The Rocklands, Lostwood

“We can’t,” Cainan insisted, though every part of his body was telling him that they could and they should.

“I don’t want to pretend anymore.” Cora’s words were like waves of warmth crashing over him. Her hands found his, and a lightning strike wouldn’t have been able to do more to grab his attention. He wanted to melt into her touch, to live in it for the rest of his days.

He couldn’t, for it was forbidden.

“Cora…” He tried to pull away, but she held him fast, eyes locking on his with the completeness that had always undone him. Like he was the only other person who existed in the entire world.

“What if Sinna was right?” she said,

“What?” He must’ve misheard her.

“I know it sounds mad, but what if? You must admit, Cintra has been acting strangely as of late.”

“These are strange times. Narcissi is…restless.”

“Her godsblood is leaking out too fast. It’s not sustainable. And yet Cintra hasn’t ramped up her recruiting efforts. No new Guardians have been promoted since we were elevated to Sightless. The existing Guardians are being kept within the Rocklands; there hasn’t been a mission in months. It’s almost like she doesn’t want any of us to see what’s happening outside of these cliffs. And don’t get me started on the Sightless…what is our purpose? We don’t do anything but talk.”

Cainan found himself speechless. He’d been wanting to feel this woman’s hands in his for so long, and yet now here they were and it felt so right somehow even when all of her words were so wrong.

“Say something. Please.”

“If Cintra hears you speak like that…”

“What? She’ll exile me like she did Sinna? That doesn’t mean we must stop protecting Narcissi. Except we’ll be able to do it together. We won’t need to pretend anymore. We won’t need to hold back. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? At least we’ll be out there doing something.”

Cainan still didn’t understand. What she was saying was a mixture of blasphemy and fairytale. “But we won’t be Forsworn.”

“Yes, we will. Cintra can strip us of our titles, but we can be whatever we want to be in this life. And I choose to be with you and a Forsworn.”

“But our Oath…” Cainan felt like he was making the same argument over and over again, but in different ways, his words repelled by a rock wall as thick as the cliffs surrounding Narcissi.

“Our Oath be damned.”

Finally, he withdrew his hands from hers, the effect immediate: Cora looked as though he’d slapped her. “I love you, Cainan,” she said, words he’d wanted to hear for so long, words that made his heart thump a little louder, a little faster, words that scared him. “But sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. I’m leaving tonight.”

“What do you mean ‘leaving’?” The abrupt turn in the conversation had his mind spinning. Hadn’t she just declared her love for him?