She blinked at the immense figure crouched down before her, observing her through mercurial eyes. The rainbow of color she’d seen earlier was muted, earthy tones rather than a vibrant bright array.
“What happened, Rori?”
Rori hiccupped, wiping at her cheeks with the backs of her hands, only to find her skin dry. A furrow creased herbrow as she touched her braid over her shoulder. Not a hint of dampness.
“’Twould be inconsiderate to leave you soaked through from the rain.” Shaye leaned back on his heels, lowering his hand from her arm. “A woman doesn’t cry the way you cried without experiencing pain of the heart. What did he do?”
“Did he really do those things?” she asked, her voice weak, unsteady. Her skin crawled as goosebumps spread over her arms. She shuddered, the crease deepening along her forehead. “Is he really going to die?”
The heavy inhalation Shaye drew spoke louder than any words of confirmation. Her chin began to quiver all over again, nostrils flared as the burn of new tears washed over her eyes.
“Why, then, did you help him? You risk your family for a condemned man.”
“It may be hard for many to understand the reasons behind my decision. Aye, I’ve placed my family in a precarious position, but not without careful consideration. ’Twas a decision made on behalf of both Moira and myself, Rihanna and Bryce, for ’twill be all who suffer repercussions.”
He hung his forearm over his bent knee, never deviating his attention from her. The sympathy in his eyes fed the growing ache in her soul.
“I helped him because he came to my doorstep and pleaded for help. May not have been for himself, but ’twas for you. Soul mates, Rori, are a complicated matter. ’Tis not a bond between humans, but left for those within realms of magic. There are few mortals who can comprehend, embrace, and withstand what it means to be fated to another. It takes someone with tremendous inner strength to accept. The depth of the bond is unfathomable. It goes on forever, wraps aroundus endlessly, and cannot be destroyed. Not even in death, as my sister can attest.”
Rori sank back against the column and gazed out through the marble slats of the balustrade. The soothing drum of rain continued beyond the invisible shield Shaye had erected, a sorrowful melody that caressed her ravaged mind. Her fingers curled within the satin skirt of her gown, trying to find strength somehow. Somewhere. A stray tear crept down her cheek, renewing the path of those before it.
“He has spared you a blood bond in hopes of easing the pain his death will cause. Had he secured the bond with blood, the loss of one’sanamcaracan destroy a person beyond saving. It nearly took my sister. I can only imagine what losing half of the fabric of your soul would do to a mortal. Moira still suffers nightmares from a time when she believed me dead.”
“He gave me some blood promise, from what Cael said. I woke the morning we came here to find blood on the back of my hand.” Recalling the faint smear, she absently stroked the back of her hand, her gaze unfocused on what lay beyond the corridor. “I never asked him what it was, not that he’d tell me. He keeps his secrets close to his heart.”
“Youarehis heart, Rori.Youare the reasonheis alive, for you revived the Thaddeus Rihanna and I long hoped to see again.”
“He’s so hell-bent on dying, Shaye. He has no expectation of waking up when he closes his eyes. He has no will to fight, but I guess resignation comes with knowing you’ll be killed.”
“He’s dramatic.” When Rori arched her brows in surprise, Shaye shrugged. “Trust me, he doesnotwant to die. Not now. He may accept his fate. Does not mean he is content with it. You’ve changed him, for the better, and he is remorseful.”
“It’s too late,” she whispered. “He gave his life. For another woman.”
“Alas, hefightsfor you.” Shaye rested his hand over hers, bringing her back from the emptiness to the present. She glanced down at where his hand lay. “I don’t condone his actions, or the path he chose to follow since our estrangement. He has done many wrongs, caused much chaos that cannot be undone. You must understand the difference between Daeanna and yourself. She promised him infinite power, whether by magic or status. She baited him, and did so knowing exactly how to catch and keep her quarry. ’Twas what Daeanna excelled at. Manipulation.” His eyes narrowed knowingly. “Somehow, I sense you are familiar with manipulation as a recipient.”
Rori shifted, focusing more directly on the Fae man in front of her. “Did Cael say something?”
He shook his head once.
“Nay. ’Tis a very specific energy given off by those who have suffered at the hands of abuse. It restructures your spiritual makeup, similar to a scar. ’Tis not something most Fae can detect. Those who can must search for it. Then there are those who hold scars themselves, who fall within the frequency of another’s energy. Being part of the Fae is not for the light of heart. As grand as many mortals believe it to be, there are far darker corners in our realms than most would care to tread.”
He squeezed her hand lightly.
“You, Rori, have given Thaddeus freedom he’s not known in centuries, being trapped within himself. You’ve given him life. You’ve restored a man’s heart that had been turned to ice and stone. You have allowed him to reconnect with his conscience. You’ve redeemed a man believed to beirredeemable. And for you, he lives, however long his remaining time may be.”
“The man who hit me with the truth today was not a man who acted as if he lived for me. His mouth was foul and cold. And he was proud of his scars from the arrows he took for that damn woman, and the death warrant he earned on her behalf. He wants this nightmare to be over.”
Whether the man leaned closer or not, Rori couldn’t quite tell, but the sensation of his presence surrounding her intensified. “What, if I may ask, did he speak of? Exactly. Word for word, if you recall.”
Rori fumbled through the memories, those stark, painful memories and the lancing his words caused. Her shock had reached a peak by the time he showed her the scars. But…
“’I took two arrows because of her. I signed my own death warrant because of her.’”
The cocoon of Shaye’s presence retracted slightly. He nodded. “I’m sure you’re aware by now that Fae cannot lie. Thaddeus has many gifts, and one of those gifts is wordplay. He knows how to speak so even the keenest listener may be fooled. ’Tis not always the words which are spoken that matter, but their context within what isnotspoken. Thaddeus took two arrows because of Daeanna. Aye. She led her followers into a doomed battle. ’Twasbecause, notfor. Same for his warrant. He didn’t sign it for her, Rori. ’Twasbecauseof her, the manipulation and his foolish actions.”
The first flutter of hope touched the darkness that had overcome her mind. She straightened off the column, wading through the grief-stricken haze. “I know he was trying to push me away. He intended to hurt me with his words, and he did.”
“Apparently, he didn’t listen to my advice.”
