She clutched at his hand, but couldn’t prise it off, and her head was pounding and lights danced before her eyes.

Suddenly the grip was released, and Valkyrie slumped to a sitting position. A moment passed, and then a hand stroked her face tenderly.

“I’m sorry,” Caelan said. “I’m sorry, Valkyrie. I didn’t mean to strike you. I would never hurt you, you know that. But sometimes… sometimes you just have to listen to me, and do what I say. Now, if you tell me there is no one else, then I believe you. Of course I do. Because I love you. Do you understand me?”

She nodded. He smiled, took her hands, and raised her slowly to her feet.

“Are you all right?” he asked gently.

“I’m OK,” she said.

“I love you,” he smiled.

She snapped her palms and the space between them rippled and Caelan flew backwards. He managed to land in a crouch, and leaped at her, but she sent the shadows to intercept, pulling him from the air and driving him head first into the ground. He got to his hands and knees, dazed, and Valkyrie ran up, went to kick, but he batted her foot away and his fist crunched into her belly. She doubled over with a cry of pain that turned into a strangled wheeze.

“Why do you do this?” he raged. “Why do you defy me? I love you, Valkyrie! Do you know what that means?”

She dropped to her knees.

“I love you,” he said in her ear. “We’re meant for each other. Can’t you understand that? I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried so hard. But you just don’t get it. You continue to fight.”

His hand closed around her jaw, and lifted her face to him.

“You think it’s easy for me?” he asked, tears in his eyes. “You think it’s easy to give my love? I’ve tried, in the past. Girls, women, so many, they each stole my heart. But each time it ended I lost a piece of myself.”

Her hand went to her pocket, fumbled with the phone.