He had no answer for that, only a relentless determination to have all of her that he could. And if that determination was more akin to the desperation of a drowning man than a courageous one, so be it. The night he’d tempted death and danced on the slippery terrace wall above the snow-covered city of Manhattan—and fallen on the safe side—he’d made a promise to himself: that he would not yield to despair again. He would fight it any way he could, with any weapon he could find, till the bitter end.

“Where is she?” he hissed, surging to his feet.

Gwen blinked. “It’s wonderful to see you, too, Dageus,” she said sweetly. “Nice of you to drop in. We’ve only been waiting forever.”

“Where?”

“Relax. She’s upstairs taking a long shower. The poor girl traveled for an entire day and, though she said she slept a bit on the plane, she’s clearly exhausted. What on earth have you been doing to her? I adore her, by the way,” Gwen added, smiling. “She’s a brainy geek like me. Now, can I have a hug?”

His tension ebbed slowly, aided by the knowledge that if Chloe was safe anywhere, it was within these walls. He’d personally chiseled the protection spells into the cornerstones when the castle had been built. So long as she remained within them, no harm would find her.

He skirted the sofa and opened his arms to Gwen, the woman who’d once saved his life. The woman he’d pledged his own to protect. “’Tis good to see you again, lass, and you’re looking lovely as ever.” He bent his head to kiss her.

“No lips,” Drustan warned. “Unless you wish me to be kissing Chloe.”

Dageus averted his face swiftly. “How are the wee bairn, lass?” he asked, with a glance at her rounded belly.

Gwen beamed and prattled on about her most recent doctor’s visit. When she paused finally for a breath, she peered at him intently. “Has Drustan told you our idea yet?”

Dageus shook his head. He was still having a hard time fathoming that Drustan had known he was dark all this time. A hard time believing he was home, that his brother had welcomed him. Had, in fact, been waiting for him.

“You’re my brother,” Drustan said quietly, and Dageus knew that he’d read his feelings in that uncanny way his twin had. “I would never turn my back on you. It wounds me that you thought I would.”

“I but thought to fix it myself, Drustan.”

“You hate to ask for help. You always have. You’ve ever shouldered more than your share of the burden. You had no right to sacrifice yourself for me—”

“Doona even start with me—”

“I didn’t ask you to—”

“Och, you rather be dead?”