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And she shouldn’t. She should loathe him. The very thought of him should disgust her, but no matter how hard she tried. No matter what she did, Arianna couldn’t bring herself to hate the male who’d stolen her heart.

ARIANNA EXITED the side door to the deafening roar of cheers from all sides. A stone path wound its way toward the central dais where her father and his council waited. She steadied her racing heart, watching the way the water on either side of path reflected the color of her dress. Ocean blue with silver beading swirling down her bodice.

Ellie had picked it out. Along with the gloves and shoes to match.

The people of Levea chanted her name, but all Arianna could do was clench her teeth in response. She’d planned to wave at them, smile as her mother might have done. Don a mask in place of the broken female who stood before them now. An hour, that’s all she needed to push through, but it already seemed too much.

Arianna stopped and the sound of her steps no longer echoed off the stone. She couldn’t do this. She needed to turn back. Run. Hide from those prying eyes that knew what she’d done.

Talon was at her side then, looping his arm through hers. She knew her father would disapprove. He’d meant her to walk this path alone, to display her strength. But she didn’t have any. She—

“I’m here,” Talon whispered. She took a shaky breath and allowed him to escort her further. One step at a time. That’s all she needed to take.

When they were almost to the dais, Arianna met her father’s gaze, but it wasn’t disapproval she saw in his eyes. It was love. Tender, unconditional love. And Arianna realized her father wasn’t looking at her at all. He was looking past her, to the ghost of her mother.

Her mother had been the only one who could quell his temper. All it took was a soft hand and her father would snap his mouth shut, watching his mate as if she were the holiest thing to ever walk the earth.

They’d been mates, not simply husband and wife and despite not feeling the bond, Arianna felt like she finally understood the depth of his grief. To be abandoned by the one you loved was unbearable. To feel your mate die at the hands of your enemy was worse.

Arianna sat in a smaller chair to the right of her father’s and Talon stood behind her. Avalon eyed Talon. He usually stood behind her father, a guard to their country’s leader, but someone else had taken that place tonight.

Avalon returned his attention to the crowd and raised one hand to silence them. He gave a brief speech to welcome his daughter home, which she drowned out, then called for food and drinks to be served.

Arianna didn’t touch the food and neither did Talon. She simply sat there, content to get through the evening in stillness. It wasn’t until Talon touched her shoulder that Arianna realized her father had addressed her.Why? Why couldn’t he just let her be?

“Daughter?”

Arianna gazed out over the sea of faces. A female leaned against her male. Another couple held hands, waiting in anticipation. The wind shifted and the scents of those lucky enough to have found their mates assaulted her like a hard blow to the gut.

He was gone. He wasn’t her mate, no matter how much she wanted him to be. Whatever she’d thought she felt, whatever she’d hoped for, wasn’t real.

A tear slipped down her face. Then another and the crowd murmured. They pointed as if they understood the female who’d had her heart broken by a cruel, unfair world.

Talon blocked her view, and the next thing Arianna knew, she was in his arms. He marched right back down that stone path without bothering to seek her father’s dismissal and in that moment, Arianna realized Talon no longer cared.

Her father addressed the people when they vanished from view, claiming the war still haunted his daughter as it did so many of their warriors. He claimed she’d heal with time, but Arianna wasn’t sure her heart would ever mend. She’d bleed and bleed until there was nothing left but an empty shell.

THEY DIDN’T go back to her room. In fact, Talon skipped the main house altogether. He walked around it instead, carrying her all the way to the pools they’d played in as children.

The water’s calming scent washed over her anxieties, but Talon didn’t stop at the pool’s edge. He walked straight in.

The liquid sloshed between them, steam rising as Talon used his magic to heat the pool of water. He carried her to the back corner, shaded by bare branches and a small walking bridge.

Talon sat in the alcove, submerging them both, and clutched Arianna to his chest. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. Arianna leaned into his shoulder and silence took over the small space.

A safe place. The same one she’d run to when she was depressed or worried.

And Talon remembered.

The Fairy Folk she’d grown up with began to emerge one by one as if summoned by her presence. Flowers drifted toward them on a phantom wind, then their spindly bodies rose from the water.

Arianna glanced down when she felt something tickle her arm and stared into black, beady eyes that seemed to echo her own pain. They’d never liked it when she was upset.

Arianna reached for the little water sprite, and it clutched her fingertip with rooted hands. She leaned her head into Talon’s shoulder again and let her tears fall anew.

How did one mend when the remedy for their soul lay beyond reach?

SUDDEN SUNLIGHT blinded Arianna, and she pulled her thick comforter over her eyes to shield them from the piercing light.