Falcon’s eyes flew open when he heard his name. It was said as if something was seriously wrong. He realized it was Julia, crying in her sleep again. “Don’t leave me,” she whined quietly.
Like he had every night since they had gotten out of Mount Aylios, he scooted closer and pulled her into his arms. “Shh,” he murmured into her ear. “I’m here.” As always, she quieted. He kissed the top of her head. She snuggled closer with a sigh, not waking up.
He lay there holding her for some time, worrying about what would come tomorrow, when Cael was with them. It was good that he was coming: he was right―they stood a better chance against Kieran if they were together. But Falcon didn’t like the way Julia acted around him. He didn’t like the way she seemed to get lost in his eyes, or the awed tone of her voice when she spoke to him. Jealousy prickled inside him at the thought of her wanting someone else.
He had to stop waiting; it was time to tell her. It didn’t matter anymore that she wanted to live on Earth and he belonged on Kelstone, because he wanted her more than anything else. He would be willing to leave if he had to. If she wanted him, he would follow her anywhere.
Jade caught his attention then. The cat was smirking. Falcon shook his head slowly. “Do I have a chance?” he asked in a whisper.
Jade just blinked.
Falcon sighed. “You won’t tell me, will you?”
The cat shook his head.
“Have you told her anything?”
Again, he shook his head.
“Thanks,” Falcon said. He hesitated, then asked, “Does she like Cael… like that?” Said out loud it was even more ridiculous. Was he suddenly twelve?
Jade was laughing now, a wheezy sound. He didn’t answer for a long moment, and Falcon knew the cat was just messing with him. Finally, Jade shook his head.
Falcon felt relieved, but then worried, “Will she hear this conversation in your head tomorrow?”
Jade looked up as if he was pondering that, comically putting a paw to his chin and continuing to smirk. After a moment, he shook his head again.
Falcon sighed. “Thanks.” He was glad that Julia and Jade could apparently keep things from each other, at least for now. Who knew if that would last as they grew more connected over time, but now was all that mattered. He kissed the top of Julia’s head again, held her close, and closed his eyes.
__________
Julia—lost in thought—watched Falcon finish packing up, when Cael arrived. She only half heard their conversation.
“Are there any creeks nearby?” Falcon asked the ranger.
Cael was quiet for a moment, concentrating, then nodded. “To the east―not far.”
Falcon gave him a nod as he grabbed an empty waterskin. “I’ll be right back.”
Her gaze followed him until he was out of site. She was thinking about how far they had come. Tomorrow they would get the last piece of the orb, and then they would be very close to the end of this quest… maybe, when this was all over, she would―
“Tell him.”
Cael’s voice startled her. She turned to frown at him. “Tell him what?”
He chuckled. “Tell him that you love him.”
She blushed and looked at the ground. “Is it that obvious?”
“Not to him.”
She shook her head. “I can’t… not right now.”
“Why not?”
“There was someone else.”
“Was?”
“I don’t think he…” She sighed. “I just can’t.”
“Humans are foolish,” he said, sounding a little sad. “Though I am half-human myself, I do not understand why they hide emotions as if they are something to be ashamed of. And love… why would anyone want to hide that?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Many have said, but they are wrong,” he told her. “Woodlanders always express what they feel, why not you?”
“It’s scary,” she told him. “It’s hard to put yourself out there, to make yourself that vulnerable.”
“You might get hurt.”
“Exactly,” she agreed.
He gave a small nod. “So, you believe it is better to hurt yourself?” he asked. “To hide all that you feel and live in constant worry as to whether or not he feels the same? To endure the pain of longing for what you will not let yourself have? To fear losing him when he finds someone else? This is better than taking the chance that he might hurt you with rejection?”
She scowled at him. “Don’t say it like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it makes sense.”
He laughed. “Yes, making sense is very bad,” he teased. He touched her shoulder then, and smiled warmly. “Be brave. Tell him.”
She looked up into his blue eyes. They held so much conviction that they gave her more courage. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
“Good. And if you cannot find the words, remember that touch can sometimes say more.” He gave her shoulder a gentle, encouraging squeeze to prove his point.
She gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
What was with these woodlanders, she wondered, acting as if they were her oldest friends even though they just met her? She didn’t mind, though―not after knowing Lotus. It actually felt natural, or maybe he and Lotus were just special. She liked Cael already and felt comfortable around him, the same way she had quickly grown comfortable with Lotus.
“I will be back soon,” he said.
Julia realized what he was expecting, and she instantly felt panicked. “Now? But… we need to get going, we have to―”
“Breathe. It will be fine,” he told her firmly. “There are some things that should always come first, and love is the most important of them all. Speak to him.” He glanced at Jade and raised a brow before walking off into the woods.
Jade smiled at her, and then followed the ranger.
“Where’s he going?” Falcon asked.
She hadn’t heard him walk up behind her. His voice made her shiver. “Um… he said he’d be back soon.”
“He just got here.”
She turned around and looked up at him, biting her bottom lip. Her stomach knotted and fluttered nervously. She told herself to be brave. Cael was right―she was tormenting herself over this. At least this way she would know.
