Elorcan Quotes
"I love you," he whispered in Elide's ear. "I have loved you from the moment you picked up that axe to slay the ilken." Her tears flowed past him. "And I will be with you..." His voice broke, but he made himself say the words, the truth in his heart. "I will be with you always."
Lorcan had been willing to die for Elide. Had been willing to put aside his quest for Maeve in order for Elide to live.
"I will marry you, Elide Lochan. And proudly call myself Lord Lorcan Lochan, even when the whole kingdom laughs to hear it." He kissed her gently. "And when we are wed," he whispered, "I will bind my life to yours. So we will never know a day apart. Never be alone, ever again."
"Lord Lorcan Lochan?"
He swept her in his arms again, spinning her. "I'll use it with pride every damned day for the rest of my life," he said into her hair, and when he set her down, his smile had vanished. Replaced by an infinite tenderness as he brushed back her hair.
She had come for him. She had found him.
The world went quiet. The pain in his body faded into nothing. Into something secondary.
Lorcan slid his other arm around Elide, bringing his mouth close to her ear as he said, "You have to let me go."
"I promised to always find you. I promised you, and you promised me. I came for you because of it; I am here because of it. I am here for you, do you understand? And if we don't get onto that horse now, we won't stand a chance against that dam. We will die."
"Get up," she said. "Get up."
Lorcan's hands gripped her waist, and Elide couldn't stop her cry of pain at the weight he placed on her, the bones in her foot and ankle grinding together. His legs not even kneeling beneath him, he paused.
"Do it," she begged him. "Get up."
He'd never cared until now.
Even the severed blood oath, still gaping wide within his soul, didn't come close to the hole in his chest when he looked at her.
She'd offered him a home in Perranth knowing he'd be a dishonored male. Offered him a home with her.
"Ask me to marry you."
Elide began crying, even as she laughed. "Will you marry me, Lorcan Salvaterre?"
He swept her up into his arms, raining kisses over her face. As if some final, chained part of him had been freed. "I'll think about it."
Light, such beautiful light filled his dark eyes. "Ask me to come to Perranth with you."
Her voice broke, but she managed to say, "Come to Perranth with me."
Elide waved him off, but Lorcan kissed her.
When he pulled away, Elide breathed, "What was that for?"
"Ask me to stay", was all he said.
Her heart began racing. "Stay", she whispered.
Elide whispered, "I would hide you. In Perranth. If you... if you do what you need to do, and need somewhere to go... You would have a place there. With me."
Lorcan sent a flicker of his power to wrap around her ankle. The limp vanished.
A hand on the knob, she gave him a small, grateful nod. "I missed that."
He heard the unspoken words as she disappeared into the busy hall.
𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
Lorcan allowed himself a rare smile.
"I will always find you," he swore to her.
Her throat bobbed.
Lorcan whispered, "I promise."
When she awoke, clean strips of linen for her cycle were next to the bed.
His own shirt, washed and dried overnight—now cut up for her to use as she would.
She didn't know why she said it, why she felt a need or like it was worth anything to him at all, but Elide stood on her toes, kissed his stubble-rough cheek, and said, "I will always find you, too, Lorcan."
"A bastard-born nobody," she went on. "Did you think I'd sully myself with you?"
"I think you might be my mate," he rasped.
Lorcan reached out, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him. Hopeless, bleak eyes met his. He brushed away a stray tear with his thumb. "I made a promise to protect you. I will not break it, Elide."
Lorcan had been born from and gifted with darkness. Returning to it was not a difficult task.
But letting that glimmering, lovely light before him die out... In his ancient, bitter bones, he could not accept it.
She had been forgotten—by everyone and everything. And still she had hoped. And still she had been kind to him.
And still she had offered him a glimpse of peace in the time he'd known her.
She had offered him a home.
Elide laughed, smacking his shoulder. And then laughed again, louder.
Lorcan set her down. “What?”
Elide’s mouth bobbed as she tried to stop her laughing. “It’s just... I’m Lady of Perranth. If you marry me, you will take my family name.”
He blinked.
Elide laughed again. “Lord Lorcan Lochan?”
It sounded just as ridiculous coming out.
Lorcan blinked at her, then howled.
She’d never heard such a joyous sound.
Lorcan's onyx eyes were unreadable as he scanned her face. And then he said quietly, "I wanted to go to Perranth with you."
"And what do you now about love?"
"I think love should make you happy," Elide said, "It should make you into the best possible version of yourself."
"Are you implying I am neither of those things?"
"I don't think you even know what happiness is."
"I do not mind... being around you."
"Is that a compliment?"
Until she was ready. Until she told him, showed him, she wished to share everything with him. That final claiming.
But until then, he wanted her here. Sleeping at his side, where he might watch over her. As she had watched over him.
"You make me want to live, Rowan."
He wondered if Elide Lochan had somehow made Lorcan want to do the same.
He held her stare. Let some inner wall within him come crumbling down. Only for her. For this sharp-eyed, cunning little liar who has slipped through every defense and ironclad rule he'd ever made for himself. Let her see all of it, as no one had ever done before.
"Where is he?" Elide's voice broke.
Elide begged, "Where is Lorcan?"
She had made him a promise. She had sworn him an oath. I will always find you.
Even now, he was half inclined to bow before her, the true owner of his ancient, wicked heart.
