Page 141 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

“It nearly killed him. But he would have let her go. If she’d chosen you, he would have let her go.”

Loche shook his head. Merrick was a better man than he would ever be.

“You’re letting her go too.”

Thissian frowned when Loche scoffed again. “But you are. I saw you comfort her before we left. Merrick saw it too. You took some of her pain away. Some of her guilt.”

“That was nothing.” Loche waved dismissively.

He still hated himself, knowing that if she showed one sign—just one—that she might still want him, he’d fight for his life to win her back.

“It’s never nothing to carry pain because you’re relieving another.”

Loche chewed his lip as he observed Thissian.

He seemed strangely confident of that.

His mind went to Kerym’s bright blue eyes, then to Thissian’s sorrow-muddled ones, and understanding knitted in his stomach.

“You’re taking his pain, aren’t you?” Loche asked.

Thissian was silent for a moment.

“You can never tell him,” the Fae finally offered. “He was… He loves so hard, my brother. Lessia reminds me of him sometimes. He loves unconditionally, doesn’t care if it’s right or wrong, and doesn’t care if he loves people more than they love him. When she… when our mates died… he nearly did too. I had to do something.”

Loche took a steadying breath. “Is it worth it?”

Thissian didn’t hesitate. “To see him blush like today? To see him smile and laugh and maybe even feel something again? It’s worth all the damned pain in the world.”

Chapter 29

Lessia

Lessia looked out over the snow-covered rock formations, the question of how the snow remained even in this warm weather vaguely crossing her mind before she turned to her sister, who stood beside her on the ship sailing toward where they’d last encountered the wyverns.

Frelina’s cheeks were still red for some reason—exactly like they had been when they’d found each other amongst the mirrored waters and quickly escaped the gods-damned lands.

As soon as she and Merrick had dressed again back in that horrid mirrored place, Lessia had somehow known how to get out.

Walking up to one of the reflections, which appeared to be her normal one based on the rosy cheeks and the small satisfied smile Merrick couldn’t seem to get enough of, as he’d made sure she came apart twice more—once with his fingers and then again with his skilled mouth—before he allowed her to get up, she’d pressed a hand against the surface.

As soon as she touched it, it melted away, revealing a disturbed Raine and a flustered Frelina staring right back at them.

Lessia’s heart had skipped a beat when she met their eyes—worry that they had somehow been forced to watch her and Merrick coursing through her veins—but she’d realized they’d been occupied with their own experiences when Raine hadn’t immediately cracked one of his jokes, as he surely would have if they’d seen what Lessia and Merrick had been up to.

It was as if the thought of Raine made him materialize, and she frowned as she watched him and Merrick take up the spot beside her, both males resting their hands on the railing, even if Merrick managed to stand as close to her as possible, aligning every inch of skin he could with hers.

She wasn’t too bothered by it, not just because she obviously enjoyed having him close but because she’d noticed what he tried to do lately.

He didn’t rush her in the mornings anymore.

He kissed her whenever he got a chance.

Whispered words into her ear that he’d usually saved for when they were alone, ignoring Raine’s quips about them being mushy.

Touched her everywhere he could.

Made jokes that weren’t particularly funny but that made her laugh all the same because of his studious expression.