“Falcon.” It came out as a whisper. She forced herself to speak louder. “I want to tell you something. I’m… well, I’m worried about saying it… worried what you’ll think or… well, after…”
“You can tell me anything, Jules,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to continue.
She couldn’t help smiling at him repeating Cael’s gesture. She took a deep breath. “Okay… I know that Lotus… well, it seemed that…” Julia rolled her eyes at herself. She couldn’t think of how to say it. She shook her head. “Maybe that doesn’t matter now… even if it hasn’t been very long, it’s in the past, and…”
“Jules,” he said slowly, “you’re not making any sense.”
She cringed. “I know… I’m sorry.” The knot in her stomach tightened. Could Cael just come back and tell him for her? she thought. She could have laughed at herself for being so childish about this. It was just words. She could say it―just three words, and they were little ones. “Okay… forget before. Straight to the point…” He was looking at her in complete confusion, waiting for her to say it, and she just couldn’t. “You know, it’s nothing… never mind,” she told him, losing her nerve and turning away.
He grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back, looking suspicious now. “Tell me.”
Why did she have to start? She had to say something now, but she just stood there staring up at him in silence. She tried to think of something else she could say, a likely excuse for her babble, but her mind was blank. No, she thought, she had to tell him. She couldn’t keep wondering and making herself miserable. This was killing her, and she couldn’t stand it anymore.
Finally, she decided against words. Sometimes a touch says more, she repeated to herself. She took a deep breath, then swallowed past the lump in her throat. Slowly, she brought her trembling hand up and touched his cheek. She pulled him to her and brushed her lips against his―a small, timid kiss―then moved back.
She was sure that the look on her face as she gazed up at him was petrified. She was honestly more scared at that moment than she had been when she had seen the goblin. All a monster could do was physically hurt her; Falcon could break her heart. She held her breath and waited.
His expression was surprised at first―that was to be expected―but then it melted into a slow smile. Still, he was hesitant. “What was that for?”
She felt her face heat up, and started messing with the end of her braid. “I… um…”
The waterskin fell to the ground as he took her face in his hands and kissed her. He was only slightly less tentative than she had been, but then her lips parted beneath his, opening to him, and the kiss deepened.
An electric jolt shot through her, and she could have cried with the intense happiness she felt―maybe she was, she didn’t know. She was only aware of his mouth against hers and his arms around her, holding her tightly, pressing her body against his. She melted into him, trying to pull him even closer, though there was no room left between them.
When he finally lifted his head enough to look down at her, he smiled tenderly, and her heart leapt at the adoring look in his eyes. “Falcon,” she whispered. “I love you.”
He laughed softly. “I was about to tell you the same thing.”
Her chest felt like it could barely contain her swelling heart. “Really?”
He grinned―that wonderful, lopsided grin. “Yes.”
“Then tell me,” she breathed.
“I love you.”
Blissful warmth poured through her at those three little words, filling her with joy. She was definitely crying now. “When…?”
He wiped her tears away as he answered, “Snow Peaks.”
She smiled. “Me too.”
“Why didn’t you say?”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Separate worlds.”
“Me too,” she said, not worrying about what he might have felt for Lotus now, because he had loved her first.
His hand moved to the back of her neck, holding her to him as he kissed her again―deeply, fervently, and yet with an achingly sweet tenderness. This wonderful man was actually hers. Everything she wanted was found in that moment. He was everything!
When he finally released her lips, he leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. “What are we going to do?” he asked quietly. “About the separate worlds?”
She sighed, too. “I don’t know. I just know I have to be with you.”
He smiled and brought his lips to her forehead. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his lips against her skin. “If it makes you half as happy as you make me, then that’s a lot.”
When she opened her eyes, he leaned back enough to meet her gaze. “Well, we’ll decide when this is all over. But whatever happens, we’ll be together.”
“Always,” she murmured, then kissed him again. She caressed his strong back with her hands, wanting to touch him as much as she could, now that he was hers to touch.
__________
By the time Cael and Jade got back, Falcon and Julia were sitting on a log, wrapped in each other’s arms. Julia was seriously wishing that they were in town so they could get a room and be alone, just the two of them―she wanted to hold Falcon all night and forget that anything other than him existed. But some things would have to wait. New romance didn’t stop the world from falling apart.
Julia saw the ranger first. He smiled and winked, and she grinned back happily. His expression was smug, but she couldn’t hold it against him: he had been right.
Falcon looked at Cael, smiling too. “Not much of a surprise to you, is it?”
Cael chuckled. “No.”
“Guess all you woodlanders are like that.”
“Yes.”
Falcon nodded, then turned back to Julia and kissed her one last time before standing, and pulling to her feet. He let her go so he could sling their pack over his shoulder, but then took her hand and held it as they started walking, following Cael.
“Glad that’s over,” Jade commented, following along beside them.
“Why do you care?” Julia asked.
“Because I was getting tired of all the moping.”
She grinned. “Better now?”
“Much. Though now it’s the extreme opposite―can’t you just be normal and feel something more in the middle?”
She laughed. When Falcon raised a brow, she explained, “First I was too miserable, now I’m too happy.”
He laughed, too.
