Panic spiked through her and Arianna let her arms fall to her sides, magic already sparking at her fingertips. “You’re just going to leave me here with him?”
Talon gave her a sad smile. “You’ll be fine, just … hear him out, at least.”
“And try not to tear up the room,” Saoirse added. “I rather like this one.”
They walked away. All of them, even Zylah, though the half-breed gave her a backward glance as she moved down the hall. She offered Arianna a reassuring smile before turning away.
And just like that, she was alone with the monster.
Rion remained leaning against the wall, his arms relaxed, though she could tell from his body position that he was just as worn out as she felt. “Do you want me to close the door?”
“No.” Her answer was quick and breathless. No, she couldn’t be trapped with this creature. This was his domain. His home. He likely knew every inch of this place.
Rion remained still, even as Arianna’s eyes darted to the hall beyond his body. She couldn’t get around him. She was trapped. Her magic. She could shove him aside and run to her father. But would her father demand she hear Rion out, too? Was everyone determined to force her to speak with this male?
Rion pushed off from the wall slowly. She backed away, her magic flaring in her chest. She knew he noticed, even if he didn’t show it. The Demon moved along the outskirts of the room, leaving her exit wide open. Arianna inched toward it, never turning her back on the predator before her.
Rion slowed beside the bookcases and ran long fingers delicately over the spines, examining each in turn. She swallowed again, peering at the exit, but something kept her in place. Did shewantto hear him out? He’d freed up her escape route. She could leave anytime she wished. And he’d put on iron, which meant he wasn’t being controlled by Vairik, at the very least. Gavin had put on iron, too. That ruled out his influence. And the council had been taken care of.
Arianna tried to convince herself she was safe, but she hadn’t felt safe in such a long, long time. She was so confused. Her mind reeled, struggling to figure out what was real and what had been fabricated. Arianna clenched and unclenched her fists.He didn’t turn to her. Didn’t hurry her along, as if, despite her question, he was waiting for her to decide.
You’re in control.
“Tell me one real thing,” Arianna finally said. “Tell me something that will make me believe any of this.”
Rion didn’t move. He just studied the books, then his arm finally fell away. “You were thrown at my mercy by subordinates who’d discovered you possessed magic. They hoped I’d perceive you as a half-breed meant to serve me and that, given you were from Móirín, you would try to kill me yourself. But I knew what you were the moment I set eyes on you.”
“So why not kill me?”
His brow furrowed, and he turned slightly, one hand reaching up to rest over his heart. “I think I knew what you were. Not consciously, but some instinctual part of me knew. I’d never,” Rion cleared his throat. “Before you, females weren’t something I … desired.” Arianna’s cheeks heated. “And yet my magic lunged for you. Not to kill,” he quickly added, “but to touch you, claim you. But you were rightfully terrified, and it snapped me out of whatever trance I’d fallen into.”
She glanced at the door again, but part of her had relaxed. “No love at first sight then?”
He laughed to himself, the sound bitter. “No, nothing like that. I came and went for a while and you kept the place clean. Prepared meals. Got yourself strong again. Then I met Talon on the battlefield. I don’t know what happened exactly. I was distracted. I always thought about you. Your scent was intoxicating in a way that infuriated me. I hated being around you and I hated being away. He got past my defenses.”
Rion stopped moving. “I don’t know what was going through my head. Looking back, it doesn’t make any sense. I should have run back to Nàdair, to Saoirse. I doubt I would have made it, but still—I knew I was dying and instead, I ran toyou. Maybe that was part of the bond, telling me exactly where I needed to go.” He met her gaze then, eyes swimming with emotion. “You saved me, then, despite everything, and took care of me afterward.”
Arianna’s jaw feathered. She’d saved him? Just like that? Talon had already told her part of this story, but hearing it from him was different. Deeper.
“What happened afterward?”
Rion turned away again, his gaze focused on a lamp situated in the center of a desk. “Life returned to normal, or as normal as it could get. We seemed to have an understanding for a while, but I returned one evening to find you gone. I thought you’d run, but instead I found you at the river’s edge with the Fairy Folk at your feet. You’d decided to stay and when you spotted me, you approached.” He smiled. “Cautious of course, but still, you approached where so many others had fled. You had the entire river to your back. I thought you were plotting something, planning to lure me in. But then you told me the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What?” she pressed, far more intrigued than she thought she’d be.
“You told me I wasn’t a monster. You weren’t lying, and it was like, a force, maybe the bond, drew me to you.” Rion looked at her then. “That was our first kiss.”
Arianna’s cheeks heated. “And we just kissed?”
Rion chuckled and turned away. Was he being … bashful? “Yes, that’s all we did for a time. I wasn’t … I’m still not particularly fond of touch. Aside from you, of course. At least the you with your memories.”
Arianna cocked her head. “Are you scared of me?”
He smiled, but she couldn’t discern why. “I’m afraid of you doing something you’ll regret when your memories doreturn. Rest assured, I won’t make any attempts to push myself on you, if that’s something you’re worried about.”
“And yet you kissed me.”
Rion ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, well, you did have a blade to my throat.”
