Not an ounce of remorse colored her dark eyes. “I raised you to not be like me.” She nodded. “To not destroy the world, like your brothers would have if your mother had allowed them to be birthed. If my daughter had allowed them to be birthed.”
Tears lined my eyes, despite my anger. “Everything is a lie.”
“My love for you is true,” she stated. The worst part was that she believed her own lies. The way she said it, the certainty in her voice, in her stance. She truly thought she loved me. But how could one love fully without letting the other person even know them? She was a stranger. I cherished a shadow that never existed.
“How can you say that?” My voice broke, tears sliding down my cheek. I didn’t even try to hide them. Didn’t care if they made me look weak. “Why are you doing this to me? Why didn’t you just disappear?”
“You don’t think that’s what I was trying to do?” She said, gaze cutting to Clause, accusing him of the situation we found ourselves in.
“You are a Seer.”She knew this was how our story ended.
Edda scoffed. “So, you assume I see crystal clear? I have to make sense of broken, fragmented storylines that are interwoven with lies. And my future, in particular, had been shaded for a long time. As soon as it happened, I saw myself for the threat I could be to you. And I tried to protect you the best I knew how.”
“The time with the Lysians,” I whispered. “That’s why you were so cruel?” The reason she pushed me away.
“I needed you to stand on your own, to not rely on me so much. To show you that you did not need me, not really, not anymore. I never wanted to hurt you, but in the event I disappeared from your life, I wanted you to know you were ready to continue on your own. Without me.”
“Do you now see?” Clause said while my gaze remained on her. “How trust is so easy to be betrayed by those we least expect. And how they claim it is for the greater good, for your own good even.”
My eyes slid shut, hot tears running down my face. I couldn’t argue with him any longer. He was right.
“What now?” I asked the Sidhe King when a strange numbness settled over me.
He approached until standing at my side. His attention moved over me. I was thankful that he did not try to touch me. “This fairytale I broke for you. It is now up to you what youwish to do with the pieces, discard them, burn them, free them. I will let you decide.” He turned to Edda. “The Seer is yours to do with as you see fit.” His head tilted as he viewed her. “You tried to fool me, Edda. That will never happen again. You meddle in things you know nothing of.” His words were a cold threat, even without the promise of death.
What to do with her? I couldn’t just let her go. But death? Could I have her killed for this? No. I didn’t know the right path. I needed more time.
“I take it you have a dungeon or cells or something I could have access to?” I asked, my voice cold and foreign.
He nodded.
“Ariana.” Edda stepped towards me.
“No!” I whirled towards her. “Keep my name out of your mouth. I don’t know who you are. You were never more than a cruel illusion.”
The wall behind her fell when I released my hold on it, and Soren moved, blocking the exit.
“Lock her up,” I stated.
Soren gave me a single nod and closed the space between him and Edda, slipping a hand under her arm.
Her shoulders sagged, sadness misting over her fiery dark eyes. She didn’t even try to fight him.
Edda spoke with her chosen parting words, her tone that of a warning from a Seer. “Before you decide anything more, remember who you are, Ariana. Remember what even started this entire thing, the answers you sought. If you search again, then this time you will be granted answers. But I warn you, there will be no going back. A chain reaction of events will be put in play.” Her eyes actually lined with silver. “You will break, and yet you will remain whole.” She then turned her dark gaze onto Clause. “He thinks he opened your eyes to the lies whilehe is no better than I.” Her attention sliced back to me. “Allow me to return the favor and show you who he is.”
I didn’t want to listen to her, yet I heard.
I didn’t want to trust, yet I believed the warnings.
What did that make me? A complete fool?
“Take her away,” I said by way of goodbye.
24
ERIK
Isat on a bed that old man Gorm stated was free to use, and kept to myself until he asked, “What should I call you?”
