I have fallen in love.
It was not something that I strived to do, but the man worked his way under my skin and made me see parts of myself that I had forgotten existed. Like my ability to laugh, my ability to smile, and to feel the fluttering of wings in my belly by a single stolen glance.
It won't be much longer now. I will die soon, I can feel it.
Aziel has become a bright young boy. He is joyous and lively—a trickster with a smart mouth and mind. He has not shown a drop of his Grace yet, but I know it will probably be beautiful when he finally does.
I love you.
I will always love you.
No matter where I am or how long we have gone without seeing one another, I will carry you in my heart.
Please remember to allow love into your heart, my son. Remember that home is where your heart resides. If you do remember that, you will never be lost.
I have heard talks of a girl that has shown signs of Greia's power. She is said to be a princess of some sort, but I do not know for sure which one she may be or where she is, but Dieve believes she is not far from here. She is your mate, Aziel.
Find her.
Chapter 28
Nymiria let the journal slip from her grasp and land upon the floor. She did not have the energy in her to think about why the final entry was so short and looked as if it had been written in a rush. All she could think of was what it said—whatallof it said.
She was the Anam.
All this time, it had beenher.
It had to be.
Nymiria drew in a ragged breath, her brow furrowing at the overflow of emotion that moved through her. She did not hear the door opening, nor did she notice as Aziel stepped into the room. There was a ringing in her ears, her heart pounding and sweat forming along her brow. She lifted herself to her feet slowly, swaying slightly as the room started to tilt.
Aziel saw her double over, rushing to her side immediately, only for her to shove him away. "Don't—" She gasped, shaking her head back and forth. "Don't touch me—you can't touch me." His power should still be helping her through these situations, but it seemed as if what had taken over her was stronger than any ounce of magic he could have offered her at the moment.
Shoving past him, Nymiria headed towards her washroom, gripping at her throat as she approached the water basin that was left on the vanity. Green eyes flashed through her mind, a mixture of memories and warnings, a cacophony of numerous phrases all inhisvoice filling her mind. She took the basininto her hands, hoping that the water inside would help open her throat. She couldn't breathe.
She'd speculated for a moment, that day in the Choking Vines, but she'd rid her mind of the thought nearly as soon as it sprang to life. But there was no excusing all that had happened now—between the pull she felt to the altar in the woods, the dreams, and that moment when those purple and pink flowers bloomed from the vines right in front of her eyes, she could no longer deny it.
And just like everything else, it would be used against her.
"Nymiria, what's wrong?" Aziel asked from the doorway. She didn't turn to look at him. She kept her eyes closed, her hands curled around the wood of the vanity, knuckles white.
Tell him to leave.
"Get out." Nymiria hissed. "Leave me alone, please."
Aziel didn't listen and she was a fool to believe that he would. His concern was evident, but she did not need hisconcern, she needed him to leave before everything went horribly wrong. "I'm not leaving you like this."
"You should!" She cried. "You should go and run as far away from me as you possibly can. I don't care what you think exists between us, Aziel, but itcannothappen.Wecannot happen. If we continue this they will—" Her voice broke off the moment the memory flooded her, her hands soaked in red, her naked body stripped and battered…
It whirred through her mind in flashes until, finally, all of those pieces fused together and shesaw.
"They're going to make me kill you, too." She whimpered.
Even if she wanted him to go, the moment Aziel's arms closed around her, she felt her body relax. All of those memories still lingered, still haunted her, but instead of ripping her heart out of her chest, those memories justwere.
"She'd be a fool to think that I actually loved her." Owen said. "I had a feeling she wasn't as loyal to you as she made you believe. You know how Mystics can be."
A roar of laughter drowned out the beating of her heart and when she looked up to Owen and saw the grim look on his face, she felt like she wanted to disappear.
