Page 60 of Temptation Unleashed (Talaenian Fae #3)

L ost.

Completely and utterly lost. Desolate. Empty.

Hurting.

The pain in her chest was what drew her to a stop between two massive marble columns at the end of an open corridor.

Rain had begun to fall, and the spray of water hit her as she sprinted down corridor after corridor, with no idea where she was heading, where she had come from.

The hurricane within her smothered sense because it consumed her with every poignant emotion Thaddeus’s sharp words induced.

He went from coating her in tenderness and adoration to reverting back to the very Thaddeus she’d seen the night they met. The Arctic chill he emitted, a subfreezing degree that could burn through the hottest flame. Burn. So much like an inferno, but leaving her aching from the residual effects.

Rori fell back against the column, slid down to her ass, and the sob she’d been holding back burst from her chest with the force of every flailing hurt ravaging her body.

She curled over on herself, the blossoming agony in her chest tearing down through her belly, lowering into her legs, consuming her entirely.

Her mind swam in the deepest grief she’d ever known.

He'd cast her away with no remorse.

Stared down at her as he had that first night.

Gave his life for another woman.

An anguished wail poured from her mouth as she beat a fist to the marble floor. No feeling. Thaddeus may as well have taken his dagger and flayed her wide open, mercilessly slashing through every vital organ until all she knew was a pain that drove deeper than anything physical.

He’d shattered her soul.

At some point, the sobs began to subside, leaving behind an unnatural numbness.

A few softer sobs caught in her chest. Rain drizzled over her head and hair, misted down her body.

Droplets washed away the tears, but their stains had already etched themselves into her skin.

Strands of her hair lay plastered to her skin, as did the thin sleeves around her biceps.

Caught within the undertow of sorrow, she didn’t register the rain had stopped washing over her.

A warm scent of sun and spice settled around her, drawing her from the bottomless well of despair.

She wedged her arms beneath her and pressed off the floor, only to have a strong hand capture her shoulder and guide her upright.

She lifted her heavy head, the shear strength having abandoned her body.

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 her brow 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 around us 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’s anam cara can 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. ”

“You are his heart, Rori. You are the reason he is 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 does not want 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, he fights for 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 be irredeemable.

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 is not spoken.

Thaddeus took two arrows because of Daeanna.

Aye. She led her followers into a doomed battle.

’Twas because , not for . Same for his warrant.

He didn’t sign it for her, Rori. ’Twas because of 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.”

Rori tilted her head. “What advice? ”

“To spend as much time with you as he can, to give you memories to cherish when he’s gone.

Rather, he does the complete opposite, bloody idiot.

” He scoffed, a strange swirl of colors lighting his eyes.

“Why do you pay his antics heed when, clearly, ’tis not what he desires?

Nor you. He will not refuse you, but hope you turn away.

And you did. It causes you both undue grief.

Time is precious for you both right now.

’Tis a pity to waste it on sharp tongues and tears. ”

She pulled her legs beneath her, rising to her knees, clinging to his hand with both of hers. “Is there nothing I can do to save him? Is there really no hope?”

Shadows crossed Shaye’s face before he lowered his gaze for the first time since he’d arrived. He turned his hand in hers and offered another gentle squeeze before he rose to his feet. She accepted his help climbing up to her own, legs weak and wobbly.

“Find hope within each other. Don’t allow him to push you away with his gilded tongue.

I’m sure he can put it to better use other than causing conflict that’ll lead to time you can’t get back and the regret of losing out on precious memories.

” After a casual glance down the corridor, he offered a sincere smile. “Do you recall how to find his room?”

Rori sucked her lower lip between her teeth, following Shaye’s gaze down the corridor in the direction she had come from. Beyond that, she was clueless.

She’d barely started to shake her head when the floor beneath her feet disappeared, the air crushed in on her, and the world turned dark.

A split second later, before she could as much as open her mouth to react, she found herself standing in another corridor, this one familiar. At the far end, a single door.

Shaye released her hands. “The last thing he wants is to be without you. Don’t let him fool you into thinking otherwise.”

Rori peeled her attention away from the door long enough to look at Shaye. “Thank you. For everything.”

He smiled, nudging her in the back. “Go.”