“Then where am I?”
“In both, Seren. We are not just one part. The parts make the whole. You are mind, heart, andsoul. All three come together inside this shell.” He cupped my cheek. “And it takes all three to betray.”
“And you don't think I betrayed you in my soul?”
“I don't think you betrayed me in any part of you, Seren.” Tiernan brushed his lips over mine. “God led you to love, and you have been battling it ever since. For me. For all of us. Because we asked you to. That is not a betrayal. That is boundless loyalty.”
A tear slid down my cheek. “I don't think it is, Tiernan. I think you're being kind to me because you're afraid I'll leave.”
He smiled sweetly. “No, my Twilight Star, I'm being kind because I love you, and I know you. I know you would never willingly betray me. You've been manipulated by a god. I know how confusing that is. But instead of giving you my support and understanding, I left you to face your feelings alone. The onlyone who showed you any compassion was Astaroth, the very man you had to stay away from. It doesn't surprise me that when Anu lifted his influence, your minds sought each other and found a way for you to be together.”
I bent forward and wept.
“Shhh, it's all right. I'm Fey, sweetheart. I understand that you can love me fully and still love another man. I agreed to share you because I knew you could make me feel like I was the only one.”
I lifted my head. “Have I done that, though?”
“We've had rough patches, but doesn't everyone? Most of the time, yes, you make me feel like it's just you and me. And when I don't feel that way, it's only because we're with our incredible family, who I only get to be a part of because of you.”
“Thank you.” I stroked his cheek and kissed him. “Thank you for keeping me from falling apart. Raza crushed me. You put me back together.”
“Raza will realize that you've done the best you could. Now, tell me what Star said.”
“What? Oh. Oh, fuck! Star. The night before last, he told me that if I didn't go to him in reality, he would come for me in thirteen days. Last night, he reminded me that I'm down to twelve.”
“He threatened you?”
“Sort of. Star's at his breaking point. It's been eight months, and he can't escape the dreams either.”
“Are you saying that he doesn't want to dream of you?”
“I'm saying that neither of us chooses to go into those dreams, and once we're there, we can't stop ourselves from doing and saying things that we shouldn't. It's like we're cut off from everyone else. Nothing else exists. Then I wake up, and I remember all of you, and I feel so ashamed.”
“That's why you haven't told us.” Tiernan nuzzled my face. “Shame will stop the strongest heart from taking action.” He pulled back to look at me. “Let there be no shame between us, Seren. Not ever again.”
“Tiernan, I love you so much. Thank you. And I don't want there to be any shame between us either.”
“Good. Now—”
The phone started chiming again.
Tiernan helped me onto a chair, took a seat himself, and picked up the phone. He swiped a finger across the crystal to answer it. “Ah, Killian. So, you've relayed Seren's dreams to the others.”
“Yeah, I relayed,” Killian muttered. “You done fucking?”
“We are done physically reconnecting with each other, yes. For now.” Tiernan looked at me askance.
I nodded.
“Before that, Seren had meant to tell you something about Astaroth.”
“Well, put her on, and she can tell me now.”
“Raza has upset her greatly. She's not in any condition to—”
“Dude, put my wife on the fucking phone.”
I held out my hand. Tiernan gave me the phone.
