From the moment Deckard delivered his speech in Whickam Village, Hewitt declared that he understood what the captain desired. He believed Deckard’s goal in joining the Ephrian Army was to emulate the legend he admired so much, aspiring to become a legend himself.
Hewitt expressed it clearly at his grave: This was why he chose Deckard for Evylin. He understood that Deckard’s desires aligned perfectly with hers and that he could be more than just her husband—he could truly offer her everything she deserved.
Hewitt’s final charge whispered to her:“He’s yours... Care for him the way he cares for you. He deserves that too.”
A soft smile came to Evylin’s lips. She turned her face up to Deckard, in awe of his goodness and worth. “I love you,” she whispered.
Deckard’s expression pinched with confusion before easing tenderly. “I love you,” he replied.
Evylin drew him close, their lips meeting with a light touch. It became so clear for her, everything she wanted for her life. Every question she had was whisked away in the memory of Hewitt’s words.“He’s yours.”
Evylin rested her forehead against her husband’s. “Can we stop?” she whispered, eyes closed as she reveled in the weight of his arm wrapped around her waist. “Just for the night, can we let this go and figure it out tomorrow?”
His nose brushed against hers as he nodded slowly. “If that’s what you want,” he replied, the words tickling her lips.
“That’s what I want,” she said, kissing him again.
Evylin surrendered to Deckard’s touch, embracing the yearning growing inside her. His fingers entwined in her hair, intensifying the kiss. She sensed his initial worries melting away as his passion flared. It was slow, fulfilling, and powerful.
The world was flawed, and their lives might never match their hopes, but perhaps that was for the better. In her first twenty-six years, Deckard hadn’t appeared in her dreams, yet now, she found it hard to imagine a day without him. She felt that anything she once wished for would be greatly lacking in his absence.
Still attired in their finery, it required some time and adjustment for them to proceed. But soon, Deckard’s coat lay crumpled on the ground beside his boots, tossed there by Evylin. The remainder of his apparel followed shortly thereafter. Her lustrous dress lingered for a while longer due to the more intricate fastenings that they had to work through.
But soon enough, Deckard enfolded Evylin under the blankets. And as he kissed her, she knew her answer. She knew the future she wanted. For the first time ever, Evylin knew what was “more” and what was less in her life.
Now, she just needed to figure out how to tell him.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
“I rather like being married,” Ilain remarked. She played with the fire in the hearth absentmindedly, making it leap behind the metal screen. Without a magical quest, she had little regular use for her magic, and she found herself seeking out flames to manipulate with a twirl of her finger.
Lounging on one of the settees in their suite, Ethenn ran his thumb along her ribcage, sending a tiny spiral of magic across her skin. A contented emotion filled the air around them. Now Bonded, she’d readily grown used to feeling his emotions, a benefit of their union she greatly enjoyed.
“I expect you should,” Ethenn said casually.
Ilain leaned closer against his chest, dropping her head back to look up at him. “Because you’re such a splendid husband?”
“Well, I am,” he replied with dry humor. “But I meant that marriage isintendedto be enjoyable.”
With a light chuckle, Ilain turned back to the fire. The fabric of her full skirt rustled as she stretched her legs to the length of the settee. “What are we going to do?”
“Be happy for the next two hundred years.”
“I meant about—”
“I knew what you meant,” he interrupted, then placed a kiss on the back of her head. He rested his mouth there, murmuring into her hair, “I don’t know.”
Ilain chewed on the inside of her cheek. “This was supposed to be the easy part,” she lamented. “I always knew that once Allund was raised, I would become Highlady Chancellor of Doorstunds Reach. That was my future from the beginning. Why is it so hard for me to accept that now?”
“It’s probably my fault,” Ethenn said apologetically.
Ilain tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “Why would it be your fault?”
“We’re Bonded,” he noted. “Your emotions are affected by mine. You can probably feel that I’m hesitant, and it’s causing you to doubt yourself.”
“Hm.” Ilain picked at the beading on her skirt. “Whyareyou hesitant?”
He shrugged. “It’s like you said earlier: They’re our family. Evylin and I actually share blood, even if it is distant. You know how important that is to me.”
