Cassy clicked her tongue, shaking a finger. “Yes.Thaddeus. I like that better anyhow. Fits him.” Cassy leaned close, casting the room a quick glance before leveling her gaze on Rori. “Are all these Fae so…deliciously gorgeous?”
“Cassy!” Rori smacked her friend’s shoulder in feigned horror before they both broke out in laughter. “Only you, girl. Your guess is as good as mine, since the only experience I have is with Thaddeus and Cael, and it’s not much.”
“I can’t believe you’ve seen the real him when I’m his girlfriend. But dayum. Steve was perfect to me, but Cael?” Cassy crisscrossed her hands over her chest, her cheeks flushing. “I’m in awe.”
“It’s not like I have magical powers to remove their glamour.”
Rori tapered her laughter and headed to a set of wingbackchairs flanking a large fireplace. The fire burned low, emanating little heat, but the deep orange flames lent a cozy ambiance to an already fantastical environment. Cassy took up the second chair, crossing her legs on the seat, leaning on the arm toward Rori. The excitement faded a bit from her friend’s eyes.
“Cael filled me in on some things while you were healing. Not much about his brother, but the specifics surrounding you and him. Why you can see them.” Her smile changed, from thrilled to sincere. “You have a real soul mate, Rori. You. That man who fought like he’d destroy the fucking universe for you while bleeding out of his skin is yoursoulmate. You have no idea how happy that makes me, because of anyone I know, you deserve a man who’ll sacrifice everything for you.” A faint crease formed between her brows. “Even if his justifications for some actions are questionable.”
“And what do you mean by that?”
Cassy shrugged. “Cael suspects he killed Rich.”
“Caelknowshe killed Rich.” Rori sighed and nodded once. “He did. I normally would never condone such a thing, which makes me question my character when it comes to why I’m okay with him killing Rich.”
“Uh, because Rich was pure evil, and he deserved what he got after everything he’s done to you, what we know and what you’ve kept to yourself.” Cassy reached over and squeezed Rori’s hand. “None of us are the types to condone murder, but Cael feels strongly that Rich was threatening you last night to make his brother act in such a manner.”
Rori looked at her friend, reading the silent inquiry in Cassy’s eyes. She wouldn’t ask outright what had happened, but hoped Rori would share. And so, she quenched Cassy’s curiosity with a short version of what had happened up until Thaddeus disappeared with Rich. Thaddeus had not divulgeddetails of his encounter with Rich before his demise, and Rori didn’t push. The less she knew, the better. Thaddeus had shown her his lethal capabilities more than once. She didn’t doubt Cael’s speculation that Rich suffered more than a single gunshot wound to the head.
Cassy sat back in the chair, releasing Rori’s hand. “The version of Thaddeus I’ve seen is definitely intimidating. There’s an air about him, a warning to those who may think to cross him to reconsider for the sake of their life. He can be frightening, but I think that makes him all the more alluring.”
Rori winced inwardly. “Did Cael tell you about the first night we crossed Thaddeus?”
“Yes. And how he messed with my memories to hide the truth of Thaddeus from me.” Cassy rubbed her temple with two fingers. “That upset me, that he thought it was okay to restructure my brain to protect his brother.”
“I don’t think it was to protect Thaddeus as much as it was to protect you. We walked into his condo that night for dinner and Thaddeus had a blade to Cael’s throat. We all know you’d have had the police involved as soon as you laid into Thaddeus, but humans hold no power against a Fae of his stature and strength. I’m not saying what Cael did was right, but he cares so much for you that he’d protect you the best way he knows how.”
“I know. I realized that after I cooled off and started digesting all of this. Too many questions would have come from my memories being left intact until now.”
“He removed the barriers?”
Cassy nodded. “Yeah. I recall what happened up until I hit the wall and passed out.” She wagged a finger at Rori. “I owe your boy toy a knock over the head, but if he’s willing to die for my best friend, I may consider forgiving him for being adouche in the beginning. Which brings me to you deliberately stepping in front of a fucking sword?—”
Rori threw up a hand, stopping Cassy. “Don’t. I know he’s magical and powerful and can take a blow like that when he’s at full strength, but that attack would have rendered him helpless, if not dead. He was suffering enough to keep all of us safe because he can’t use his magic against others with intent to harm without it attacking him in return.”
Cassy simply stared at her, turmoil stirring in her expression. Rori chewed her lower lip, the ache in her chest blooming once again. Prickling pain made her next few breaths hard to grasp, causing the room to twist before her eyes. Her mind instantly went to Thaddeus, and a dire need to see him suffocated her in those fragile seconds. There was so much she needed to ask, to learn, to understand. So much, and the heaviness in her gut warned her the answers she sought were answers she did not want.
“Honey?”
Rori blinked several times, returning from her thoughts to find Cassy squatting before her, that same worried look on her face that she’d witnessed the night before in the cooler at the restaurant. Her hands rested on Rori’s knees, faint creases deepening across her forehead.
With a bit of force, Rori managed a small smile. “I’m okay. I just want to know how he is.”
“I imagine you do. Cael briefly explained the visceral effects of a soul mate bond, whether it’s been sealed with blood or not.”
Sadness touched the corners of her friend’s eyes. It echoed in Rori’s heart for two reasons. One, she’d suffered those visceral effects since the first night she crossed Thaddeus, each day becoming harder and harder to go without some sort of connection with the Faery man. And two, seeingthat her closest friend understood that her relationship with Cael would never be what Rori was gifted with Thaddeus. Cael and Cassy weren’t soul mates. They would never be, leaving the very real possibility of Cassy suffering heartache should Cael find his soul mate in her lifetime.
A flutter of guilt touched Rori’s soul.
“We’re living a real-life fantasy, Rori. Our stories may end differently, but at least you’ve secured a happily-ever-after.”
“Don’t exclude yourself from that. You and Cael share something extremely special and strong. The two of you are a perfect match. I’ve always wanted to have what you two have. The love you share and the support you both give to each other is a life’s dream.” Rori leaned forward and hugged Cassy. “He’s been around for a few centuries and hasn’t found his soul mate. Consider this, Cassy—in your lifetime, and in this block of his, youaresoul mates. Hold tight to what you have now, don’t let it go, and don’t sabotage the special relationship you two share that so many people could only dream of having.”
Rori pulled back, dropping her hands to Cassy’s shoulders. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d witnessed the sheen of tears in her friend’s eyes. Seeing the wetness seep through Cassy’s enviable strength hurt.
“I’m not giving him up that easily. He’s stuck with me for as long as he will have me.”
