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My pulse slowed.What does she mean by that?
“There were three times as many deaths. I only periodically told you about them, because I knew it’d break you if you were exposed to too many of them.” Her hands curled into tight fists. “I couldn’t handle it after the last time I found her mauled and mutilated body. She was just a girl, Tyr, just like every other time—six years old—the oldest she’d ever gotten.”
Aya turned back to me, her eyes hard. “I made a promise that day I’d do things differently. I’d find her sooner and protect her myself this time. And still, in this life, I was almost too late.”
“I could have helped you. I had a right to help you.”
She shook her head. “No. I needed to take drastic action to save her, so I did. I used all my magic to conceal her from the world. I pretended to be neutral when all manner of events transpired over these last two decades in order to keep her safe, no matter what others thought of me.”
She held an unwavering gaze. “You weren’t the only one who loved her. She was my family, too, and I’d do anything to keep her safe this time—even if it means you and others hate me.”
My pulse beat slow and steady under the surface of my skin. I could appreciate her conviction. I could try to hate her for keeping Astrid from me, but I knew I couldn’t. She was right, even if I didn’t like that reality. But there was also a flaw in her claims.
“And yet, you still protect Fen, even after what he did.”
Aya’s eyes darkened, and she bared her teeth. “He didn’t kill her, Tyr.”
“I know what I saw,” I snapped back. “You weren’t there.”
“And I know Fen, as do you. He’d never do that to her.”
I opened my mouth to rip into her and how she always protected the wolf-god, when a gentle voice made a fake throat-clearing noise. I snapped my attention to Astrid, who now sat on the other side of the table.
She folded her hands in front of her, ignoring Buggy’s pawing attempts to get affection. The corners of her eyes were tight, and her lips pulled into a neutral, serious position. “I think, given the tension, it would be best if we discussed this issue between the two of you.”
Chapter Seven
Astrid
Tyr swallowed,and Aya averted her gaze. I had hoped these two could work things out on their own, but it was clear with the escalating tension, they couldn’t be in the same room with each other without help.
“I understand this situation is a difficult one,” I said. “However, I know you two can work through this together. I want to assist where I can, to help you both heal and move forward. Can we do this?”
Aya still didn’t meet my gaze, and Tyr appeared unsure. I could understand his hesitation, but Aya’s perplexed me.
“This isn’t something that can be fixed by talking,” Tyr said, breaking the tense silence. “I understand you want to help, but talking about feelings won’t right this wrong.”
“And without knowing the details, I don’t believe it will,” I admitted. “However, the goal right now doesn’t have to be that grand. I’d rather tackle what we can, which starts with helping you two not only communicate with each other, but process all emotions that come with this conflict.”
Aya finally looked at me. “He’s right, Astrid. This isn’t something a therapy session can fix.”
This was the time I knew I should back off and just remind them the offer stood when they were ready. However, something nagged at me in the back of my mind; it urged me to keep pushing. And I did. “Why do you say that?”
Tyr’s jaw clenched, and his hand curled into a fist. “Because it’s about Fen murdering my wife.”
My body chilled.Murdered?My mind blanked—I didn’t know how to react. Aya had spoken so fondly of her brother-in-law and made him out to be this amazing man who was the perfect partner for her brother. I couldn’t see her doing that for someone who would murder another person.
A part of me deep down twisted and turned, as if rejecting the very thought of Fen doing someone so abhorrent, like I knew he would never. But that didn’t make sense. I’d never met the man, so the reaction had to be based on what I knew solely from Aya.
Aya’s hand slammed down on the table, and she practically snarled out her next words. “He didn’t kill her!”
“I was there!” Tyr’s eyes bore into her. “I know what I saw.”
Aya didn’t back down, the tension in the air spiraling out of control. “You saw wrong! She was like his sister. He would have never harmed her.”
Tyr held up his arm with his missing hand. “I know what I felt. By the time Fen was done with her, she looked like she’d been mauled by a beast and I’d lost my hand trying to stop him.”
My chest twisted. Something about this conversation hit somewhere deep within me, making me feel like I knew more about this situation than I really did. It had to be the stress. This was quickly growing far out of my experience level.Still, I have to try to help.
