Page 107 of The Mating Quest

He looked so surprised, and ridiculous, blood streaming from his nose that she started to laugh. Ilana pointed to thestream.

“Dunk your head in the water. It has healing properties. You don’t want to risk bleeding around here and attracting something that could really hurtyou.”

After he did and returned, his nose mended, Ethan sat on the ground next to her. Ilana took a nearby rock and began sharpening herdagger.

He side eyed the knife. “You planning on using that on me,Mage?”

With the tip of her blade, she gestured to the knife he wore at his side. “Not unless you plan on using that onme.”

Ilana dropped her gaze. “Why are you really here, Ethan? For me? Or for thetalisman?”

The chance to mend their relationship depended on his answer. Either she’d forgive him and join with him in thisquest.

Or walk away from him forgood.

Ethan sensedthe greater intent behind her question. He touched his nose again with a rueful look. Ilana packed a wallop of a punch. She was far fromhelpless.

But seeing her miserable undid him, filled him with grief. He’d made her cry, this proud, independent and stubborn Mage who’d started out by trying to steal his sister’s locket and ended up stealing his heartinstead.

“I’m here because I realize I’m damned.” Ethan took a deep breath and sat back on his haunches. Time to face thetruth.

Suspicion filled her blue eyes. She sheathed her knife, but saidnothing.

He reached out, tucked a lock of long hair behind her ear. “I’m damned because all I can think about is you. All the time. You’re always on my mind. I’ve fallen in love withyou.”

Ilana’s gaze widened. Still, she saidnothing.

“Yeah, I’m also here to find the talisman. We have to destroy it and Cormac. I’m sorry, Ilana. I’m sorry I let you down and made you feel as if you were alone again,” he saidgently.

She looked up at him with woebegone eyes. “Are you really, Ethan? Or saying that because you need me to finish this mission and be on your side? I’ve been lied to so many times over the years. How can I trust youagain?”

Coming closer, he couldn’t resist touching her again, feeling the softness of her skin beneath the pad of his fingers as he brushed them against her cheek, wiping away the tearstains. “I won’t lie to you, Ilana. I promise you that. As for trusting me, that’s something only you candecide.”

Her eyes closed. She parted her lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t, couldn’t trust you before with information about Gideon’s talisman. I honestly wasn’t certain it was his. I was going to tell you, in private, I swearit.”

“I believeyou.”

Ilana’s eyes flew open. “I have something else to tell you, Ethan. This is my last quest. After this… I maydie.”

It felt like she’d punched him right in the heart and he struggled to make sense of things. “What the hell are you talkingabout?”

Incredulous he listened as she explained how every time she came close to dying, she fell into a deep, coma-like sleep and awoke in a fairy glen 100 years later. “I can’t die, Ethan. I don’t know why I was cursed like this. But I’m so weary ofit.”

Ilana put a hand on her dagger’s hilt. “In order to complete this quest, I asked Danu for a boon. After it was over, my life would finallyend.”

He stared at her, his heart racing, trying to comprehend what he’d heard. “You want todie.”

Shenodded.

Ethan gave a humorless laugh. “You want to die? For what? To escape life? Yourfeelings?”

She blinked back moisture. “The feelings for you… I never wanted them. What I have for you is burning and all consuming. All I do is think of you, every moment. You break my concentration, you scramble mymind.”

Ilana pressed her hands to her head. “I was always my own person, standing on my own two feet. Never depending on anyone. I never wanted this. That’s not the life Iwanted.”

“No, you don’t,” he said calmly, though inside he raged. “You don’t want a life, period, Ilana. You want to die like Plyx did. Summon a wizard and he lays a hand on you and you gasp your last and goodbye, good riddance, the hell with the rest of us who care even a smidgen foryou.”

He took a deep breath. “For Danu’s sake, Ilana, give it achance.”