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knew
before I did.”
    She
nodded.
    “I love you as
an adult. I think you lie to yourself when you speak of friendship.
In fact I think you lie about Ty. He is familiar, a shield you are
able to hold up to protect yourself. You saw my brother in my face
a long time ago and that brought about our friendship, and it was
not based on pretence after the first words we spoke. And you saw
my brother in my face on Lucan and …”
    “I saw what
Tymall could have been in all that you are.”
    “And
transferred your loyalties?”
    “It has
nothing to do with loyalty and I didn’t transfer anything.”
    “Then you
looked beyond the face … and saw me.”
    “Yes.”
    “Why the
shield? Why do you need to protect yourself from me?”
    “You were
two.”
    He reared
back. “What does that mean?”
    “The
bloodline. One of you was enough for the future Vallas.”
    He was cold.
“Are you that scheming?”
    Again she was
stricken. “No! I mean only that now there is no choice for
you.”
    “Ty was meant
to be Vallorin; he did have choice either.”
    “I hoped you
would be Vallorin!”
    Tristamil
pushed his hair away and looked about him. There were people
around, but for the life of him he could not tell who they were.
“Then you got what you wished for, didn’t you?”
    “I know.”
    He looked at
her again. “It is not your fault.”
    “It feels like
it.”
    “Life is never
simple and the past cannot be undone. There is you and me in this
heir business, and we can take the pain to experience the joy.
Gods, look at my father! Can you deny the truth in that?”
    “Your father
is unique.”
    “So am I and
so are you! Or do you run from me? Are you afraid to tell me you
don’t love me the way I love you?”
    She shook her
head.
    “Good god,
Skye, don’t do this now.” Tristamil’s grey eyes were frantic as he
sensed her withdrawal. “There may be no tomorrow. Please do not
hide now!”
    “You will be
Vallorin. It means you will take to wife a trueblood to strengthen
the Valla line. You know this, I know this, everyone knows this,
and especially your father knows this. He told me as much when I
spoke to him about Ty. We have no future. Where would it leave me?
A mistress? I would rather return to Luan today and turn my back on
future torment. I refuse to share you with a wife.”
    “Why?”
    Skye drew
breath. “Because I love you Tris, but I’ll not be yours to have you
turn from me.”
    He smiled and
it was a wonderful thing. The Light infused his entire being. “Then
there will be no Valla heir, Skye. We will have children that
belong only to us and we will turn our backs on the pressures of
this powerful family.”
    “Universe, I’m
not asking that!”
    “I offer it
freely. I love you.”
    “You are not
free to choose.”
    “There is one
way in which I can enforce my will. No Immortal will ever again sit
on the Throne.” He denied the offer of immortality on Atrudis, but
would go back on that if it gifted him this woman.
    “You
cannot!”
    “With you,
Skye; you and me forever.”
    Then Torrullin
was with them. He gave no indication of having heard, but Skye was
shocked by his presence, and what was said.
    She turned
indecisively, feeling scattered, not knowing how to act and what to
say, and burst between the two men to run indoors.
     
     
    “You could
have waited a few more minutes,” Tristamil glared.
    “I could not.
You were committing yourself unthinkingly.”
    “It does not
concern you, father.”
    “Wrong. It
does.”
    “Who I love is
not your business!”
    “Your heart is
your own, but an Immortality Ritual is very much my business. Skye
would not withstand such rigour, and promising her forever could
kill her. You would then have to live with that, forever . I
care about her and you, and therefore I stand here and
interfere.”
    Tristamil
deflated. “How can we have a future then?”
    “You love her
enough.”
    “What does
that mean?”
    “It means you
love her enough to make up for