Soft laughter garnered her attention. Eve found Allatus watching her, his dark eyes twinkling. Crap. She hoped he hadn't read her bitchy thoughts. Annoyance still prowling through her, she shot Lucan a glare. “You forget one tiny little detail. I'm mortal,” she reminded him. “I have just a few decades. Then what?”
Reynner stiffened at the mention of her mortality, his grip tightening on her waist. She didn't want to hurt him at the reminder, but Lucan made her so mad.
Amusement flickered in Lucan’s eyes, cracking a little of his typically cold façade, like he knew something monumental. He glanced at Reynner then back at her.
“When your souls joined and became one, you took on the lifespan of your mate. It’s why when one dies, the other has the option to follow. And why I had to give you both a shove in the right direction. Oryou—” He pinned Eve with those lethal, swirling turquoise eyes. “Would have lived alone for centuries if Reynner left.”
“Then you need to work on your people skills,” Eve snipped at him, remembering that horrible day in her studio when his words had sunk in—knocked her for a loop. Her mouth dropped open.
“Yes, you will have a long life, but you can still die as mortals do,” Allatus cautioned her.
Her heart in her throat, wide-eyed, she spun to Reynner. He smiled and drew her into his arms. “Eternity with you is a gift, one I never expected. I would have gladly followed you into the afterlife if it wasn't so.”
Eve swallowed at his absolute love for her when she remembered something else he’d said. “You mentioned the accident. How exactly did the artifact become a part of me?”
He brushed the scar on her left breast and a chill swept through her.
“The Stone shattered on impact when it hit the car you were travelling in several years ago. It seems a shard of it became embedded in your chest and dissolved into your blood.”
At his explanation, ice seeped through her veins. Slowly, she pushed away from him. “You’re telling me I lost my parents because a rock from your world hit our car—killing them?”
Silence. It swept in and wiped away every sound at her question.
Reynner straightened.
The tightness in her chest made it hard to breathe. Pain pushed to the surface.
“Eve,” he began.
“No.” She backed away, tears clouding her eyes. Pivoting, she rushed outside, unable to bear being the focus of all their attention.
Indistinct voices followed her.
“Get the fuck off me!”Reynner snarled like he was held back.
Eve stopped at the balustrade. The spray of water from the waterfalls dampened her skin, but nothing took away her sense of despair. Sorrow swept through her. Logically, she understood Reynner wasn’t to blame. It was an accident, but when old loss filled her, she couldn’t think clearly…
She squeezed her eyes tight and rubbed her chest to ease the pain spreading through her. But the ache grew, sharper than before, piercing in its intensity.
She rubbed her chest again…no, not her.
Reynner.
Being connected to him, she’d feel every nuance of his emotions as he did hers.
She wheeled around. She had to put things right and saw Allatus ambling toward her. The breeze blew his cloak open, revealing his black tunic and trews.
“If you had a choice to go back in time, would you use it to save your parents or remain with the male you love?”
Eve stared at him, her heart literally stopping. Leave Reynner behind—tied to that horrible witch?
“I thought not.” Allatus smiled. “Come, he’s like a caged beast, he won't hold out much longer.”
She followed Allatus back into the lounge. Flanked by North and Aerén, Reynner watched her with shielded eyes. How could she have been so stupid to hurt him?
Eve rushed over to where he stood near the door and flung her arms around his waist, she didn’t care that the others were watching her. “I'm sorry—I'm sorry,” she whispered. “The shock of hearing about the accident—I didn't handle it well. I didn't mean to hurt you.”
A deep sigh left him, and his arms came around her. “It was my fear of what you’d do when you heard about the accident.”
