“Yeah. Okay.”
As I slid down in the bed, he pulled the comforter up and over our shoulders. We lay on his pillow, our noses and knees bumping together. The candle sputtered, the shadows dancing along his glittering eyes.
He said, “You can’t do anything stupid.”
I snorted. “You might need to clarify that.”
“Self-sacrificing.”
I hesitated.
“Sam,” he said, taking my hand in his. “Promise me.”
“But what if—”
“No. There’s no what-if. It’s not an option.”
“We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“We don’t. But that doesn’t mean—”
“I won’t.”
He searched my face. I didn’t know if he found what he was looking for, but he nodded slowly. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Then that means you can’t do it either. And you can’t pull your but I’m a knight and I have to be chivalrous and stupid and flourish my sword like an asshole so everyone loves me.”
“I don’t sound like that.”
“Pretty much.”
“You’re so dumb.”
“Yeah, but that seems to be something you like.”
He smiled slow and sweet before reaching out and tracing a finger over my eyebrows. “I guess so. Randall’s planning something, isn’t he?”
“I think so.” But so was I.
“I’m not going to like it, am I.”
“Probably not. I mean, it’
s a plan. From Randall. I doubt anyone is going to like it.”
“You don’t think….”
I frowned. “What?”
“I mean, I know it’s not—but. You don’t think he’d…. What if he’s still trying to save Myrin? What if he’s using you?”
And Sam….
Well, he can bring things back, can’t he?
You think… that if he were to die, I could bring him back. And he would be… cleansed?
Yes. But I am wrong about that, Sam. We were wrong. To keep him trapped in the shadow realm, to not have ended this when we had the chance.