The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“Neither do I.” He tapped his fingers on my hand. “But
you’re worried about interfering when it is someone’s time,
aren’t you? Because if someone is hurt and dying, you won’t
be able to stand by and allow that.”
He knew me all too well. “How do you know when it’s
someone’s time?” I asked and then laughed at the absurdity
of the question. “How would any of us know that?”
“We don’t.” His eyes met mine. “I think all we can do is
what feels right. It felt right for you to save that girl. But
maybe another time will come when it won’t feel right.”
I couldn’t imagine a time when helping someone
wouldn’t feel right, but that kind of unanswerable question
would have to wait. We needed to get ready for the day.
A nervous sort of energy buzzed through me that had
nothing to do with our conversation as I changed into black
leggings and a sleeveless wrap tunic dyed in a shade that
reminded me of Jasper’s hair and fur. I was surprised that
the delicate silver chain held the tunic together, and I only
hoped it remained that way throughout the day. The last
thing I needed was to expose the nearly transparent slip I
wore underneath.
Then again, considering how Casteel’s father had last
seen me, it probably wouldn’t come as much of a shock.
But I just wanted things to go smoothly between his
parents and me because I knew if they didn’t, the path
would be rocky between Casteel and his parents going
forward.
The moment I joined him in the sitting room, his fingers
found their way into the waves and curls of my hair. “I love
your hair like this,” he murmured. “I’m beginning to think
you do this because you know I become distracted by it.”
I grinned as we stepped outside the room, my
nervousness easing a bit. “Maybe,” I said, even though I’d
totally left it down because I knew he liked it like this.
And because I’d spent years with the heavy length
pinned tightly back and up.