“Have you told her yet that you love her?”
The gentle question from my gruff advisor was even more surprising and I turned around with my mouth hanging open. “You, talking about love? Did you catch some exotic fever while on your travels?”
Balor pursed his lips and grumbled. “I’m not one for giving advice but I do believe that is something that a female mate wants to hear.”
“You’ve only been home for two seconds and you’re already giving me advice,” I complained.
“Home.”
Balor said the word with such quiet wistfulness that I was stopped short. “This is your home, Balor.”
He seemed uncertain and about to say something but the women walked up the terrace and in through the French doors to the library. “Balor! You’re home!” Cora ran to hug the surly old man.
The look of pure surprise on his face was priceless. “I don’t mean to interrupt,” he stammered.
“Interrupt?” Cora shook her head. “We’ve been waiting for you to come back. Maalik’s practically lost without you.”
“I’m sure that’s not true now that he has you,” Balor said gruffly though his pleased smile was hard to hide.
“Liz and I will head into the kitchen and get us all something to eat,” Cora said. She squeezed my hand before she left.
“You should tell her. She deserves to know,” Balor said.
“We’re connected. We share vision. She must know how I feel about her already,” I protested.
Balor chuckled again. “Coward.”
He left me to settle back into his old room. Alone, I paced the library and wondered exactly what it was that was holding me back. Fear? What if I said it too soon? What if Cora didn’t say she loved me back?
Suddenly my vision dimmed and I saw the wide kitchen island. Cora’s deft hands were slicing carrots and the knife paused. She felt me looking through her eyes and I knew she was smiling. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t speak.
Then, in an almost imperceptible whisper I heard her say, “I love you too, Maalik.”
Silver Dragon Page 7