on his sword belt

Yes, he had warned me, but I’d already learned more about hie of confiding even”

He reached for his hel it under one arht At that od had chosen this ht When ere toe to toe, I craned my head up

Emotions sped over his face, too ” He stalked around me and left the room

I trailed him down the corridor to the outer doors “Damn it, Aric, can your trip not wait?”

Without another word, he charged out into a blustery stor like I’d justhim here suddenly felt crucial

When he rode fro speed, I ran out into the rain to intercept him His mount reared, red eyes wild as its sharpened hooves pawed the air

“You’ve lost your lowing eyes “What are you thinking?”

I hurried to the side of his horse, yelling over the downpour, “How have I betrayed you in this life?” When I rested , he flinched “I have to know”

He dismounted, his movements deliberate, almost sinister My heart raced as I backed up a few steps Had he reached his limit with me?