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“Yes,” he grated, squeezing her waist. She was just about to drop her head when he added, “Except you.”

“Pardon?” she rasped, glancing up and twisting to look over her shoulder.

“I... do not want to lose you. I do not want you to come with us, Emerie,” he admitted. “The other females... they can come back, you cannot. I want you to stay where it is safe.” Then he looked down at her with his orchid-coloured orbs and dipped his knuckles into her hair so he could brush it forward with his claws. “I want you to wait for me.”

This should have elated her. This should have been enough for her to sit her arse down and stay here until he came back.

But that was the problem: untilhecame back.

If he didn’t want to perish alongside Jabez, Ingram needed to stay behind. There was no way in the world he would be able to control his thoughts and run from the blast. Hell, he was likely to run headfirst into the big shiny ball of whatever the hell was going to come from the stone once it shattered.

“I feel like it is selfish of me,” Ingram weirdly confessed. “I do not understand what I feel or why, but I feel it in here.”

He placed a claw tip to her chest, right where her heart was. Well, where it would have been if he didn’t place it against the wrong side.

But... his orbs have never turned pink like the other Duskwalkers’ do when they look at their brides.And it wasn’t hard to guess what the colour signified.

Whatever Ingram felt, it obviously wasn’t love.

She’d been hoping he would eventually shine that bright flamingo pink at her. He never had.

Maybe he didn’t have enough humanity to understand what the emotion meant, or how to feel it. He could have lost all capabilities to do so when Aleron disappeared.

Who knew? Not Emerie, that was for sure.

She was aware her next question was unfair on him, but she asked it anyway. She needed to assuage her own thoughts and feelings, so she could make up her mind with unwavering conviction.

“If you had to choose between us, Ingram, could only choose one of us, would it be me or Aleron?”

His orbs flashed white, before darkening into a blue. “Neither.”

“Say you had to–”

“Neither, Emerie.” His tone sharpened. “I am not me without Aleron, but I also don’t want to be without you. I cannot choose.”

Emerie gave him a weak smile, as she lifted up and turned around to slip her arms around his thick and muscled neck. “Okay, Ingram.”

She hid her pain behind the hug, burying her face against his scales.

If he could not pick, and he could not be the one to take on the Demon King, then it had to be Emerie. He’d already said he wanted his twin back more than anything, would sacrifice anything and anyone – except her.

Unfortunately, if she decided to stay here, she would be in the way of that. What if he learned of it and ended up resenting her?

He could find another human to be his bride, but no one could replace his twin. Whatever he felt for her, he would get over it. It would wane over time. Just as Orpheus had eventually gotten over all the offerings that had been given to him before Reia.

Someone would replace her.

Someone beautiful, and perfect, and not missing chunks from them. Hopefully by that stage, Ingram would have gained more humanity and taken everything he’d learned from her and applied it to them.

If she could help him in that way, it would be worth it.

Emerie stifled her sadness and sorrow and gave herself a relieved smile. She had her answer, and she could now move ahead, steadfast in her decision. It made knowing what would happen tomorrow... easier.

She adoringly petted the back of his smooth, white skull.Still, this day is for me.

Even if it was selfish and self-absorbed, she would do what she wanted, and no one could tell her otherwise. No one had the right to, not with the sacrifices she was about to make.

And today wasn’t over yet.