Page 136 of The Freedom You Seek
“Fae. Yes.” Carefully neutral, Dion confirmed what my perception had already told me, but my intellect still denied believing.
“The Rite reveals the true form.” I was dumbfounded, and the gears in my head turned as disbelief morphed into something else, something hot and furious that entered my blood. “Youknewthis would happen. Your reason for hesitating—”
“Yes. I was aware that the ceremony would force my Glamour to drop, and you’d see me for what I am.”
Rooted to the spot, I monitored how Dion returned the Dagger of Kalag to its case before gently prying the Vessel of Immaru from my fingers. I hadn’t even noticedthat I was clutching the relic so tightly that my knuckles had turned pure white.
“You’ve lied to me. The whole time, you could have told me the truth, but you didn’t.”
“If you really think about it, I’ve never lied to you outright.”
“Omitting the truth is just as bad as lying!” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my anger under control—the bitter taste of failure already on my tongue.
“I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“There were so many opportunities, Dion.Countless!”
Instead of an answer, his jaw clenched, and the usual muscle ticked in his cheek.
For a second, I wondered if he had his dimples in this form as well, but I chastised myself for that stray—and definitely unwanted—thought. Instead, I kept my face carefully neutral, showing little of the chaos going on in my mind—or the fury boiling hot and hotter in my blood. “The others?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.
“Yes. All of us. You see, there are no human Wielder, and there are no fae Amplifier.” Dion reached out and grabbed my hand. At the same time, as if he conjured his power by simply mentioning his magic, he lost control of his shadows, and they reached for me too, slower than usual—reluctant, as if afraid to face my rejection. My heart contracted at the thought of causing the tendrils pain, and with horror, I asked myself when it had happened that I’d developedcompassionfor inanimate magical constructs.
I tried to free myself from his unwanted touch, from the smooth, otherworldly skin touching mine, but myattempts to escape were in vain because Dion wouldn’t have it, the controlling bastard. His tendrils overcame their reluctance as well, and I didn’t fight them as they coiled around my limbs and body, enveloping, vibrating, caressing.
“All of you lied to me.”
“But it doesn’t matter, does it?” The expression on his face was devastating. Part agony, part temper, part something I couldn’t even comprehend. His amethyst eyes shone, and despite my world crashing and burning around me, I had to admit that fae beauty couldn’t compare to even the most attractive human. Dion was literally looking out of this world in this form—histrueself.
“Of course it matters. It has something to do with trust. Something you lack.” It was absurd, standing here having a discussion with a creature whose existence I’d only learned about a few months back. One conversation from a few weeks back returned to my mind when Antas had told me I’d instantly be able to distinguish between a fae and a human if I stood in front of one. The joke was on me since I hadn’t been able to because they all fucking deceived me.
Dion’s features contorted as if I’d slapped him squarely across the face. He, for sure, must be aware of how justified my anger was, how much he’d messed up. Closing his bright purple eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath before facing me again. I didn’t fight him this time as he tugged at my hand to pull me closer—after all, I was wrapped up by his magic anyway—then held on to me in a possessive gesture as if he wanted to make sure I wouldn’t run away. Again, thanks to the dozen or so of hispurring shadow friends aiding him, I couldn’t even take a single step, let alone attempt to escape.
Recalling Antas’s words from then, all the pieces of the puzzle connected and aligned into a comprehensive picture, as so much fell into place.
“There’s an unproven theory picturing fae as creatures who used to be like humans, but then they evolved in their own unique way. Although both species are similar, fae have embraced their instinctual nature, possibly because Galanta is the more volatile of the two worlds. Their emotions strongly influence their actions, making them exponentially more dangerous. Additionally, they have a much longer natural lifespan, and both males and females begin training for battle at a young age. Add in the detail that they are very territorial and you have the essentials.”
It had all beenright there,but everyone had refused to come out and just tell me the truth. I had to suppress the violent urge to kick myself—or Dion.
“A few months ago, you had no idea magic even existed. You never heard of Galanta or fae.” Passion crept into Dion’s voice, and I could hear him speaking without deception—for once. “Then, when Thain had found out you could amplify, and you’d read about the Rite of Binding, you had a major breakdown and ran away.”
I just nodded, indicating I was listening as Dion finally—hopefully—told me the truth. Everyone always claimedbetter late than never, but I wasn’t so sure if that was true—at least, it didn’t console me in the slightest.
Dion sighed. “It was all too much at once for you. You can’t deny that you’re carrying a lot of baggage, and the last months piled more on top of you. I couldn’t tell how much you’d be able to take before breaking down completely, so I and the others all agreed to take it slow with more revelations. I wanted to confess to you during Samhain when your friend interrupted us, then almost again when we received the letter from the High King ordering us back, but there was so much else happening.” Dion stood perfectly still in his own unique way. Surely, that was a trait of his species as well. He watched me as if the wrong move would spook me into fleeing—as if I could, tangled as I was in tendrils—while looking so insanely otherworldly beautiful, it ached inside. “Also—as you are aware—I’m an incredibly private person. I’m not used to revealing things about myself at all. And I have to admit that Antas, in particular, strongly advised me to disclose the truth to you. But I didn’t—that’s on me.”
“There’s a lot we have to talk about. I want the whole truth. And still, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over your deception.” I glowered, and although Dion had misled me, I had to resist the urge to touch the tip of his ear, briefly wondering if it would twitch under my touch. Scolding myself, I dragged my attention back to the more serious matters at hand. “I hate that I feel…somehow lured into a trap by you. You’ve been completely aware that the Rite would unveil your secret, and yet you kept silent. It’s as if you manipulated me into something affecting me forever, only that I was missing half the facts I should have taken into consideration before making such a life-altering decision. Also, I can’t help but ask myself what secrets you’re still hiding that you don’t intend to share with me.”
I’d spent enough time with Dion to know that he was uncomfortable, and from the way his lips thinned and his magic pulsed with agitation, it was safe to say that there was more he was withholding from me. “There are…a few things I can’t talk about yet. But I promise I will. Soon. For you, I want to be what my mother intended me to be when she chose the name Dionadair for me.” A hopeful smile and something akin to an invitation to ask questions appeared on his stupid, perfect face, and I couldn’t help but fall for it. I cursed my curiosity, which momentarily won over my anger.
“What does Dionadair mean?”
“Defender.”
I suppressed a chuckle—I didn’t want to be amused, but the meaning fit him like a glove, at least exclusively from my point of view. This man…male…fae…ugh, whatever…had so many flaws, but protecting me was something that came naturally to him.
“And your other names? Do they have meanings as well?”
My inquiry earned me a scowl, and a disgusted snarl rang through the air, which wasn’t exactly a human reaction, like so many of the other quirks he constantly displayed—and that I’d ignored or rationalized. “They do. And they were picked by insane male relatives of mine—my father and my grandfather. It’s a tradition for parents to choose a name each, one with meaningful significance for their child. The third is usually picked by themtogether, but my grandfather decreed that he was entitled to bestow one upon me as well.” He scratched his head in an almost boyish gesture.