AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You have no idea how powerful Cyrene is and what lengths she’ll go to in order to get what she wants.”
“She doesn’t have an idea whatwe’recapable of, and whatwewill do to get what we want—what’s right.” The determination on her face was beautiful, and how much she cared was moving.
I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. She was so amazing, looking past all the darkness and the bad inside me, seeing something that I didn’t even know was still there. Now she wanted to look after my family, too.
It only made me want to get rid of this darkness that much more—Hazel deserved a worthy Fae as a mate, and I wanted to be that worthy Fae. I was tired of living in darkness, and if there was a way to save my family, I would do it.
“Okay,” I said.
Hazel smiled, excited. “Really?”
I nodded and grinned at her. “Really. I’m so ready to be done with this.”
Hazel grabbed me and kissed me hard on the mouth before she snuggled against me, her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and sighed contentedly. It looked like, against all odds, things could get better after all. Somehow, despite being so far removed from the light, Terra had remembered me, and she wanted to bring me home.
I was ready to go.
Just before my eyes fluttered shut, Cyrene appeared at the foot of the bed. She watched me, a smug expression on her face.
The happiness twisted into fear. What was she so smug about? She was about to lose me and the family she’d threatened. When it was all over and done with, there was nothing she could do.
For a moment, I considered that if I took Hazel as my mate, that would make her family, too. And if Cyrene threatened to kill my family once I turned back to the light…
Would letting Hazel help me do the opposite of what I wanted? Would it put her in danger rather than saving everyone?
Fear gripped my gut and twisted, hard. I wanted to jerk up, push Hazel away, tell her to get out of my life for good.
I couldn’t be the reason she died.
No, Cyrene is just playing games,I told myself.She’s putting stuff in my head so I’m too scared to try. Everything will be okay. Soon, this will be all over.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Everything was going to be okay.
Will it?Cyrene asked, her voice in my head, before she disappeared completely.
21
HAZEL
“Everything is okay, Mom,” I said, talking to her over the holo-device the pilot had given me. Mom’s face hovered above the device in a clear picture. I sat on a rock in the morning sun, wrapped in a thick fur coat Erol had offered me. “More than okay,” I added with a smile.
“How long will you still be away?” Mom asked.
“As long as you can spare me. I think it’s a good idea to just be here with him a few days, away from everything.”
“You can stay a while longer,” she confirmed. “We’re managing okay over here. We’re not helping nearly as many Conjurites—I’m much better when we’re together—but I understand that you need time.”
I nodded, grateful for my mom’s understanding. It was important to take care of Erol, and the truth was, I wanted more time alone with him. Not only to figure out how we could move forward, but to get to know each other and spend time alone, together.
After I ended the call, I walked back into the cabin. Erol was out hunting, and he wouldn’t be back immediately. I took the time to clear up the cabin, putting things away, sweeping, and washing the few dishes that we’d accumulated over the past few days.
It felt good to do something with my hands. I’d lived in the palace in Jasfin for a almost a year, where servants had done everything for us, and although it was a luxury I’d become accustomed to, it felt useful doing something like this again.
When Erol arrived, he carried a large, feathered bird under one arm. I didn’t recognize it—the animals in Palgia were very different from those in Jasfin or Tholand, where I’d grown up.
“That’s a big bird,” I said when Erol slammed it down on the kitchen counter.
