“Zane.” His voicewas hushed and pensive. “Sometimes I’m not capable ofexpressing how grateful I am for you.”“What do you mean?”Ty put a hand to his own chest, visibly struggling tofind the right words. “For your . . . So few people have everunderstood the way I work. In here.” He tapped his chest.“Thank you for . . . your insight.”

“It’s not goodbye, Sam. It’s see you in two days. I promise…” she said stroking his hair away from his dimpled cheek.“I’m counting on it. You will be missed,” he said as he put her hand on his chest near his heart. “You will be missed right here…”

“I carry this thing between us, like a weight. A good weight, in my pocket. I reach out and hold it from time to time like a wonderful secret. I will always have that. I will never feel this way about another woman, ever. My heart will be yours forever, no matter who shares your bed, no matter whose children you bear. I’m here.” He tapped her chest. “And you’re here.” He tapped his own.”

“So," he said, "we ourselves will be the candle flames." He put his hands on his chest. "Feel your hearts, how warm they are.”

“She tapped her chest. “No, I’m not a freak, okay, so could you stop pressuring me.”Rafael muttered something under his breath, throwing up his hands in surrender. “So what am I? What’s Karhl, Jayani, my brother, and all the BaSatai? Are we all freaks? Justbecause this human has some kind of fascination with labeling you, you believe in it. Be your own person, Armani, not what someone else says you are.”

“You are so gosh damn beautiful in here," he said, tapping my chest, "that what's here," he spoke, running the side of his hand down my face, "is magnified tenfold and that is a sight to be hold.”