Apprehension bloomed in my gut. Why did he want to talk to my dad?
“Of course.” My dad looked a little surprised but gestured to an empty seat. “It’s a much nicer breakfast than the one I served you in Isariah.” My father pointed to the fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, and honeyed ham.
Ariyon smiled, taking a seat. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, sir. I never really apologized for running off that day and for being rude to you. I really care about your daughter, and I was hoping we could get to know each other better.”
A lump formed in my throat. He came over to apologize and get to know my dad better? Swoon.
‘You should marry him and have his babies,’Yanric observed, just as I took a sip of water.
I coughed in shock, almost spitting it all over the table but managing to make it back into the glass as both men stared at me.
“Yanric said something funny,” I wheezed, and glared at my bird.
“You don’t need to apologize, son. I understand now that it was a shock to learn that Fallon was the daughter of the woman who killed your parents.”
Ariyon reached over, squeezed my bare hand, and then looked at my dad. “Thanks for understanding. So, tell me about your life growing up. What did your parents do? Did you always live in Isariah?”
My dad nodded and began to tell stories as I sat back with a smile and watched the two men I loved most in this world get to know each other. This was the best thing ever, and yet… I hadn’t felt like myself since waking up this morning after a night full of tormenting dreams. It was like a dark cloud had settled over me, and I couldn’t shake the sadness that was trying to creep into my heart and take up residence there.
‘It’s been a crazy few weeks. Give yourself a break,’Yanric offered.
I nodded, reaching out to give my bird a little neck scratch and then a taste of breadcrumbs. Breakfast went quickly. When Ariyon and I stepped outside to go to school, I gasped at the white stallion tied up at the stalls. He had a long blanket wrapped over him with the queen’s royal flame emblem embroidered on the back-right corner.
“His name is Ranger. He’s gentle but strong. One of my aunt’s best battle horses. He’s yours,” Ariyon said.
“She…she’s okay giving me this?” I couldn’t fathom owning a horse by myself, let alone one this beautiful.
Ariyon nodded. “The least she can do after you saved Bastian and me.”
Bastian.So the lover had a name.
We rode to school side by side, Ariyon on Ember and me on Ranger. It felt surreal, going to school with myboyfriend, being in love. It was something I’d always wanted. But I couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling I’d had since I woke up. I was just in a bad mood and hoped a good night’s sleep would shake me out of it.
After dropping our horses off at the stables, I pulled Ariyon in the direction of his studio. I wanted to show him something before class. When we ducked into the small garden courtyard where he’d once given me the painting of red roses, he grinned, stroking his thumb over my palm.
“I missed this place,” he said as I led him inside.
I imagined he did. It was filled with so much of his talent and creativity, but it also seemed to be a place where he went to blow off steam.
Flicking on the light, I pulled him to the back wall, the place that held the white tally marks for all the days he’d taken off his life.
He looked up at it, his eyes squinting at the half-dozen bright-yellow tally marks directly under his white ones at the top.
“What are they?” he asked in awe. I was glad he didn’t sound angry. I had touched his art, and I didn’t want him to be mad about it.
I turned to him, peering into his seemingly endless gray-blue eyes. “When I had your healing gift, I really got to experience what it was like to be you, what it was like to feel others’ pain and to know that you could help them. I knew what it was like to save a life or mend a wound and how that pales in comparison to the time it takes away from your life.”
His sharp intake of breath caused chills to break out on my arms. “The yellow marks are from people you have healed?” Again, there was awe in his tone.
I nodded. “You might be consumed with the fact that you’re literally giving away parts of your life, but I was enthralled with the lives I was saving.” I still had to add Solana’s lover and Ariyon to the tally.
His face fell for a moment, and he looked gutted, like I killed his pet or something.
“Oh no, Ariyon, I’m sorry. Did I…did I say something wrong?”
He shook his head, reached out, and ran his fingers over my cheek and then down my neck. “My entire life I’ve had this gift, and I’d only ever focused on what it was taking from me. You had it for less than a month and you saw the beauty in it. You focused on what it was giving others.”
He pulled me closer to him, leaning his forehead on mine and pressing his entire body against me. It fit perfectly against mine, and I inhaled, smiling. His scent was intoxicating.
