I shook my head against his. “I don’t understand how you can be so calm.”

“It’s not like I’m not worried. I am, but I told you. I knew the risks going into this.”

We’d known of the risks, but not what they were and there was a big difference. I pulled my head away, thinking about all we had to do—that we’d planned to do. “I don’t want you going to that school with me.”

“Trin—”

“Not until I know what’s in there. You said we need to adapt, and this is how we adapt. You take a step back.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I don’t care!” I twisted in his arms, my heart pounding as I clasped his cheeks. “I don’t care what you think you can do, but if this is our...our punishment, then this is how we adapt. We have to be even more careful, and being careful means you take a step back until we know what we’re facing.”

“Do you think I’m just going to sit here, reading a book, while you’re out there fighting the Harbinger?”

“Starting a reading habit isn’t a bad thing. You could start a book club.”

“Trin.” His pale eyes flashed. “I’m a trained warrior. I know how to prevent getting clawed or bit or stabbed. I’m not weak.”

“You’re the strongest person I know, but you’re not invincible.”

“I never was. And neither are you. When I found out about your vision, do you think it didn’t scare me half to death, imagining all the ways it could affect you?”

I fell silent.

“It did. It still does. You’re half human, Trin. Your skin is vulnerable to all manner of injuries, but I remind myself that you’re trained. You have your grace. You know how to fight and to get out of a situation if it turns ugly. I have to remind myself of that every day. I’m there to protect you, but I’m not there to stop you. Are you going to try to stop me?”

I smoothed my fingers over his cheeks and then exhaled roughly. “I don’t expect you to sit here and do nothing. I just expect you to...make smart choices. Like I do.”

His brows lifted.

“Like I try to do. You go to the school with me, but you stay out of it until we know what’s going on,” I compromised. “And you’re right. I could probably still get hurt faster than you, even now, but I’ve had my whole life to accept my limitations. You haven’t had even a minute fighting with yours.”

He leaned in, closing the distance between us and kissing me softly. “We’ll figure this out, limitations and all.”