“I’m sorry I hurt you.” His words held weight—mourning and regret carved into every syllable.
But an apology couldn’t fix this. It wouldn’t undo what he’d done or return me to Kallias’ arms.
“Don’t you see how wrong it was?” he asked, voice quiet, pleading.
Wrong.
The word struck like a dart. I rejected it, pushing it aside.
I loved Kallias. He was loyal, strong,good. Someone like him, the love I had for him—it couldn’t be wrong.
Cursed, maybe. Doomed. Star-crossed.
But not wrong.
He sighed before trying again. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness–”
“You’d never get it.”
“Abyss, let me finish! I never meant to hurt you. I reacted and–”
“You gave in to your temper, your dragon doing nothing to steady you,” I hissed. Angry tears burned trails down my cheeks. “You weren’t a prince—or a rider. You were a child. And because of that, you failed to analyze the situation. You didn’tstop. Tallon used you like a hammer to a nail, and you let him.”
“Quite the accusation coming from a princess bedding her betrothed’s father.” His gaze darkened. “Did you everanalyzewhat you risked by welcoming that beast into your arms?”
I had. A thousand times. I told myself why I couldn’t,shouldn’t. And yet, the pull remained. We were meant for each other, two halves of a whole. We saw the world the same. Understood duty. I was just born in the wrong generation.
“I love him.”
“Loved.”
“Love,” I bit out. “You can’t kill something like that, no matter how far you drag me away.”
“Listen to me, Nienna.”
He stepped closer, and I turned on him, fire rising in my throat. If he dared lay a finger on me, I would murder him. A screech split the sky, and a dragon streaked overhead. Green scales shimmered so close I could’ve reached out and touched them.
Ronan tracked the beast, then returned his attention to me. “I love you. I know youthinkyou care for him, but I… I don’t—can’t—understand that.” He ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair, the light from my room catching on the shadows under his eyes. Proof his body was still recovering from the flight too.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I left you there. Maybe I judged too harshly, but I don’t think I was wrong. As a rider, I have to do what I believe is right. We’ll never see eye-to-eye on this, but I want you to know it came from love.”
He licked his lip, flexing his jaw as he stared at me, waiting for my understanding, for grace. He craved to uphold his own honor, but he never gave thought to mine. No, he dragged me through the halls with a torn dress. Hauled me like some scullery maid caught in scandal. Let every passing eye judge what he didn’t care to protect.
Hehumiliatedme.
That wasn’t love.
His brow furrowed, lips pulled into contemplation, arms crossed tight as he glanced out to sea.
“Done?” My question rasped through a constrictedthroat.
“I guess so.”
“Then leave.”
He sucked a breath through his teeth, shaking his head. Then, with a resigned shrug, he left.
Tears chilled on my skin with the breeze as I faced the moonlit water far below, watching the moon’s reflection dance across the waves.
