AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"All right, you can come out and explain what the fuck is going on," he snarled.
"We're right here with you," Tavian whispered.
At the same time, Ryze gestured for everyone else to stay out of sight. He sent reassuring thoughts through the bond and pulled his bow off his back. He readied an arrow, then nodded to me.
Hopefully he wouldn't feel the need to use it. If he hurt Zared…
I put my hands in the air to either side of me and slowly stood.
"Hello." The smile I gave him was forced at best. Tentative in the face of his expression.
Zared stared at me with utter confusion. He squinted. Recognition, then shock crossed his features.
He shook his head and took a few steps back.
"What the fuck? I thought I could feel Khala. You look like her, but…" He reached a hand back and gripped the hilt of his sword.
"I am Khala," I said evenly. "I look a little bit different, that's all. It's still me. Your…your friend."
Dalyth said she removed his memories from after the attack on the caravan. We were only friends back then, although he’d wanted more. So had I, but I hadn't wanted to ruin things between us.
"The hells you are," he snapped. "What did you do to her? Why can I feel you? What did you do to me?" He looked at me with such fear and loathing, like I was some kind of monster.
I was starting to think I should have tried harder to stay away from him.
"I am Khala," I insisted. I took a step toward him. Then another.
He drew his sword and held it out in front of him, a hand away from my throat.
"Don't come any closer. I don't know who you are or what you've done, but you're not her. She's notFae." He spat the word like he was disgusted.
I stopped still. "What do you remember of her? When did you see her last?"
He frowned. "I can't—"
"When did you see her last?" I insisted. If I knew that, I'd have some idea how much Dalyth took from him. Right now, she was lucky she was dead, because if she wasn't I'd kill her for this.
"Right after she had her choker taken off by that Fae. Did she do this? Khala was supposed to go to Havenmoor. Then… She was supposed to go somewhere else. Where is she?" His hands trembled slightly. The blade dipped and weaved in front of me.
"She's safe." I put up a hand to push the blade away, but he managed to hold it steady again.
"I don't believe you," he said. "What did you do to her?" He sounded so devastated a piece of my heart broke.
"You're right, that Fae woman did something. She wanted you to forget Khala. She changed your memories, but she's dead now. She won't be able to do the same thing to anyone else."
"Why would she do that?" he demanded.
"Because she was a sadistic bitch." That was accurate, if not entirely truthful. "She got pleasure out of messing with humans. I came here to see what damage she'd done. I'm sorry she did this to you. You didn't deserve this."
His mouth twisted. "She's dead?"
"Yes. That smoke you saw? That was her. She's been dealt with." I felt like a real Fae now, skirting around the truth while not lying.
I tentatively raised my hand and pushed the blade to the side.
"I know it's hard to believe anything I say, but Khala is fine. She… She wishes she could see you again. She hates what Dalyth did to you." I blinked back tears. If he couldn’t accept I was me, then maybe this would give him what he needed. A final close of the door between us. A twist of the key in the lock.
"Why can I feel you?" he asked in a rough whisper. He dropped the sword down until the point almost touched the road. "Why do you feel like her?" His voice was choked with emotion.
