Arianna tried not to let her disappointment show. “I suppose that means I’ll have to work with him?”
Eimear smiled despite the malice in Arianna’s voice. “Has it ever occurred to you that the hatred residing in your heart doesn’t belong to you?” Arianna blinked. Of course she’d—no, had she? She’d thought that Gavin was manipulating her or that her friends were working for Vairik, but … could Vairik really have made her feel this way? Could he plant the desire to harm another person?
The answer was obvious.
“The anger directed toward Rion is nothing more than poison poured into your soul by Vairik himself. That very poison causes you pain whenever you try to reach for memories he’drather have erased. I’m willing to bet even the mating bond would be excruciating if you reached for it.”
“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t tried.” In fact, she’d been denying its existence at all. Even now, she possessed absolutely no desire to search for such a thing. Arianna wrung her hands together. “How do I get him out of my head? How do I sort through my emotions and memories when I feel like—like my mind has shattered?”
“You let your friends help you. You let Sive help you, just as she’s been helping me. Rest in the knowledge that my son loves you like he’s loved no other. He will not push himself on you. If all you can give him is a simple conversation, he will sit with you, enjoying that small gesture for the rest of eternity.”
Arianna gripped the edge of the balcony. “Will—will I regret,” Arianna stopped herself, biting the inside of her cheek. The question sounded stupid. She’d been told who Rion was by everyone she considered an ally. To think of him as anything else, to still question his motives, was simply her denial.
“The previous Divine’s spirit lives in you.”
Arianna’s head snapped up. “How do you know?” She recalled a distant memory. An old study. She’d been … restrained with iron. Vairik had been there.
Eimear’s eyes traveled down to Arianna’s sternum, as if the High Lady could see something Arianna could only feel. “I can sense her. She might very well be guiding you to what you need. Listen to her.”
A headache throbbed at Arianna’s temple. She dropped her face into her hands, bracing her elbows on the stone railing. “Her, Vairik, Niall, my old life. I feel like a million pieces of different people thrown into one body.” She ground her hand against her forehead. “What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to lead if I don’t even know myself?”
“What does your heart tell you?”
“To protect these people. To ensure Vairik doesn’t wipe them from the face of the continent like he’s done to so many others.”
“Then let that guide you. Everything else will fall into place afterward. The unfortunate truth is that we’re facing a war that could very well end our race entirely. We don’t have time or the luxury for other things until that battle is determined.”
And if Eimear was right, someone else didn’t have that luxury at all. A sacrifice, but of what? Time, body, soul? Was she referring tohersacrifice? Of Rion’s? A friend?
The previous Divine had sacrificed everything. Her mate, her sanity, herself, and she’d still failed to bring about peace. But this time was different. If Arianna failed—if anyone failed—there’d be no more chances.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rion
Eimear had excused herself, claiming she was hungry shortly after their conversation. Alec had promptly offered to escort her, which left Rion and Saoirse to return to the study between their rooms and blow the dust off an old chess set.
He’d won, of course, and they’d stayed up long into the night discussing the atrocities and delightful memories from their past. He’d panicked the moment Saoirse had mentioned her friend’s death all those years ago. It was exactly what had caused him to run to the mountains in the first place. But Saoirse, being Saoirse, had forgiven him. He’d told her he didn’t deserve it. She’d stated she didn’t care and claimed they might not live another month, and it wasn’t worth him going to the grave with that regret. Rion ventured a guess that he’d go to the grave with a lot of regrets and burn in the deepest part of hell where he belonged.
Both had nodded off for a time, sitting in comfortable silence before Saoirse eventually wandered back to her room to prepare for the day. He’d done the same, refusing to return to a cold bed without the body next to him who could chase away all his nightmares.
After dressing and scrubbing his face in a vain attempt to wash away the exhaustion, Rion ventured to Arianna’s room, only to be informed that Cahira had escorted her to the throne room.
Rion wasted no time. He needed to see her, hear her voice and heartbeat, and just know she was alive and well.
He could smell breakfast from down the hall. Rion slowed and paused on the threshold when he saw Arianna with a plate of food in her hand. She reached for something across the tableand his breath hitched at the smile on her face. She was reacting to something Saoirse had said. His sister was reclined back, drink in hand. He swore she had an iron stomach.
Rion scanned the rest of the room, taking in the council members, guards, and Liam. He tried not to linger on the last one. Arianna sat back, redrawing his attention. Loose hair framed her face, and she pushed it back, that glorious smile warming his heart. She’d showered. She was clean, and well, and eating. He feared yesterday’s revelations might have sent her spiraling, but she appeared … better today. It was far more than he could ask for.
Rion stepped inside, and her head jerked toward him, as if some part of her was so aware of his presence that she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Their eyes met, but instead of the cold scowl she’d been giving him for days, Arianna appeared … curious? He froze, watching her eyes trace his body, starting at his face, then working their way down. Was she searching for weapons? His magic? Something else? Part of his mind lingered just outside the door to their bond, desperately wanting to reach for that single strand, just to see how she’d react.
He didn’t dare.
Her gaze rose to meet his again, oceans swirling in those gorgeous cerulean eyes. His heart jolted. Would she ask him to sit next to her? Just the idea of being close—she turned back to Talon, smiling at a conversation Rion hadn’t been listening to in the slightest. His heart sank. It would have hurt far less if Talon had slammed a fist into the side of his face.
Rion stepped through, making his way over to Saoirse just as Avalon strolled through the side door. The male definitely hadn’t slept, though Rion was willing to bet most of them hadn’t.
Arianna immediately stood, but her father waved a hand before sitting next to his daughter. He threw various foods onan empty plate. It seemed strange, somehow, to see a High Lord casually sitting with the rest of them.
