curious. Were they stars? No. She knew what stars looked like. These were something entirely different.
She wasn’t afraid. For the first time in a very long time she felt … nothing. No happiness, no sorrow, no anger, no regret. It was as if everything had been wiped away. Like the slate was clean, allowing her to start over.
What a load of crap that was. No one started over. The baggage always remained. She learned that the hard way. It was what one did with said baggage that made the difference.
Rhi knew she was at Dreagan. And she knew because of him .
He was in the room with her again. It wasn’t the first time her lover had come to see her. She wished she could see his face. She wished she could speak so she could shout at him and demand to know why he was coming to her now.
Was it because she was injured? Did he care now ? Had he ever really cared?
That was the question that haunted her. If the love he once claimed to have for her had been real, then he wouldn’t have been able to let her go so easily. Nor would he have sent Darius to tell her.
She couldn’t look at Darius without hearing those words that had torn her world to shreds in a matter of seconds. One minute she was on top of the world.
The next, she was drowning in misery and confusion, trying to find her footing with the hand fate had dealt her.
She didn’t hate Darius exactly. Though he could’ve refused to give her the news. Her lover should’ve had the balls to tell her himself. Was he afraid she’d go nuclear on him as she’d done at Balladyn’s fortress?
Rhi paused. She most likely would have, now that she thought about it. But that didn’t make his pansy-ass any easier to swallow.
She hated that he was in the room with her, standing beside the bed.
And she loved that he was there.
Her heart ached at his nearness. How she wanted to grab his hand and bring it to her face to feel him touching her once more.
She was pathetic, pitiful.
How many centuries needed to pass without him coming to her before she could let him go? She kept asking herself that same question, and each time it get easier to answer.
She’d been saying for a while now that she needed to let him go. Ulrik had told her that, as had Balladyn. Both held grudges against the Dragon Kings, and in some ways those resentments were justified.
“Wake up.”
His voice was like a punch in her gut. She felt tears gather, and hated him for it. She loathed herself for having such a reaction to him.
“You’ve made your point, Rhi. It’s time to wake up.”
She wasn’t ready. If she woke she’d have to face Balladyn. Worse, she would need to confront Usaeil, and she wasn’t ready. Then there was the issue of the darkness inside her.
It was growing. She couldn’t deny that any longer. How long before it stamped out her light? How long before she became Dark?
The prospect didn’t frighten her as it used to. Perhaps she’d been destined for this path from the very beginning. Maybe that’s why Balladyn was Dark, so he could help her when she turned.
Balladyn. If he could, would he be there with her? She knew the answer to that. It was an unequivocal yes. If she were anywhere but Dreagan, Balladyn would be beside her.
That warmed her heart. After all the rejection from her lover, Balladyn—as always—never failed her. Sure he’d tortured her to turn her Dark, but she’d gotten away. That kind of attention was preferable to being disregarded and ignored.
A great love. That was what she and her King had claimed they shared. If it was so great, where had he been? Why had he ended it? Why …
She halted the questions. Did it really matter anymore? She’d gone thousands of years without answers, and it wasn’t like she would get them. Ever.
Her body couldn’t move. It wasn’t the blast of Dark magic that kept her sleeping. She did that. She was at a crossroads, and she still wasn’t sure what to do.
If she remained on her path, loving a man who
She wasn’t afraid. For the first time in a very long time she felt … nothing. No happiness, no sorrow, no anger, no regret. It was as if everything had been wiped away. Like the slate was clean, allowing her to start over.
What a load of crap that was. No one started over. The baggage always remained. She learned that the hard way. It was what one did with said baggage that made the difference.
Rhi knew she was at Dreagan. And she knew because of him .
He was in the room with her again. It wasn’t the first time her lover had come to see her. She wished she could see his face. She wished she could speak so she could shout at him and demand to know why he was coming to her now.
Was it because she was injured? Did he care now ? Had he ever really cared?
That was the question that haunted her. If the love he once claimed to have for her had been real, then he wouldn’t have been able to let her go so easily. Nor would he have sent Darius to tell her.
She couldn’t look at Darius without hearing those words that had torn her world to shreds in a matter of seconds. One minute she was on top of the world.
The next, she was drowning in misery and confusion, trying to find her footing with the hand fate had dealt her.
She didn’t hate Darius exactly. Though he could’ve refused to give her the news. Her lover should’ve had the balls to tell her himself. Was he afraid she’d go nuclear on him as she’d done at Balladyn’s fortress?
Rhi paused. She most likely would have, now that she thought about it. But that didn’t make his pansy-ass any easier to swallow.
She hated that he was in the room with her, standing beside the bed.
And she loved that he was there.
Her heart ached at his nearness. How she wanted to grab his hand and bring it to her face to feel him touching her once more.
She was pathetic, pitiful.
How many centuries needed to pass without him coming to her before she could let him go? She kept asking herself that same question, and each time it get easier to answer.
She’d been saying for a while now that she needed to let him go. Ulrik had told her that, as had Balladyn. Both held grudges against the Dragon Kings, and in some ways those resentments were justified.
“Wake up.”
His voice was like a punch in her gut. She felt tears gather, and hated him for it. She loathed herself for having such a reaction to him.
“You’ve made your point, Rhi. It’s time to wake up.”
She wasn’t ready. If she woke she’d have to face Balladyn. Worse, she would need to confront Usaeil, and she wasn’t ready. Then there was the issue of the darkness inside her.
It was growing. She couldn’t deny that any longer. How long before it stamped out her light? How long before she became Dark?
The prospect didn’t frighten her as it used to. Perhaps she’d been destined for this path from the very beginning. Maybe that’s why Balladyn was Dark, so he could help her when she turned.
Balladyn. If he could, would he be there with her? She knew the answer to that. It was an unequivocal yes. If she were anywhere but Dreagan, Balladyn would be beside her.
That warmed her heart. After all the rejection from her lover, Balladyn—as always—never failed her. Sure he’d tortured her to turn her Dark, but she’d gotten away. That kind of attention was preferable to being disregarded and ignored.
A great love. That was what she and her King had claimed they shared. If it was so great, where had he been? Why had he ended it? Why …
She halted the questions. Did it really matter anymore? She’d gone thousands of years without answers, and it wasn’t like she would get them. Ever.
Her body couldn’t move. It wasn’t the blast of Dark magic that kept her sleeping. She did that. She was at a crossroads, and she still wasn’t sure what to do.
If she remained on her path, loving a man who
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