AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is it the hair?” he asked, though it was the same length.
“You’re harder,” she mused. “There’s no joy in your eyes.”
His chest tightened at her words. “It’s been hard since you…”
“I’m sorry.” She tugged on his sleeve, leading him to the overturned boat. But, while Rush’s gaze never left his sister—too ashamed to look at the girl he was sacrificing on her behalf—Sorcha’s eyes were fixed on Aura. “I know I was a disappointment—”
“Sorcha, no.” He gripped her hand, squeezing tightly. “I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. Caring, sympathetic, and kind. Moonstone loved you nearly as much as I did. Nothing about you was disappointing. You were never that, do you hear me?”
“Except this.” She pressed a hand to her stomach, the one she’d concealed with ill-fitted dresses.
The child would’ve been walking by now if they had lived. Rush would never get over what Pax had done to his sister. If he’d genuinely loved Sorcha, given up his betrothal and fucking other women for her, he would’ve allowed them to be together in his court. It was torturous to learn about everything from her journal, to confirm that she was indeed carrying a child. Not only had he grieved his sister, but also the loss of his unborn niece or nephew.
“Is that what you think?” His voice came out hoarse with regret. It was true his initial reaction to the pregnancy would’ve been appalling if he’d found out while she was alive. He glanced at the lake behind them.
She released a heavy sigh and sat down on the boat, then patted the seat beside her. “This beautiful lake no longer holds wonderful memories for me.”
Rush lowered himself next to her on the boat. “It doesn’t for me either.” Since her death, he could never stop imagining his distraught sister walking into the lake. “Aura discovered your journal and read it.”
Sorcha shifted uncomfortably beside him. “I didn’t know that Aura was Pax’s fiancée when we first started meeting in her dreams. I couldn’t recall anyone’s names or anything else for the longest time. She’s very pretty and very kind.”
“He doesn’t give a fuck about her, Sorcha. The marriage was arranged. He wasn’t going to stop fucking other women because he is incapable of love.” Rush clenched his jaw.Like I was.As much as he hated to admit it, things were different now. Somehow, he found himself wanting Aura—and for more than a good fuck. He’d believed himself unable to fall for anyone. Especiallyher. “You knew he was betrothed, Sorcha. Why would you be with him?Anyoneelse at court would’ve treated you right.”
“He lied,” she whispered.
Rush knew that. He’d read about them in her journal. All about how Pax claimed that he’d choose her over anyone else, how he would defy his father if he had to.
“The bastard didn’t deserve you or Aura,” Rush spat.
Sorcha stared at him for a long moment. “You seem to care about her… And yet, she told me you cast a curse upon her. Tell me that’s a lie. That it isn’t true. But it is, isn’t it? Because of me… Because of that journal…
Rush’s heart thumped painfully in his chest. Aura, who slept so peacefully on the damp grass, was the only reason Sorcha had a chance at returning. And when Sorcha was alive again, Pax would be fucked.
“It’s true. I cast it,” Rush admitted and held his breath. One person he was always honest with was his sister, even if she’d hid secrets from him.
Her bright blue eyes found his. Searching. Almost pleading that she would find a lie somewhere in his expression. When it was clear she would find none, she turned to fully face him. “Why would you do that?”
He ran a hand through his hair and inhaled. She would like the answer even less. In all the time he’d planned his revenge, he’d always avoided thinking about what her reaction to the spell would be. How she would feel about what he’d done. That was the reason he was hedging around the truth now. “I chose her because I needed a woman for the spell. I believed it was only fair that I use the one who Pax chose over you.”
“But she’s innocent!” Sorcha snapped. “Why would you do something so heinous? That’s not you, Rush.”
“I’m not the same, Sorcha. The only thing good I’ve continued to do is take care of my court. I know you and our parents wouldn’t want it to return to the way it was when Aura’s ancestors ruled it. As for the spell, it’s meant to give you life so you can come back.” His eyes shifted to her stomach. “But … it will only work for you. A life for a life, not two.”
“Come back?” She leapt off the boat and paced in front of him, cradling her stomach. “Come back?And without my child?”
Fuck. He knew she wouldn’t like it, but if he could fix the situation, how could henotcast the spell? There was nothing to be done about the baby, but saving one of them was better than neither. “I did it for you, Sorcha. So you could get your revenge against Pax for lying and deceiving you. You left because of what he did!”
“Why are you saying Ileft?” She whirled on him, her eyes narrowed. “Do you think Iwantedthis? I had a small child growing inside of me and would have loved them the way our parents had us, regardless if Pax wanted no part of the child’s life.”
Rush scowled, holding back the rage igniting in his blood. “Then why did you do it? Why would you go to the lake you love so much and drown yourself?”
Sorcha’s eyes went wide. “So everyone truly thinks that?” she whispered.
Rush rose to his feet. What everyonethinks? What was that supposed to mean? She had gone for a walk that morning, refusing any company. Three different servants and a visiting lord had seen her making her way toward the lake just outside the palace walls, then later, a fisherman witnessed her standing at the water’s edge as he was leaving with his daily catch.
“Rush!” she shouted, breathing rapidly. “Does everyone believe I drowned myself?”
“What else would they think? What else would I think? I read your journal, Sorcha.” He grabbed her upper arms and she gasped for air. “Breathe, sister. Tell me what’s wrong. What can I do?”
