I knew Mom would be waiting for us when we got back. But when we pulled into the driveway, her car wasn’t there. One night turned into two, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Each sunset brought the realization that things would never be the same.
I don’t realize I’ve gone silent until Ronan gives my hands a gentle squeeze. “And then?” he prompts, his voice a tender rumble against my ear.
I shrug, a casual move that belies the ache still lingering after all these years. “And then she never came back.”
He doesn’t fill the space with the hollow apologies or clichéd reassurances I’ve heard from Granny Bea. Instead, he tightens his embrace, wrapping his arms around me beneath the water and brushing a tender kiss against my temple.
The hardened, domineering side of Ronan has the power to make my knees weak and my sex ache. But this Ronan—the gentle giant who holds me like I’m something precious—he has the power to ruin me.
“Your turn,” I say, my voice husky with emotion as I tilt my head to look up at him. “Let me in.”
Ronan’s gaze shifts, his eyes distant as if he’s looking into a past only he can see.
“I was away with the Swords’ Royal Guard,” he begins quietly. “Serving at the borders, upholding my oath to protect the kingdom and the prince. It’s an honor I don’t take lightly.”
His fingers trace idle patterns on the surface of the water, sending ripples dancing across my skin.
“During one of my leaves, I returned home expecting everything to be as I left it. But instead, I found my world turned upside down.”
I remain silent, allowing him space for his story to unspool.
“My father was gone,” he continues, his voice tightening. “The business he’d built—gone. Our home was…empty. Abandoned.”
I reach up and gently place my hand over his on the edge of the tub.
“He had met a woman several months prior,” Ronansays, bitterness creeping into his tone. “A mysterious traveler passing through town. She was captivating, enchanting. She seduced him, and they had a dramatic affair. He became obsessed with her—spent exorbitant amounts of money to keep her entertained. Lavish gifts, extravagant outings… He neglected the business, neglected my mother.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat, feeling his pain as if it were my own.
“And then, just as abruptly as she appeared, she left,” he says, exhaling slowly. “She grew tired of him, of their affair. But she didn’t simply leave him behind; she left devastation in her wake. My father was shattered, as if she had cast some spell over him. Consumed by shame and despair, he vanished without a trace.”
A heavy silence settles between us, the only sounds the gentle lapping of water and our steady breaths.
“My mother…” Ronan’s voice falters for a moment. “She grew ill from a broken heart. Grief consumed her. By the time I arrived, she was a shadow of the woman I remembered. I stayed by her side, did everything I could, but she passed away within a week.”
“Oh, Ronan,” I whisper, turning to face him. “I’m so sorry.”
He meets my gaze, jaw tight. “I vowed to discover who that woman was. To confront her, show her the repercussions of her reckless and cruel actions.”
I search his face, but his eyes have turned to steel. “Have you changed your mind about confronting her?”
“No,” he says, the word clipped and final. “Nothing could change my mind about that.”
“Then why did you remove my collar?”
“Our deal was that you help me secure an invitation to the Mabon Festival and I would help you find a way home,” he says, lazily dripping water from his fingers on my shoulder, the droplets tracing warm paths along my skin. “You have met your end of the bargain. Now I am meeting mine.”
Reaching over to the small table holding the basket of soaps and oils, he retrieves a small piece of paper folded in half. With a flick of his wrist, he opens it, revealing three elegantly scripted names. They mean nothing to me, of course; I don’t know anyone here besides Ronan and Sally.
“Who are they?” I ask.
“Those who have knowledge about magicks and other realms. If anyone can get you home, I believe it will be one of them.”
I turn around to face him fully and take the parchment. “Is this what you were doing every day when you left me with Sally? Looking for people who could help me?”
He nods solemnly and tucks a damp section of hair behind my ear. “You were dedicated to my cause. I wanted to do the same for you. You don’t have to wait any longer, Elara. You may go to them now if you wish.”
“But what about the festival? I have to serve—”
