I blink. Henry… Henry. The book.MyHenry.
All that time I’d spent fantasizing about the Henry who wrote those words in the margins… and he has been my Erik all along. Tears burn my eyes.
“Captain Henry, Erik, whichever you prefer—”
“Erik is fine,” my captain interjects.
“—Will you be a part of the change this world needs? I will help you.”
Erik is silent. And then says, “How?”
“Ah,” my uncle chuckles. “This is where things get interesting. I will grant you a boon.”
“A boon?” Erik is just repeating my uncle’s words at this point, and honestly, I would be doing the same thing if I could speak. We are both sitting in shock as my uncle continues to speak.
“Yes, a boon. A boon for my niece’s companion. I will grant you a long life. You may live as long as she does.”
More stunned silence. A beat passes, then two, before Erik speaks.
“Yes.Yes,” he says eagerly.
I take his hand and squeeze. He looks at me.I love you.
He has said the words to me… and I didn’t have time to reciprocate. But I will. I will in actions, notes, and, one day, words. When I decide I want my fins again.
“So, are we going to do this now?” Erik excitedly asks.
Aidoneus laughs, the sound deep and full of life. “Soon. Perhaps at your wedding.”
“I think we are getting ahead of ourselves?”
I shoot daggers at Erik with my eyes. The hope that has taken over my body wants him to stop resisting. I want to lace our lives together, to bind us as one in every possible way.
My uncle chuckles. His amusement is written all over his face as he says, “Royal weddings have been known to happen with much less notice. It will be excellent for the city to witness another ceremony. Besides, these are my mother’s rules. Fortuna is quite the romantic. That is my final condition—marry, and I will tie your lives together.”
The words sit on the tip of my tongue. I grab a blank sheet of paper and write.
Because living together for thousands of years is less of a commitment than marriage…
I hand the note to Erik. And he laughs. “So, is that a yes, Helena? Are you accepting your uncle’s old, antiquated offer for us?”
Aidoneus raises an eyebrow but doesn’t speak.
I nod enthusiastically.
“Well, damn,” Erik says. “I guess it’s settled. I accept, sir.”
I grin, the moment's happiness making me throw my arms around Erik’s neck. If I could have laughed, I would’ve. I kiss his face, and Erik laughs at my exuberance.
When I finally settle into my own chair, I look at my uncle and see a pair of misty eyes.
“Very well. Leave me be,” Aidoneus says as he banishes us with mock anger.
Erik is up in a moment, and I wave for him to go ahead. There’s something I need to talk to my uncle about.
35
The Pisspoor King