Read Online Rise of the Firebird by Amy K Kuivalainen - Free Book Online
Authors: Amy K Kuivalainen
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in my dreams over and over again,” he admitted as he slowly walked toward her.
“And now?” Anya asked in a whisper. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest from the fear that he’d still want to carry out all that he spoke.
“You are not her, so it would be wrong to take my revenge on you. Besides, you have every cause to hate her as much as I do.” He reached over and began to pick the white blossoms from her hair.
“I hope you don’t think I’m going to betray you or the Álfr like she did. I will leave here this minute if you do.”
“Calm down, I know you are nothing like her. I knew after your first visit among us. Ruthann looked into your mind and saw no deception in you. If I have made you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable, I apologise.”
“Having someone walking around that looks like the person you hate can’t be easy.”
“I’m starting not to notice it as much. You have a completely different soul and way about you. You are capable of love. It shines out of you sometimes. The way you are with my brother, the way you want to take away his and everyone else’s pain away, even if you don’t realise it. That’s why you came after me tonight. You wanted to try to alleviate what I’m feeling. If nothing else, that makes you a completely different being to Yanka. You wear all your emotions on the surface. You are guileless.” Anya stepped back from him and sat on the ground among the fallen flowers.
“Your words mean a lot to me,” she said, twisting the blossoms between her fingers. “I worry that I’ll end up like her, and that I will give up the fight the way she did. I worry that I won’t be able to stop her and that she’ll kill everyone I love until I join with her.” Søren lowered himself next to her.
“That will not happen, Elenya . You’ll never be like her. The people who you have around you will make sure of it. They will stand by your side and defend you, though it is you that will end up saving us all. We didn’t have you last time. This time, we can do it.” He took her face with his hands so that she would look into his eyes and said, “We’ll stop her once and for all. I swear, we’ll have our revenge for the pain she has caused.”
Anya felt magic and emotion mingle and move toward her face where he touched her. Her power flowed into him and for once, she didn’t try to stop it. Søren’s own magic rose to meet hers and tangled around it. His eyes went wide as she placed her hands over his and black threads of magic came out of them and moved around his arms. Anya didn’t know how she was doing it or how she could stop it. Unlike the time she’d accidentally linked with him in New Orleans, she wasn’t terrified.
“How are you doing this?” he asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know. Don’t be afraid.” She sent her power into his body, much as she had done with Aramis. Memories swarmed her and she glimpsed a woman with rich black, curling hair laughing as Søren twirled her amongst the same flowers they now sat in. There was the warm light of love in her eyes as he brought her close and kissed her. Anya pulled out of his head quickly and opened her eyes. The threads of magic had disappeared.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she said and quickly let him go. “I shouldn’t be in this place ruining your memories that you lock so tightly in your heart.”
“She wouldn’t have minded. She loved this place and she wouldn’t deny its beauty to anyone. Selfishness wasn’t in her nature.”
Despite his words, Anya still felt like she was intruding. She still could feel the all-encompassing, fierce intense love of both Søren and Väliä. Anya had loved Trajan but she suddenly felt like it was a pale thing compared to what she had just experienced. Søren’s eyes bored into her and she realised her cheeks were wet with tears.
“I don’t know what you saw or how you got into my head to begin with,” Søren said as he dropped his hands from her face,
“And now?” Anya asked in a whisper. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest from the fear that he’d still want to carry out all that he spoke.
“You are not her, so it would be wrong to take my revenge on you. Besides, you have every cause to hate her as much as I do.” He reached over and began to pick the white blossoms from her hair.
“I hope you don’t think I’m going to betray you or the Álfr like she did. I will leave here this minute if you do.”
“Calm down, I know you are nothing like her. I knew after your first visit among us. Ruthann looked into your mind and saw no deception in you. If I have made you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable, I apologise.”
“Having someone walking around that looks like the person you hate can’t be easy.”
“I’m starting not to notice it as much. You have a completely different soul and way about you. You are capable of love. It shines out of you sometimes. The way you are with my brother, the way you want to take away his and everyone else’s pain away, even if you don’t realise it. That’s why you came after me tonight. You wanted to try to alleviate what I’m feeling. If nothing else, that makes you a completely different being to Yanka. You wear all your emotions on the surface. You are guileless.” Anya stepped back from him and sat on the ground among the fallen flowers.
“Your words mean a lot to me,” she said, twisting the blossoms between her fingers. “I worry that I’ll end up like her, and that I will give up the fight the way she did. I worry that I won’t be able to stop her and that she’ll kill everyone I love until I join with her.” Søren lowered himself next to her.
“That will not happen, Elenya . You’ll never be like her. The people who you have around you will make sure of it. They will stand by your side and defend you, though it is you that will end up saving us all. We didn’t have you last time. This time, we can do it.” He took her face with his hands so that she would look into his eyes and said, “We’ll stop her once and for all. I swear, we’ll have our revenge for the pain she has caused.”
Anya felt magic and emotion mingle and move toward her face where he touched her. Her power flowed into him and for once, she didn’t try to stop it. Søren’s own magic rose to meet hers and tangled around it. His eyes went wide as she placed her hands over his and black threads of magic came out of them and moved around his arms. Anya didn’t know how she was doing it or how she could stop it. Unlike the time she’d accidentally linked with him in New Orleans, she wasn’t terrified.
“How are you doing this?” he asked breathlessly.
“I don’t know. Don’t be afraid.” She sent her power into his body, much as she had done with Aramis. Memories swarmed her and she glimpsed a woman with rich black, curling hair laughing as Søren twirled her amongst the same flowers they now sat in. There was the warm light of love in her eyes as he brought her close and kissed her. Anya pulled out of his head quickly and opened her eyes. The threads of magic had disappeared.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she said and quickly let him go. “I shouldn’t be in this place ruining your memories that you lock so tightly in your heart.”
“She wouldn’t have minded. She loved this place and she wouldn’t deny its beauty to anyone. Selfishness wasn’t in her nature.”
Despite his words, Anya still felt like she was intruding. She still could feel the all-encompassing, fierce intense love of both Søren and Väliä. Anya had loved Trajan but she suddenly felt like it was a pale thing compared to what she had just experienced. Søren’s eyes bored into her and she realised her cheeks were wet with tears.
“I don’t know what you saw or how you got into my head to begin with,” Søren said as he dropped his hands from her face,
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