Was there a way for each of us to clear a path forward?
But the real question was…did I even want to?
Everything I’d done to earn his trust, to influence him into lowering his high walls, was working. Vaeron melted, drip by drip, when I allowed him shards of me. Because there was no doubt in my mind that among his steadfast commitment to duty was also a rising desire.
And I understood that this was all he’d ever known. There’d been no other possibility for him, no chance to explore something different.
He had resigned himself long ago to being nothing more than a weapon.
Cicadas hummed through the trees, signaling the end to another summer day. I blinked, the sound bringing the world back into focus. Vaeron tugged on the long reins, slowing the wagon as we approached what appeared to be a bustling treehouse. A ramp wound up from the ground, circling the massive trunk until it reached a platform high above. Angels moved about, flying from perch to perch, others opting to use the hanging bridges to traverse the canopy above the city.
I’d never seen anything like it.
“Wait here,” Vaeron instructed, his tone measured and even as he handed me the reins.
I nodded, straightening and rolling out my shoulders.
He disappeared around the ramp, climbing up to whomever could assist us.
I took the opportunity to study the rest of the settlement. Yet even as my eyes tracked the comings and goings of people, my mind still churned over what I wanted to do.
I had to make a choice before he returned.
So did I continue this game of seduction to gain power and influence over Vaeron? To ensure my safety once we reached Sivy? Or did that make me no better than the people I loathed, the people who hurt—and continued to hurt—him?
Could I live with myself if he found out exactly what I was doing?
The chain between us snapped taut.
Come on, Sylaira. Now or never.
When he rounded the final curve, eyes locking with mine, I knew. The pain behind the stoic expression bled through even though he tried to shield it. Perhaps I was the only one who ever saw it, truly, because he was my mate.
We might have been able to dam up either side of our connection, but there was no real hiding the depths of our truth from one another. Especially with my power.
The way he strode with precise, measured steps. The posture, so perfectly erect. Even the way he held his head.
All of it was a mask for the monster—a broken, wounded creature—beneath the male.
And I couldn’t—wouldn’t—carve another scar onto his soul.
He halted in front of me, hand outstretched like he was going to help me down. For a moment, I hesitated, the tempest inside me still not quite settled.
Breath shallow in my throat, I scooted to the edge of the seat and accepted his aid.
When his fingers dug into my waist, sparks burst beneath my skin. Yet his smooth expression did not change as he lowered me gently to the ground. As he continued to steadyme, an anchor amid the storm, while I reached for my crutches.
A shiver rolled down my spine as he murmured, “The summer travel season is busy, and unfortunately I could only secure us one room. They’ll bring a cot for me later.”
I nodded, my stomach doing a strange flip at the thought of us behind a single door. He hadn’t slept in the same space as me since our fight.
Instead, he’d locked me in a room by myself. Barricaded the window and door so no one could get in—and I could not get out. He was always behind the next wall, separated by flimsy wood physically and yet an ocean of hurt stretched between us, nearly impassible.
Heat pooled low in my belly as Vaeron placed his hand on my lower back and guided me forward. Our bond purred with delight.
A stablehand jogged around the base of the tree, dipping her head to Vaeron, and collected our horses.
Thankfully, the ramp was easy to climb with my crutches. Though with the humidity of the cloud forest, sweat dotted my brow by the time we reached the top floor.
