He’s right.
I have no desire to think about it, let alone talk about it. Mostly because I know it’s time to share my secrets.
Fuck me.
“I met Renwick almost a hundred years ago, but didn’t immediately get romantically involved with him. For those of you who don’t know, he’s a shadow demon. His family can trace their family line back for thousands upon thousands of years, and it’s always been purely shadow demons. They’re purists.” I scoff, thinking of the one time I met his parents and siblings. They were not impressed with me in the slightest. “I knew that, so I figured there would never be anything between us—not that I really wanted there to be.
“That was shortly after my sisters and I lost our ability to see the strings of fate. All I cared about was figuring out how to fix that. But he was charming and funny, so we became friends. Then, about ten years before the war, we became romantically involved. We got married a year before the revelation—he and his family were part of the group who decided we needed to out ourselves to the humans. I didn’t think it was a bad idea, myself—until they turned on us.
“I think they knew exactly how the humans would react. In fact, I think they were counting on it. I can’t prove it. It’s just my gut feeling and some conversations I overheard. They wanted the war so they could take control of both the humans and the supernaturals, which is exactly what they did. I rebelled against the idea of going to war with the humans, and it was an opinion Renwick didn’t approve of. Rather than listen to what I had to say, he locked me in our bedroom.
“That’s when everything changed, and when I truly learned who the man I’d tied myself to was. Yes, I’d married him, but it was more than that. I never told anyone, but he asked for a blood bond on the night of our wedding, and I agreed.” I wince as gasps fill the air, but push on—if I don’t get this all out at once, I won’t.“Blood bonds are almost impossible to break, but at the time, I didn’t think there was a reason I’d need to break it. He was the perfect husband, and I planned to spend eternity with him. It didn’t seem like such a big deal then.”
Morrigan reaches over, taking my hand in hers. “But it didn’t stay that way.”
“Nope. It sure didn’t. As soon as the revelation came and went, he didn’t seem to care about me at all—until I disagreed with him. For years, he used our blood bond to make sure I did what he wanted. He made me play the dutiful wife as he brought war down on humans, and he doted on me in public. Behind closed doors was another story. I don’t need to go into the details, but I was assaulted in more than one way on a fairly regular basis. Renwick was doing the best he could to break me.”
“But you’re stronger than he ever gave you credit for.” Phoebe isn’t smiling when she takes my other hand, her face so somber it hurts my heart. It’s not a look my joyful, carefree sister carries often. “He couldn’t break you.”
I snort out a laugh, even though it’s the furthest thing from being funny. “No, he couldn’t, and he hated that. It just made him try harder. Then, when the war was over, he became an overlord. For a while, he didn’t have time for me, and it gave me time to make a plan—a way to get away from him. All I needed was a way to contact my sisters. Of course, by then, cell phones and the internet were things of the past. We had power in Vesperine, but that’s all we had. Communication with the outside world was something only the overlords and their closest confidants had access to.
“But one day, I was in the bathtub, wishing I could reach them, and a miracle happened. Their faces appeared in the bathwater. Somehow, I think I was able to use the blood bond to use Renwick’s mirror magic. That’s how he does most of his communication. Together, we planned my escape.” I sigh. “Heclearly knew I was planning something, but he couldn’t figure out what. That’s when the abuse started up again. He thought if he kept me weak, then I wouldn’t be able to escape—or whatever I had planned. All because he had no idea I’d been able to contact my sisters. He was out on the town the night they came. They slipped in completely unseen, then the three of us fled that place.”
“That’s when I met you,” Jaeden says, his voice all rumbles as he shakes his head. “We were so close to Vesperine, too. I’m almost glad I hadn’t known back then. I would’ve tried to kill him.”
I offer him a tight smile. “And you would’ve gotten yourself killed. There’s a reason I didn’t tell anyone the full story. When I left, I took one of his mirrors. I don’t know what compelled me to do it, but I just couldn’t leave without it.”
“It was likely the blood bond,” Keres says with a frown. “Some compulsion he put on you without you knowing. Where is the mirror now?”
I wince, glancing at my sisters before turning back to the council. “In a box, buried in salt in the back of my closet.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Morrigan roars, dropping my hand. “You realize that means he’s probably known where you are the entire time?”
“Unlikely,” Blaze says, drawing our attention to him. “Not buried in salt. It would take a lot of power for him to find you through the mirror. Did he ever try to contact you through it?”
“Ummm…so…about that.” I grimace, refusing to look at either of my sisters. “I don’t know when it started exactly, but at least for the last month, he’s been trying to use it to contact me.”
Silence fills the room before everyone speaks at once.
I settle into my seat and close my eyes, needing a moment as everyone talks around me. We need a plan for what’s coming, but for now, I’ll let them vent their annoyance and anger at me.
I can sit here and take it.
It’s what I deserve.
A sharp whistle sounds. “Enough.”
Even without looking, I know it’s Titan. I don’t turn to look at him as everyone falls silent, turning their attention to him.
“Dalia just told us a painful part of her past, and now, you’re all jumping on her. Did she fuck up?” He chuckles. “Yeah, she definitely did, but don’t you think she already knows that? Instead of jumping down her throat for keeping secrets, why don’t we figure out what the hell we’re going to do about the fact that he’s coming for her? Or are you like Renwick and want to beat her while she’s hurting?”
I duck my head as tears fill my eyes, and my lips curve up at the corners. I’m willing to take their abuse, but I love that he’s standing up for me.
“Shit. We’re sorry, Dalia.” Sable’s voice is soft as she lowers herself into her chair. “Thereiteris correct. We don’t turn on our own. We need a plan of action.”
Slowly, everyone sits down, and I can’t help glancing over my shoulder at the riders—my riders.
Holy shit.
