Lexi’s teeth ground together;noone should ever look at Cole like that. The light fae didn’t fight, but Lexi was pretty close to slapping the woman, even if Elfie was a pacifist.
“He only ever lovedyour mother,” Elfie continued. “And those of us who followed her were given only scraps of occasional kindness. He wassocold.”
Though Lexi wanted to protect Cole and Varo from this woman’s bitterness, she couldn’t stop her heart from softening toward Elfie’s heartbreak. She didn’t understand why Elfie had fallen in love with a man she described as cold, but she had, and it ruined her.
“And now you’re traipsing down the same path as him,” Elfie said to Cole. “And when she dies—”
“Watch it,” Cole cautioned.
The hair on Lexi’s nape rose as Elfie continued obliviously on. She either didn’t see the silver in Cole’s eyes and the shift of the shadows, or she didn’t care.
“You’ll go about fathering children on women before leaving them behind. It was like a sick game to your father to see how many children he could have and how powerful they’d become. You’ll play it too.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Cole stated.
“We all die, Cole, and you’re dark fae, so you’ll keep fucking even though you’ll be nothing more than a shell of who you once were.”
“That. Is. Not. Going. To. Happen,” Cole bit out.
“We shouldn’t have come here,” Kaylia interjected. “I’m sorry for bothering you, Elfie. I didn’t know any of this history; I wouldn’t have come if I had.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Elfie replied. “I’m barely a footnote in Tove’s past. He got what he wanted from me, a powerful dark fae and light fae sonheraised while pushing me aside.”
“You could have stayed in the Gloaming,” Varo said.
“Ihatedit there!” Elfie exploded. “I wasn’t the only woman your father was with when I lived there! I watched him parade around all his whores while Idiedin that land. Look at my home, look at everything here: my friends, my family. Look at the beauty of this land and the energy of these trees. The light fae thrive here because it’s a part of us.
“In the Gloaming, I was alone and shunned because of what I was. I’d fallen for the king, but I was simply a means to an end. I was the bearer of his child and nothing more. I wasnothing!”
Elfie’s eyes filled with tears before she looked away from them. Biting her bottom lip, she took a deep breath and reined in her emotions.
“How could you love someone who treated you so badly?” Lexi whispered.
“Because love is cruel and something we cannot control. And he wasn’t always horrible. He could be kind and attentive. He also made me feel special when we were alone, but those times were few.
“Tove gave me enough hope to keep me around. It took me too long to admit he still loved his dead wife, he always would, and there was nothing I could do to change that. In the beginning, I was sure my love would eventually make him move on from her, but I was wrong.”
Lexi didn’t bother telling her it was impossible to change anyone who wasn’t willing to change themselves. Elfie had learned that lesson the hard way.
“When I finally had enough of my heart constantly being broken, I decided to return home and bring my child with me, but Tove refused. He said Varo looked too much like a dark fae, and they would ostracize him in Lumus.
“He was right; I knew it, so I stayed another year, but I couldn’t handle it anymore. I left with every intention to visit, but once I was free, I couldn’t… couldn’t stand the idea of seeing Tove again. So, I stayed away until it was impossible to return.”
The woman was an ancient, powerful light fae who could probably wield magics Lexi had never heard about. She was also one of the weakest beings Lexi had ever encountered. Any sympathy she had for the woman vanished. She couldn’t imagine being so spineless as to abandon her child because of unrequited love.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
When Cole turned awayfrom Elfie, Lexi saw the disgust in his eyes as he extended his hand to her. Lexi gladly took it. She needed his love and strength after this awful day.
Varo remained unmoving beside her, but he edged away from the table when Lexi gave him a nudge.
“Sorry to have bothered you,” Kaylia said as she strode toward the door.
Kaylia swung the door open and was about to step outside when Elfie spoke again. “The arach were creatures of nature.”
They all stopped and turned toward her. Elfie remained standing near her rocking chair, but she didn’t look as devastated or angry. Kaylia hesitated with her foot in the air before slowly lowering it.
“Maybe more so than the pixies and the light fae,” Elfie continued.
