Chapter 3

I sent word to my capable subordinates and told him I was leaving the house that day.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You've lived there more than four years."

Four years.

When Caelan and I first started seeing each other, he had wanted me to move into the temple's inner sanctum — a heavily warded compound where only his most trusted clergy lived.

Rosalind said I should keep some private space before the bonding and suggested I live alone.

So I rented this little dwelling near the outer sanctum, hoping I'd see Caelan more often.

He agreed. Every now and then, he'd slip away from his Silver Vow escort and stay the night.

These rooms had held the sweetness of our early love. Then the arguments. The silences. The countless times he left in a hurry because of temple business.

But now I had finally hit the end of it.

"Yes," I said.

"I'm leaving today."

The subordinates sighed and told me to leave the rune-key under the threshold stone.

I had barely closed the connection when the door opened from outside.

Caelan and Rosalind walked in, laughing together.

Rosalind glanced back at him with a smile.

"You promised that once my lease ends, I can stay at the inner sanctum for a few weeks after the bonding. I want the chamber with the bay window in the east wing. And I want the drapes changed to pink."

I stood in the middle of the room, sure I had heard her wrong.

She said it so naturally. As if she had every right to decide how long she'd stay and how our future home would look.

Caelan didn't object. He smiled indulgently.

"As long as Elara doesn't mind."

"Elara always looks after me. Of course she won't mind."

Something tightened in my throat.

"What if I do mind?"

The room went silent for two seconds.

Rosalind stared at me. Maybe it was the first time I had ever truly refused her. Before she could say anything, her eyes were already turning red.

Caelan's tone sharpened with reproach.

"What's gotten into you, Elara? You've always given her whatever she wanted. Now you're going to make an issue out of one room?"

"I'm not making an issue out of it."

"Then what are you saying?" He frowned.

"Her lease is ending. She'd only stay a few weeks. She's your sister, not some stranger we need to guard against. The sanctum is huge. What difference does one more person make?"

"That's supposed to be our home after the bonding. The home of the future lady of Solyne." I looked at him.

"Which one of us is bonding with you?"

That shut Caelan up.

Rosalind's voice came out soft, eyes wet.

"Elara, I just wanted to be close to you. If you don't want me there, forget it. I won't move in."

Caelan turned on me with that same reproachful look.

"See what you've done? One sentence, and you've hurt her this badly. She's your sister. Can't you think about how she feels?"

"And who thinks about how I feel?" I lifted my head.

"You personally pulled her into the temple's outer ministry and approved a stipend far above everyone else at her level. She barely has to worry about anything. What about me? All I have is—"

"Enough." Caelan's expression changed. "Be reasonable. She's your sister. I only look out for her because of you. Do you really have to be this petty?"

Petty.

That word again.

I smiled and stopped speaking.

Rosalind tugged at his sleeve.

"Caelan, stop. Elara's probably just in a bad mood."

He patted her hand, then softened his voice toward me.

"Elara, I've already decided. It'll be good for Rosalind to stay with us. The two of you can keep living close to each other."

I nodded.

Agreed.

It was their home, after all.

I would never live there.

Caelan relaxed. Rosalind dabbed at the corners of her dry eyes and smiled again.

I turned back to my packing.

Behind me, Rosalind asked, "So I really can change the drapes to pale pink?"

Caelan laughed softly.

"Whatever you like."