Page 131 of Kneel Before Me

“It is from the sea,” Kronos said quietly. “I thought it would suit you.”

Somehow, Daphne knew it was a compliment. She stared at the bottle. It had a delicate gold spray attachment at the top and subtle grooves in the glass that corresponded perfectly to where her fingers rested. She handled it carefully, holding it up so it caught the firelight. “Can I…?”

Kronos raised his eyebrows. “Can you what?”

“Spray it?”

“Of course,” he said. “It is meant to be used.”

“I don’t want to waste it.”

“If you run out, I will get you more. There is an entire ocean of it.”

Daphne smiled.

Tentatively, she sprayed a little into the air. Then she breathed in deep. The scent was beautiful—clean and crisp. She turned the gold nozzle toward her wrist and gave it two short, confident squeezes before raising her wrist to her face. Daphne had never smelled the ocean before. It was sharp and cold and fresh, an interesting contrast to the heat of the room and Kronos’s own smoky scent. Yet Daphne found it complemented him almost as much as it suited her.

“Do you like it?” Kronos whispered. She didn’t miss the hesitancy in his voice.

“Yes,” she whispered back. “I do.”

“You do not have to keep it,” he said quietly. “Only if you—”

“I want to keep it,” she said. “And I want to keep…you.”

At first she felt downright idiotic for saying it. Then Daphne watched as a flood of emotion passed over his face: first relief, then pure, unencumbered joy.

“It has a specific meaning,” Kronos said quietly.

“What meaning?”

“The Senecas are from the sea. It is like giving you a piece of my home.”

“I’m honored,” she whispered. It was an extraordinary gift.

“You are my home, Daphne.”

She looked up at him. Nothing had changed since last night. There was no future for them, no way for them to be together. Daphne was still frightened of Kronos, and he was still frightened of her. Perhaps we can face our fears together. She stared at this precious thing in her hand, understanding how significant it was. Spray from a shore Daphne could only hope to visit one day.

“Will you take me there someday?” she whispered. “To the sea?”

“Of course.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes. I will take you anywhere you wish to go.”

The thought thrilled her and terrified her in equal measure. Daphne knew he meant it in every way one could possibly mean it. He would take her anywhere. It was only a matter of whether she was ready to go.

“Thank you,” she said finally. “It’s beautiful.”

He smiled. “I am glad you like it.”

Daphne more than liked it. But she didn’t dare say that. She turned the bottle over in her hands, admiring the way it shone in the firelight. It was a beautiful thing—possibly the most beautiful object she had ever held. Before her, Kronos shifted.

“Daphne,” he whispered.

Then he stepped forward, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. Daphne kissed him back, fully aware that there were no more barriers between them—that her admission had granted Kronos entry to her heart in a way he’d had only ever dreamed of. It felt right. It felt amazing.