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Illren squares his shoulders and stares Terrance down with a look that would strike fear into the hearts of most people. “It’s true,” he says. “She’s not pushing herself like she could. All of you coddle her too much.”
“She wasraped!” Oliver snaps. We all flinch at the crass term, but it’s the truth, and sometimes the truth is ugly. “Multiple times! And beaten within inches of her life!”
Oliver is shaking with rage. I can’t blame him. He’s the one who found me when I had only inches of life left. He saved me. And he killed two men to do it. He’s the one who scraped my broken body off the ground and carried me to help. For him, the nightmare is as real as it is for me.
“Nora has spent her entire life a victim of physical and sexual abuse. She’s never been able to trust men, until now. She deserves time to heal.”
I pull myself out of Rook’s arms and take Oliver’s hands. “Hey,” I whisper. I place my gloved hands on his rosy cheeks and force him to focus on me. “We’re okay. We’re safe, and together, and we’re happy. We’re healing together.”
Oliver blinks a couple of times and sucks in a deep breath. “Sorry. I know. You’re right. I just can’t stand him attacking you like that. He doesn’t respect you like he should. He doesn’t take your past seriously.”
I give him a soft smile and a peck on the lips. “He doesn’t know my past. And he may not be sensitive, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe I do need someone who won’t treat me with kid gloves. I’m not going to get over my fears if I’m not pushed. He’s right that I should be trying harder.”
Oliver shakes his head. “You should never be pushed. Not in this.”
Rook takes me from Oliver. “When we make love for the first time, it will be because you want to, not because you feel like you have to in order to fight your curse. Do you understand me? We will wait until you are ready.”
As much as I love him and Oliver for their patience and understanding, I can’t help feeling Illren may be right. “What if I am ready, and I’m just scared?”
Rook gazes deeply into my eyes, searching for the truth in my statement. I don’t know what he finds, but his face softens and he brushes my cheek with his thumb before pulling me against his chest. “If you really feel that way, then maybe we can push your boundaries a bit.”
“Yay! Sexytimes!” Giselle squeals, clapping her hands.
I crack a small smile at her antics, and a tiny laugh escapes me. Rook smiles when I do. “I’ll even take one for the team,” he says, “and volunteer to be your test dummy.”
I can’t stop the semi-hysterical laugh that escapes me. Rook grins and kisses me before letting me go. I blush when I find everyone watching me, several of them with eager expressions. Illren and Charlie both look just as willing to help me on this topic as Rook and Oliver. I don’t want to think about it anymore. “Okay, okay. Other than me having sex until my heart’s content, there has to be something else I can do. Some way to break the curse.”
Thankfully, everyone lets the subject change slide. “It’s not a breakable curse,” Illren says. “If you have dark magic in you, then you have it in you. The only thing you can do is not use it.”
I suck in a deep breath and strengthen my resolve. “Then I won’t use it.” I glare at Illren’s skeptical look. “I didn’t know how important it was before. I can be stronger.”
“We’ll also research,” Oliver offers. “I don’t believe there are no options. If a light magic user can go dark, then a dark magic user must be able to embrace light. There has to be a way.”
Have I mentioned how much I love Oliver? “Thanks, Ollie.”
He grips my hand and squeezes it. “We’ll find a way.”
