Yesterday, when she still refused to visit her brother, Blaéz didn’t push. Instead, he’d taken her for a drive along the coast, showing her the beautiful lighthouses she wanted to see, then stopping for lunch in a cozy little restaurant on the way back.
“It’s been perfect,” she whispered.
Blaéz freed his hands and covered hers with his warm ones. For a brief moment, he shut his eyes tight. Meeting her gaze once more, he rose. “I’ll light the fire.”
He crossed to the hearth, lowered to his haunches and manually lit the wood already piled there.
She watched him for a second, and realized he was trying not to show her his own anguish. Helpless, with no idea what to do, she pushed away from the desk. Her gaze dropped to the coffee table opposite the fireside. At the sight of the old scrolls and books scattered there, her heart stuttered. Blaéz might have given her all she wanted in the last few days, but he couldn’t hide his frantic search to find a way to help her live longer.
Deep inside her, she felt the broken fragments. Nothing lined up right any more. There was no fixing her fractured soul.
Unable to look at that reminder, she gathered some of the books and took them to their shelves. As she slotted them back in place, a wave of exhaustion swept through her, she clutched the wooden ledge.
She was weakening. And Blaéz knew it. Yet, he remained silent, gave her what she wanted. But when he thought she wasn’t watching, she’d seen the torment in his eyes.
With a trembling hand, she tucked back a lock of hair that had escaped her ponytail, wishing there was some way she could ease his pain. Maybe she could take him on a short walk to the lake. She liked that place, and it wasn’t far.
As she turned from the shelf, the soft strains of a familiar song floated to her.
Blaéz had slotted his cell phone in an iPod dock on the mantel above the fireplace, the music filling the library. She watched as he crossed to her. So tall and beautiful, his eyes a darker blue and filled with love. He held out his hand. Her heart thudding painfully against her ribs, not daring to believe, she set her palm into his. He drew her close, his arm sliding around her waist, giving her the support she needed. His other hand clasped hers and held it against his chest.
Slowly, he swayed with her to the music, his gaze holding hers as the haunting lyrics filled the room…Nothing’s impossible, nothing’s unreachable…
Tears burned for release. She whispered, “You don’t dance.”
He brought her fingers to his lips. “For you, I do. Only for you.”
Slipping her free hand around his waist, she rested her face on his chest. He lowered his head to hers and softly sang the words to her. Shocked surprise turned to pleasure, then pain. Tears leaked from her eyes as his low baritone filled her ears.
Each word pulsed with his love. She bunched the fabric of his shirt and held him tight, her breath hitching. Unable to go on with anguish and despair crowding her, she stopped dancing.
With a finger, he tilted her face then brushed away her unending tears with his thumb. “It wasn’t meant to make you cry.”
“I know. You-you gave me my dance, my song…”
“You had this in your CD player.” He drew her close and moved with her to the music again. “I listened to them and chose this one.”
Darci drew in a shaky breath. This moment would stay with her forever. Memories flowed at how she’d met him…and all that had happened. She’d lived a lifetime in a few short weeks with him.
As the song drew to the end, she looked up, her throat too clogged with emotions to speak. His eyes gleamed wet. He pressed his lips to her brow then led her to the couch, his tone raspy. “Rest. I’ll go get you something to drink.”
* * *
Blaéz strode into a smaller living room a short corridor away from the library and threw open the outer door. The brisk air did little to cool his pain, his anger. He narrowed his gaze on the birds roosting on the shrubs nearby.
“Summon her. Now!”
In a cacophony of noise, the cawing crows took to the sky. He stepped out onto the small terrace. Raking his fingers through his short hair, he watched the skies. Memories of Darci in his arms moments ago filled his mind…he tried to be strong for her, but the cracks in his emotional shield widened. Heavens, how could she be so brave knowing what would happen, when he was barely holding himself together?
At the sound of flapping wings, he looked up. A raven swooped down. All the pain and anger bleeding through him swirled into a raging thunderstorm as The Morrigan took form.
He never hated his heritage and her the way he did right then.
“Blaéz.” She smiled. Her happiness evident that he’d called her. “You are well indeed. Your eyes are beautiful once more. What is it you need?”
He would have preferred never having to summon her for anything, but when it came to Darci, he’d go on his bloody knees and plead if need be. “You brought this curse to light. Undo it. Save her.”
She sighed. “I cannot. It’s a pledge already set.”
