He lowered his head to kiss my neck. “It will be okay, but I have to know what they’re burning.”
“You don’t think….” I had to swallow to wet my parched throat so I could continue. “You don’t think Ivan would burn the whole town, would he? Did we piss him off enough for that?”
Ryker stiffened against me before relaxing a little, but the subtle shift in his body told me all I needed to know. “I’m not sure, but I have to find out.”
I bit back my argument for him to stay. He was right; he had to go.
“I have to get to work. I shouldn’t have slept so late,” I whispered.
“You needed the rest.”
“We have to keep this place running, and I can’t expect Scarlet and her family to do it on their own.”
“Do you need more carisle?”
“No.”
“Ellery—”
“We’re okay… for now,” I assured him.
“There’s no reason for you to go without when I can help.”
“I know, and we’ll need it soon, but we have to do the work. We can’t let the horses go unfed or the honey and crops go unharvested. This is my life; it’s what I’ve always known.”
“Hmm,” he grunted. “I’ll bring back some carisle for you. You’re going to take it.”
“I’m still going to have to work.”
“I know, but it’s a cushion you deserve.”
I decided against arguing further about it. “I also have to tell Scarlet what happened last night. She doesn’t know I’m a lightning bearer, but she’ll find out soon; it can’t be from someone else.”
Ryker pulled me against him until my back was flush to his chest. I fit perfectly against him.
“What did we set into motion?” I whispered.
“It was only a matter of time before your existence came out; at least they don’t know who you are.”
“Yet.”
His fingers curled into me before relaxing again. “We’ll keep that hidden for as long as possible, but if we’re going to take this realm from them, then we have to fight for it, and that fight is coming. We knew Ivan would be irate if we succeeded in freeing the prisoners.”
We had known that, but… “I didn’t expect him to burn the town down.”
“I don’t think he did. There’s not enough smoke for that, but I’ll find out and meet you in your barn later.”
I rested my hand over his as I bit back the words to tell him to stay. He had to go, but I wasn’t ready to part with him.
“Before I go, we should discuss what happened last night,” he said.
“I made my own decision about helping you, and I don’t regret it.”
“I know,” he sighed. “But I’m not talking about that.”
I frowned as I tipped my head back to look up at him. The silver flecks in his eyes were more visible in the morning light, and black stubble lined his chiseled jaw.
“When you revealed your lightning,” he continued.
