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“These are really beautiful.” I tried not to touch it. “But are you alright with having your personal history displayed like this?”
“It barely touches the surface of my history; it merely marks where I began. I was born and raised a Samurai during the Momoyama period in Japan in the Kozuke Province—excuse me, it is called the Gunma Prefecture now.”
I had no idea where those places were, but I liked knowing just in case. “So, were you a lone wolf who fought for justice?”
“Who defines justice?” he questioned earnestly. “Then I was young, just nine. I saw a struggle for power. My birth father, mother, and sisters were murdered by my uncle, so he could be the leader of our clan. Very few knew about it, but it was decided it was best for the clan. My father’s vision for war was wrong; people wanted peace. I grew up watching my uncle fight for that peace. He trained me to fight for this. I was his son, and I would have lived on as such, had I never found out the truth. At twenty-four
, I killed my uncle myself and fled, leaving behind my home and family. A Samurai without a lord or clan is no longer a Samurai but a ronin…a much rougher and violent life. I ended up working as a sword for gangs, criminals—men much worse than my uncle with a darker of vision for the world. I avenged my family but caused the destruction of more. Looking back, was it foolishness or justice? It was both to me.”
“You had a bad hand, most of us do,” Lucy spoke. It was sweet how she slowly got back to herself when she was next to him. Though I wouldn’t tell her that.
“Thank you for sharing. I love history, especially the art behind that history.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.
“You are mated to an artist that was there. Maybe that’s why you are destined yet are so far apart in age,” Taelon teased, and I wasn’t sure if he realized it or not, but he had just skimmed over something important.
“Theseus was there?” I questioned with surprise. What was he doing in Japan?
“I was where?” He spoke just as the door opened, causing me to jump back a bit.
I didn’t hear him at all. “Mother of Mary,” I cursed. “Why didn’t I hear you?”
“Everything from here up has noise-canceling for privacy; however, you can hear the elevator to alert you when someone is coming,” Talon explained as he held the doors.
It opened to a massive luxury penthouse, and as I took a step closer, the view of the city through the floor-to-ceiling windows stole my breath. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the Japanese décor or each of the elements represented in the space—it was minimalistic, pure, clean, and uncluttered. With walls painted in beautiful watercolor murals all around but one, which had a glass waterfall that rushed down into a pit of open flames, creating steam. The floors were made of beautiful planks of hardwood wood with mats and pillows to sit around. And there were two worn-out, battered swords, hanging over the low bearing bed by the windows.
“We will be back in two hours.” Taelon nodded to Theseus, and I realized then he and Lucy were not getting off the elevator.
“It is a room for guests. Wear the dress,” Lucy said, reading my expression and stepping back behind Taelon.
“Thank you for taking her,” Theseus said to Lucy, and she seemed surprised but nodded, looking to me.
“What are friends for?”
“You are calling her a friend? Ms. Monroe, now I must know what your gift is.” Taelon teased, looking between us all. Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled him back into the elevator.
“Two hours,” she repeated to me as if somehow, I would forget.
Nodding, I waved to them before turning to find Theseus staring down at me. It was only then that I noticed, he was wearing nothing but silk pajama bottoms and a black V-neck shirt. He looked me over for a second before stretching out his hand. Giving him mine, he took it and kissed it.
“Did you enjoy shopping?” he asked.
I nodded. “Though I was in a hurry to get back.”
“I missed you, too.” He grinned like a schoolboy. His expression and how easily he expressed it to me, took me back a bit.
Ignoring his statement, I went on. “I wanted to talk to you. So much happened, especially since the plane. It happened again. Or I mean, I did it again. I went back but not as far, and everything repeated.”
He brought me closer, his hands now on my hips. “Did you change anything?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “The first time we took off without Lucy, and the second time, I asked for her to come with us. Oh, and the first time was when Taelon told me how he met you. That’s how I knew the second time.”
I felt like a crazy person talking about the first time and the second time I relived events. However, when I looked into his stunning grey eyes, all I saw was understanding.
“I thought as much on the plane—” The phone—which I had not noticed but sat on the table by the doors—rang. He let me go, leaving me feeling cold again to walk over to answer it.
“Lord Thorbørn, would you like us to deliver Ms. Monroe’s things now?” A leaden-sounding voice came from the receiver.
“Yes.” It was all he said before hanging up and looking at me. “What is this dress Lucy referred to? Is it for Mikhail’s celebration?”
