For a moment, the world seemed to still. Even the wind held its breath.
"Like . . . marked?" Liora asked after a whole minute. Her heart pounding like crazy.
Lyander slowly nodded.
Liora blinked, startled. Her heart pounded—not from fear, but from the weight of his words. The sincerity. The promise.
In the face of war, when death was a shadow lurking around every corner, Lyander wasn't asking for forever. He was asking for now. For a bond that would defy even fate.
Her voice was caught in her throat, but she managed a small, trembling smile. "You're serious?"
"I've never been more," he said. "If this is our last chance, then I want to spend it bound to you. No secrets. No doubts. Just you and me."
Liora swallowed hard, emotion thick in her chest. Then she nodded, leaning in until her forehead touched his. "Then yes . . . I will."
