"You have not been listening," she said patiently. "Adair would never trust her heart to me again, not completely, and after having had it once, I could not settle for a shadow of what was. More importantly, I do not know how much time I have left before I, like my maker and his brood, am burned to ash. I would not win back her heart, then condemn her to have it shattered yet again. She is yours, ringmaster. I believe she would be yours completely and forever, provided you were to express your commitment to her in unbreakable terms. But do not say it unless you plan to keep your word." She hesitated, then admitted, "Even I never promised her eternity."