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The questions piled atop one another until they became impossible to untangle.

Caelyn let his fingers trail down her arm as he stared out to where the horizon should be.

"I'm scared too."

The admission surprised her; he rarely said such things aloud. Elowynn turned to study his profile.

"You don't have to pretend around me." The words emerged from her in a whisper.

He turned to look at her. Something eased in his expression. A burden he was setting down.

"I know."

After everything in Veylspire, after everything she had seen and learned and chosen, he finally believed he was not alone.

Emotion curled unexpectedly in her chest and her eyes burned.

The world was still uncertain, and the future no less frightening. Whatever lay beneath the world still waited.

But since Blackwake began, certainty existed somewhere.

Not in history, nor prophecy. Right here beside her.

Both turned to stare up into the starless sky. Neither moved. Neither hurried to leave.

Eventually Caelyn glanced toward her, and she met his eyes. So many things were unsaid in his gaze.

"You chose me." The words were quiet, almost lost beneath the sound of the waves.

Elowynn smiled small and tightened her arms around him.

"I will not leave you again," she vowed. “I will always choose you, Caelyn. I know that now. I am sorry it took me so long.”

His eyes searched hers.

Relief. Wonder. And something deeper that neither had quite found the courage to name aloud.

He looked as though some part of him was still waiting for her to disappear.

Elowynn lifted a hand and rested it against his cheek.

“You do not have to look at me like that,” she said, her voice low and soothing.

He lifted a brow, smirking. “Like what?

“Like you are afraid I will vanish like the stars.”

Caelyn’s expression shifted, and his smile faded. Only honesty remained in his eyes.

“I spent five turnings missing you.” His gaze dropped briefly before returning to her eyes. “After a while, I got used to the ache of it.”

The words stole the breath from her lungs.

“You should never have had to,” she choked out.

“No,” he agreed softly. “I shouldn’t have. But I did. For you, El. I was not selfish enough to keep you from becoming who you were meant to be.”

Emotion tightened her throat. Elowynn leaned forward until only a breath remained between them.