Arianna’s heart longed for the friend she used to know. She prayed he wasn’t under Pádraigín’s control, or worse, that he’d betrayed them altogether. But Talon would never stand for the destruction of Levea. Right?
He might have sided with The Demon for now, but once they were safe, Arianna was confident she could convince the others to leave the foul creature behind. Mates didn’t have to recognize one another, after all. It wasn’t as if it was law and she certainly wasn’t about to let a monster be in charge of the continent.
Arianna finally broke Talon’s stare and glanced down to the hearty soup before her. It smelled divine and more importantly, it was warm. She reached for the thick slice of bread first and dipped it into the broth.
Arianna hesitated and set it down again. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t look away from the food. “I was—confused.”
Talon sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at the loose strands. He let that hand slide down his face, then leaned one elbow against the armchair. “Are you still?”
To deny it would be an obvious lie. Arianna swirled the chunk of bread in her soup, watching as small pieces of it broke off in the liquid. “I don’t know.” It was as honest as she could be right now.
“I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“I know.”
“So what don’t you know?”
She chewed her lip. “Whose side you would take if it came down to it.”
“It won’t.”
“But if it did?”
Talon leaned back, staring at the far wall. “I’m with you through everything. You know that. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. I’ll do whatever you command of me, but I will not hurt you, and hurtinghimwould do just that.”
Arianna continued playing with her food. “Zylah said you wanted to talk.”
A beat of silence. “I wanted to tell you the truth. The whole truth, if you’re willing to hear me out.”
She wasn’t really in the mood for truths, or Talon’s perception of them, but given that she wasn’t leaving this bed anytime soon—“Might as well.”
He eyed her, then began with the war. Talon told her about how she’d been captured, and all the details she’d shared with him about her time in captivity. She remembered being in chains. She could recall each crack of the whip, every stinging slap to her face and the boots that had collided with her stomach. None of those memories had been tampered with.
But when he talked about her time in The Demon’s care, her memories were different. She’d been with Zylah, not that creature. The pair had stayed with one another in a hovel full of other half-breeds that struggled daily for their own survival. They’d attended to chores, fulfilled every disgusting desire his warriors demanded, and kept their heads low until the day Talon had finally shown up to set them all free.
But those memories were also … strange. She hadn’t noticed how fragile they were, as if the images were frayed at the edges, ready to unravel if she were just brave enough to tug on the ends.
Arianna didn’t tell him as much, she only listened, trying to imagine herself at The Demon’s mercy. Trying to imagine a version of herself that would have shown such a creature compassion. How many times had she witnessed Talon’s pain?How many times had she seen her friend’s hollow eyes because of that monster?
And she’d saved him?
Talon told her about how she’d protected Rion from her father next. Her brow furrowed at that. She remembered her anger, but couldn’t recall the reason she’d chosen to stay in that small cabin rather than return to her room on her family’s estate. She remembered Ellie visiting a lot, too.
Perhaps she’d simply desired solitude or maybe some of the things her friend was telling her were the truth.
It was a long while before he finished. Long enough that she’d set her empty bowl on the side table. The sun had shifted behind her as well, leaning more into the afternoon hour.
Silence engulfed the room when Talon finally paused.
“So,” she started. “You’re telling me that I fell for someone who kept me as his prisoner?”
Talon grimaced. “You claimed the relationship was different. That things happened between you.”
“What things?”
“I don’t know. You never went into detail.”
Arianna chewed her lip. Her memories didn’t feel false, exactly. She could see the colors, taste the things she’d eaten, feel the cold sheets when she’d woken up on brisk mornings. But those edges were still there, sewn through everything. Were they because of Vairik? Niall? She’d been alone with both males, it was difficult to believe they wouldn’t have tampered with her mind. Especially Vairik.
