She let out a sigh of relief only when his back was to her. Then she stood up, slowly padded over to him and slipped her arms around his waist, looping her fingers loosely to give him the ability to escape. "We cannot change our blood or lineage," she agreed softly. "But it is our choice to decide what to do with it. Weren't you already changing that by not living there or following their ideas? Was it their decision for you to create WiK, or was it yours? We all die at some point. I'm not going to stop loving who I love because the threat of death is over my head."

Yes, she said it. She didn't know how it was going to be received, but she said it.

"That is my choice to make. And mine alone."