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There was something about Soren that comforted me. You always knew where you stood with him.

Caveat: as long as you weren’t sleeping with him.

He pulled me closer. I lay my head on his chest and sighed. Soren smelled like vanilla and spice. I had to resist the urge to bury my nose in his shirt.

“Are you afraid?”

“There’s a part of me that will always be afraid of her,” I admitted. “She hurt me so many times for so long. When I see her, I feel a bone-deep terror. I feel all the cuts and bruises and broken bones all at once.”

His arm tightened around me. “She deserves to die.”

“More than once,” I agreed. We were here together, alone, and we were about to face a stronger power I wasn’t sure I could beat. “Even though I know how evil she is, there’s a small part of me that still wants her to love me.”

Soren let out a soft breath. He turned his head and pressed a kiss into my hair. “Oh, Moira. Every child wants their parents’ love. It’s not a bad thing to crave something so deeply. Something most are given freely.”

I glanced up at him. “What about you? Are you close with your parents?”

His heartbeat sped up. “No.”

Silence fell. “Soren. It’s just you and me here. I offered you a vulnerable truth. Why don’t you share one with me?”

His eyes flickered.

I sat up. “You don’t have to.” I rose and walked to the doorway. “I didn’t mean to pry, Soren. I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry.”

Soren shook his head. “No. Don’t apologize. Maybe soon, Moira. But…not tonight, alright?”

I nodded and closed the door to his room.

Definitely more to Soren than met the eye.

It took me a while to go to sleep that night.

Chapter

Thirty-One

We stood at the bottom of an enormous mountain, our necks craned up.

“At the top?” Soren asked with a wince.

“Very top,” Rowan answered, his lips twitching. He looked away for a moment. “I’d go with you but…”

“I wouldn’t let you,” I said. “Not with Evie’s current state.”

He exhaled. “A baby.” Rowan let out a delighted laugh. “Still doesn’t feel real.”

Soren slapped him on the back. “Evie’s going to be just fine. And your child is guaranteed to be a hellion with her DNA.”

I laughed. Evie and I said our farewells earlier this morning. Never a goodbye. Only a temporary farewell. She beamed with health and happiness, and there wasn’t even a second where I thought I should ask her to come with us.

Soren and I were both dispensable. I held no territory other than a tea shop being managed by Rowan and Evie, and Soren apparently had a death wish.

“You sure it’s at the top?” Soren asked again.

I snickered. “You big baby. It will be fine.”

Rowan grinned. “If you aren’t used to the elevation, the climb will be a struggle. But Soren always brags about how much he works out, so I’m sure he will be just fine.”