He had a split second to decide. Not long enough for Lora to catch on. Eyden put his hand on Farren’s arm, his other one not leaving Lora. “Forgive me,” Eyden whispered.
Lora’s eyes screamed at him before he led both her and Farren into nothingness, leaving the scene.
But something unfamiliar tugged at his power, throwing him off. Eyden fought against it, trying to drift away, to let the wind take them, but he was pushed back.
Then his power sprang free all at once, violently, and the wind around him quickened until he was thrown to the hard ground.
Scrambling to his feet, Eyden took in his apartment. Farren was lying on the ground next to him, letting out a slow breath. But there was no sign of Lora.
Chapter46
Amira
The last couple of days, Amira had been training with Elyssa in the woods. She was starting to make progress. There was a newfound feeling in her heart; it almost felt likepride. Maybe Tarnan hadn’t been completely wrong. Her mind was still trying to tell her she was cursed, but her heart was starting to feel differently.
Despite the lingering awkwardness between them, Elyssa reassured her at every turn. Every time she was with her, Amira had a strong desire to melt into Elyssa’s arms, but she couldn’t give in. Not when they didn’t have a concrete plan to stop her wedding to Karwyn, to stop her brother from forcing her into it.
A soft knock on the door of her bedroom interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” Amira called out.
The door opened on Tarnan’s worried smile. “I feel I have barely seen you the last few days. The servants say you haven’t been to the library as often as usual.”
Amira immediately understood where his mind had gone. “I’m not taking fortae again.”
Tarnan let out a relieved sigh. “I trust you, but I know how hard it is to quit fortae completely.” He went to sit on the sunset-coloured armchair by Amira’s desk.
She scooted to the edge of her bed. “Did you know someone who…?”
Tarnan finished her thought. “Used fortae as a means to mask their suffering? Yes, I did. My…she was the woman I meant to marry.”
“What happened to her?”
Tarnan closed his eyes. “One night, she took more pills than her already broken body could handle. I found her too late. It was your father who helped me get through this dark time. He was kind to me.”
Amira couldn’t help but think back on her own overdose. Her whole body had felt like it was shutting down. The threads holding her to life had snapped one by one. Yet she had had help just in time, and she was glad for it. Tarnan’s lover hadn’t had the same chance.
Tarnan leaned forward. “Now that you understand my concern, please tell me where you disappear to every day so I can put my worries to rest.”
Amira hesitated, unsure if she should confess that she had sneaked outside the palace walls. But Tarnan wasn’t Karwyn. He didn’t intend to keep her locked up.
“I went to the woods,” Amira said in a rush. She wished she could tell him everything about her true self, but the fear of disappointing him, of being rejected, lingered in her mind.
Tarnan seemed to consider her words. “The woods can be quite dangerous. I’m sure Elyssa went with you, but you should have guards escort you. What do you do there?”
“I’m training.” She felt she was sliding down a slippery slope.
“I always assumed you were a level one.”
“I am,” Amira answered too quickly, not meeting his gaze.
“You know, you remind me of someone I used to know. Her behaviour was also often erratic, her fear too great to handle. And with our recent conversation…” She could feel Tarnan’s attention on her. “You don’t need to lie to me, Amira. You’re a witch, aren’t you?”
Amira felt the urge to deny it. But to her surprise, she read nothing but compassion in Tarnan’s eyes. Maybe it was time she said it aloud and stopped hiding from her true self. He had figured it out anyway.
“Yes,” she whispered, and it felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders.
In one swift movement, Tarnan embraced her. “I’m sorry. I wish you would have trusted me with this earlier. I would have been there for you.”
“You don’t hate me?” she whispered, abandoning herself in his arms.
