Page 64 (2/2)

Had the warriors kil ed him as he’d wanted? he wondered

No, they couldn’t have Inside his head, Secrets was sighing with relief, picking up on soh the details

Hoas Haidee here?

Aain Just in case

He would not spoil this moment with a spew of secrets

Besides, if this moment was steeped in falsehood, he didn’t want to know Wait Don’t tel ht where you are

"No, baby I’m here" She smoothed the hair plastered to his brow, and he felt the coolness of her touch "We’re in your bedroom, the place we first met"

He studied her, certain this had to be a trick Her pink and blond locks were in tangles around her shoulders, and her lips were swol en froloith love and warmth

"This isn’t a trick," she said "I’m real"

But you died I watched you die Was told you couldn’t be reanier

"And that’s the truth I was reani else this time"

I don’t understand

"That’s okay--I barely understand it myself What happened to ot to hear al about that--only I didn’t need a new body because I was already in soul form Anyway, this is hoas explained to els are the positive Happiness, Joy, Strength, and so on So, just like I had taken a piece of Hate, I could take a piece of one of those without kil ing the giver And I did

First from you, then from someone else"

From ed ed Hate But the little bit I kept was enough to bringfast"

What else did you take? And froether

"Zacharel kind of…gave el? Jealousy sparked, but vanished just as quickly Haidee was here Haidee was alive and with him Zacharel could share whatever he wanted with her

"Yes The angel"

Why? Why would he give you so of his? And hoas he the keeper of Love?

She stopped , and her lips twitched at the corners "Funny story Apparently there are several keepers of thehis portion of Love in a jar on his nightstand Weirdest thing I’d ever seen It was kind of like his personal Pandora’s box, but a treasure chest rather than a prison He said he wasn’t using it, and that I elcoel friends were upset about it, and I heard them say it would cause so, aren’t I? Say soy And a thank-you

Second, I can’t believe this is happening He reached up with a shaky hand and caressed her cheek Her skin was as cool as before As solid For a ain

She was here, he thought again She real y was here Here, with hi to reach, to understand She had defied death, defied what should have been truth, as truth, and coer Hate; she was Love Just as she’d said

Joy quickly overshadowed the other e her as tight as possible without crushing her ribs I thought I’d lost you, and it was more than I could bear

Tel me you remember me

He knew she did, but he had to hear the words Please, tel me I know you do, you’re here, but like you, I need the words

"Oh, yes" She squeezed hi "I re about you"

Gods, Haidee He pul ed her back down Every part of him needed to touch every part of her Tel me the rest What happened to you…after? I have to know

Secrets was even then unraveling the rest of the details, but Amun wanted to hear them from his woman

She burrowed her head in the hol ow of his neck and flattened her palm over his heartbeat "After I died, I opened uess--in my cave

With Zacharel, as I said"

Wait Maybe I won’t apologize to that bastard, after alHe let me think you were dead, and that there was no way to reach you Because of hi to chal enge hi and al ow him to kil me I can’t live without you, Haidee When he’d told her

"now and always," he’d meant it

"He didn’t lie, Amun I did die For a little while Believe me, he was as shocked as you when I was reani you said real y got to hi on explanations And just so you know, I can’t live without you So don’t you ever, ever think of dying for et back to you"

He rol ed her to her back, covering her with his body I won’t die for you if you won’t die for me, he said, happier in that moment than he’d ever been His woman was in his arms, underneath hiain and again?