Maiela eyed me from where she sat cross-legged across from her twin brother. “You’re worried about him,” she murmured.
I paused, eyeing her. “Yes. Wouldn’t you be?”
She nodded. “Of course. Every single time Kysha donned a glamour and went into Vlarone, I worried for her safety. That is the burden of love. Your heart is no longer your own. Instead, it is walking around in someone else’s body. It’s theirs to protect—or to break.” Maiela glanced lovingly at her wife. “Giving away your heart is the greatest act of love one being can do for another.”
That was incredibly profound.
“He is my heart,” I whispered.
Standing still was too much. I needed to move. Pacing once more, I waited at the bottom of the stairs. This entire day had been one horrible thing after the other.
From Xander’s nightmare to the three-headed beast, and then the harrowing crossing of the Heart, it had been averylong day. When I added the nausea to the mix, it went from bad to worse.
At the beginning, I assumed the sickness was caused by stress. But that seemed less and less likely as the days went on. Suddenly, Maiela’s words from outside Olwine’s cottage came back to me.
You’re not pregnant, are you?
Frowning, I thought back to my courses. It had been weeks since I’d last bled, and admittedly, we’d been a little lax on the contraceptive front, what with all the other things going on right now.
If I was… If this was…
I groaned. This wasn’t the right time for this. How could it be happening now? I didn’t even know how Xander would react. Would he be happy? WasIhappy?
You’re not pregnant, are you?
This was a massive wrench in our plans, but some part of me warmed at the thought. The more I considered it, the more likely it seemed. We were married after all, and though I was sheltered, I knew what kinds of acts led to pregnancy.
Gods. I couldn’t deal with this right now. If I was right about this… All of it would have to wait.
Obviously, I couldn’t ignore it forever. This was the type of situation that didn’t change, even if it was ignored. Gathering all the emotions bubbling up inside of me, I stuffed them down into a box deep within me, storing this problem away to deal with later.
Pacing once more, I kept my thoughts on Xander until loud footsteps came from the stairs. I jerked my head at the sound, my lips tilting up as my dragon shifter walked down the steps. As soon as I saw him, the small smile disappeared. Xander looked exhausted, as though he’d been gone for days, not hours. Shadows lined his eyes, and there was something inherently heavy about the way he carried himself. A dark, haunted look crossed his face, and new lines covered his forehead.
“Aileana.” The way Xander said my name sent shivers up my spine.
I launched myself at him, not caring that the others were watching. He opened his arms, and I squeezed him tightly. “Thank Thelrena you’ve returned.”
Xander nodded, brushing a kiss over my head as he hugged me. “I’m back.”
There was something about his tone that made me look up.
What’s wrong?I asked through our connection.
His eyes flickered, that gold darkening to a burnished amber before they returned to their normal color.Nothing, he replied evasively.It’s just been a long day, and I’m tired.
That made two of us. Even though I wanted to press the issue further, the others approached.
“Did you get it?” Daegal asked.
Xander reached into his pocket, withdrawing his clenched fist moments later. “You tell me.”
He opened his palm, revealing a lustrous, gilded amulet. It was larger than my compass, and it probably would have been considered gaudy by some. The amulet emit a bright light and it bore an elaborate carving on a fire-breathing dragon on the front.
“Thank all the gods,” Kysha breathed.
I raised my eyes to Xander’s, where that haunted expression remained. “You did it.” I kissed him. “I’m so proud of you, Elyxander.”
For a moment, he didn’t move. Then a growl rumbled through him, and he drew me against him. His hand went to the back of my neck, and he held me tight. Our surroundings fell away as his mouth sought mine, our kiss telling a tale of love and warmth, of worry and relief.