Page 56
His tail stopped moving. “Which problem?”
“You can’t live like this. Neither of us can. This will work for a few days at most, but then…”
Cairn took Georgie’s hand. “We should give them some privacy.”
Pam opened her mouth, then thought better of it. She followed them into the kitchen. Joseph had already disappeared, clearly an expert in not getting involved.
Sten waited until the door closed. “Explain.”
“I have to work. I have a home, pets and a life in Glasgow. You can come with me, but what happens every time I leave the flat? Do you sit there and hope you don’t turn to stone?”
“Until we find another way.”
“And if it takes weeks? Months?”
“Then I will wait.”
“You’ve done enough waiting. And it will be difficult for both of us. I will be worried whenever I’m at work. And what about your independence? Don’t you want to be able to do something without me? Go for a walk, a flight, go shopping, explore the world, find a job…”
My voice cracked.
His wings folded slowly behind him. “What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to be able to live without me.”
He froze. Blinked. Didn’t react at all.
“That came out wrong.”
“Did it?” His voice was cold.
“I don’t want your life depending on whether I’m in the same room or willing to let you drink my blood. That isn’t freedom.”
“I did not ask you to keep me alive.”
“Your body did.”
I wanted to take the words back, but they were true. Pretending otherwise wouldn’t help either of us.
“Sten…”
He turned away.
“I’m not saying I don’t want you,” I continued anyway. “This morning should have made that fairly obvious.”
“This morning you wanted my body.”
“That isn’t fair.”
“No. It is not.”
He faced me again. His voice remained level, which was worse than if he had shouted.
“If Cairn finds a way to stop the petrification and I no longer need your presence or your blood, will you still want me?”
“Yes.”
I answered too quickly. Sten heard it. Of course he did.
