I shouldn’t like possessiveness this much. Why was I drawn to toxic men? Probably my shitty childhood. I knew that. And yet I had so little control over myself.
I was going to need a lot more therapy after leaving this place… if I left. Christ, what did I want for myself?
My thoughts cut off when Titus spoke.
“I took her pain away,” he said, staring into the fire. “What?” I asked, shaken from my thoughts.
“Prisca. I took her pain away when Drax killed her.” He paused. “Despite what you may think, I’m not a complete monster.”
My heart dropped. He thought I saw him as a monster? He was far from perfect, but a monster?
Sure, he’d publicly murdered his sister, but at least he’d had enough compassion to make it painless. Also—side note—he could take pain away?
“I don’t think you’re a monster, Titus,” I said, studying his profile.
His lips pressed into a line, like he refused to believe me.
I continued, “Impulsive? Maybe. Could benefit from anger management? Probably. But definitely, not a monster.”
I placed my hand on top of his.
Instant heat surged. An invisible current ebbed and flowed between our joined hands. Why was I so drawn to him? There
was a strange pull to the High Lord, one that I could not put into words.
“You don’t find me the villain in your story?” he asked, his voice heavy with regret.
“I don’t think anyone is entirely one thing,” I said. “There are some really fucked-up things you do and allow to happen… but there’s good in you too.”
He pinched his eyes shut. His fingers squeezed mine slightly, but he didn’t speak.
Just then, faint children’s laughter drifted from the forest.
Hundreds of small, twinkling orbs—every color—flickered and danced toward us.
The laughter grew louder. Giggles and belly laughs, hundreds of them.
It startled me.
Titus saw me tense. “It’s okay. They’re just Whisplings.
Harmless.”
They zipped and swirled around us, always bunched together— until one broke away. A singular, twinkling red orb landed on our joined hands.
It was beautiful.
I stared at the tiny creature with wide eyes and a soft smile. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this mattered, this tiny creature was significant somehow.
Titus shooed it away. “Annoying little things.”
“No,” I whispered, smiling. “I think they’re beautiful.”
I watched the red orb rejoin the swarm. “Bye,” I mouthed under my breath.
Then I studied Titus again.
“I wanted to thank you again for healing me… twice,” I said. “I forgot you could do that. So you’re a healer like Gleeda and Aurelius?”
