Yes rushed up the back of her throat and hovered on her tongue. But one lingering worry trapped it. She lowered her arms from his neck and cuffed his thick wrists. “Nico, what about the Dimios? I can’t ask you to give up—”
“You don’t have to ask me to do a damn thing,” he said. “There will always be a Dimios, Tamar. But there will never be another you or another lifetime to spend with you.” He cupped her head between his palms, gave it a little shake. “I choose you and the life we can have together. Just as you chose me.”
“Nicolai,” she breathed his name, love pressing the air from her lungs. Using her grip on his wrists as leverage, she arched high, pressed her mouth to his, took them in a kiss that bespoke of adoration, trust and hope. “I love you. I have for three years. And I will forever.” She grinned against his lips, joy overflowing a heart that was finally healed and whole. “And with you, Buckbeak, forever is a very real thing.”