Wareska laughed sadly. “There is no reason to apologize. I want you as you want me . . . and I think you know that.

For elves, sex was two souls finding each other in the dark.

Right now, all she knew was that she had the potential to love him greatly and fiercely, and she wanted to do so and nothing else very much and for many years.

She snuggled close, nuzzling her hair beneath his chin. “Never leave me,” she whispered back. The siren chuckled sadly, the sound vibrating up through his chest and pleasantly against her ear. “But I must return to the sea every now and then or I will die.” He sighed. “Some part of me believes it would be a good death.

He stood over her for a time, simply looking at her as he willed himself to climb into bed, and he knew doing so would make it utterly impossible to hate her. She looked so innocent and vulnerable as she dreamt, and it was difficult to hate someone once you had seen them sleeping.

Spent my whole life,” Morganith went on, staring miserably into her drink, “thinkin’ that out there somewhere was ah woman who would love me incredibly and I would love her incredibly. Like ah fire consumin’ the very air. Then I meet her, and she leaves me.” Morganith snapped her fingers lazily. “Just like that.

Elbryn smiled. “You know, you never told me your name,” he said, looking at her fondly. “No,” Holonie answered simply, “I did not.” Elbryn stared at her, his eyes suddenly weary, and Holonie heard the exasperated thought on the surface of his mind, Elves. “Fair enough,” he said aloud.

Either way, I’m still very [...] and wanting,” said Elbryn with a sad laugh. “So take care of it.” “With a lady present? That would be unthinkably rude.” “You’ve been rude to me before,” Holonie pointed out. “But I like you now,” Elbryn said.