She had seen his memories, his banishment and rise to power. The way Celeste manipulated him into loving her, sacrificing himself for her, just as she did to all of her devotees. The abyssal fires of le Voile twisting Jean-Phillipe until he became Bellinor. The decades of isolation before opening le Jardin to Rul.
It was her and wasn’t her, a mirror and an antithesis. She felt the breadth of his loneliness in her own experience, felt his sympathy as she looked upon herself with his eyes.
As Bellinor, she saw the generosity of her submission. She understood his desire to give her what her soul so desperately craved–to belong, to serve someone who was real, who cherished her and served her in return, who accepted her as she was.
Tears burned in her eyes, the moon mother’s betrayal echoing Jean-Phillipe’s banishment.
“That’s why you have to go,” Bellinor said, his soft voice shocking her back to the room.
“Go where?” she asked, still in a daze from the memories, pushing herself up and glancing between the two.
“Back to Marilet. You were never meant to be here. I… I should not have brought you to this place.”
Tears were streaming down Rul’s face as Bellinor spoke, both men’s pale gazes glued to her.
“But what will happen to le Jardin?”
They eyed each other before Bellinor answered.
“Celeste will send a devotee.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Then this place will be destroyed,” Rul said. “And so will she.”
Isabelle understood the true meaning, a pit opening in her stomach like the endless abyss of le Voile.
“And you both will be destroyed as well.”
Bellinor pressed a palm to her cheek, wiping the tears away with his thumb.
“It was always going to happen. Le Voile consumes all in the end.”
“No.” Isabelle shook her head, trying to shirk his grasp. “You can’t. You can’t let her win.”
Rul shrugged, placing a hand on his trembling thigh as if he was trying to still it.
“She will always win. She is inevitable. You need to leave this place before it consumes you, too.”
“Please. Just give it some time. Maybe she’ll send someone,” she breathed, focusing her gaze on the canvas, trying to hold the tears at bay.
She didn’t care if that meant an innocent person would be destroyed, as long as it saved Bellinor and Rul.
“Isabelle…” Rul started, but she interrupted him with a shout, knowing they would only try to argue.
“Get out! Now!”
She was trembling, unsure they’d heed her order, unsure whether they’d drag her back to Marilet and let themselves be devoured.
“Please. Just give it a little more time. Givememore time,” she begged, hoping they would listen.
They exchanged glances, having a silent conversation, before Bellinor nodded toward the door.
“We will be in my study if you need us. But youwillbe returning to Marilet if Celeste doesn’t send someone soon,” he said.
His brows furrowed as he glanced over her, then heaved off the bed and headed for the door.
Rul gave her one last sad look before reluctantly following.
