No, he didn’t. Until recently, he’d never given much thought to his nomadic way of life. Nor the women who came and left his bed, creating barely a ripple of regret for their loss.
And then he met Brynne.
It was impossible to think of going back to his old ways—the endless wandering or the rest of it—now that she had entered his world.
But it was even worse than that.
Now that Brynne Kirkland was in his life, Zael couldn’t imagine what a day without her would look like.
To say nothing of his nights.
“When do you expect you’ll return to the outside again?” Tamisia asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Zael shrugged. “As soon as the council delivers their decision, or soon after. Why?”
Although she shook her head as if she meant nothing by it, there was a note of hesitancy in her stare. A plea—one she didn’t seem certain how to put into words.
“What’s wrong?”
She swallowed. “Do you think… Do you think it might be possible for me to go with you?”
Well, he sure as hell hadn’t been expecting that. He was taken aback and couldn’t hide it.
Tamisia was a high-ranking, well-respected member of the colony. An elder responsible for helping to shape the laws and direction of the entire community. He never would have dreamed she’d be willing to give all of that up.
“Go with me?”
“Not as your woman, if that’s your concern,” she quickly added. “Although if you wanted to try, you might be able to convince me to change my mind on that.”
“I don’t,” he told her gently. “And what you’re asking of me… You must know that if you leave, there’s no coming back.”
A strange hauntedness crossed her face, but it was there and gone in an instant. “I know it means if I go. It will be for good.”
Zael was the only one in the colony to be granted access to come and go as he pleased, and only because Nethilos trusted him as he would one of his own kin. Tamisia was asking him to throw that away. Incredibly, she seemed willing to throw away everything she had built for herself in the colony too.
“Why would you want to leave? The colony is who you are. You’ve never seemed restless here in all the time I’ve known you.”
“I have my reasons for wanting out, for wanting a new life. As I’m sure you had yours.”
“Have you mentioned this to the other elders?”
“No. They wouldn’t understand.” She gave him a sad smile. “I hoped that you might.”
He raked a hand over his scalp. “I can’t take you out of here—you know that, right? Not without the council being aware first. Not without their permission. If I do, we’ll both be banished.”
It was hard to ignore the small voice in the back of his conscience that wondered if being barred from his people might not be the worst thing that could happen to him.
After all, a life with Brynne might wait for him on the outside. He didn’t know what that kind of life would look like, but part of him hoped for it—wanted it with a desperation that staggered him.
But the thought of turning his back forever on the part of him that was Atlantean wasn’t something he could consider lightly.
“I can’t take you with me, Sia. Not without the colony’s blessing.” He cursed under his breath, considering everything that was currently at stake. “And I sure as hell won’t do it while I’m here trying to win the council’s trust for an alliance with the Order.”
“I’m sorry,” she blurted, looking edgy and uncomfortable now. “Forgive me. You’re right. And I shouldn’t have asked it of you, Zael. Please, don’t tell anyone I did.”
She got up from the sofa. Before he could say another word, she vanished from the room in a brilliant flash of Atlantean light.
“Shit.” Zael stood there for a moment, processing everything she’d said.