Torrent of Tears (Scourge Survivor Series Book 3)(83)

He squeezed tighter. “I almost lost my baby girl. You know how fucking angry that makes me?”

“By the way you’re squeezing the air from my lungs, I could guess.”

Reign eased up on the welcome hug and set me back on my feet. “Don’t you ever walk away from us again. You hearing me? Do you know how frantic I was not knowing what the fuck happened to you?”

While he cursed, and barked, and ranted, his arms remained locked around me.

“—and Zophia tells us about Tham, but won’t give us any intel on where you are or how to get to you—”

Reign in a full-on rage was the best thing . . . ever. I stood there, inserting my ‘I’m sorrys’, ‘it won’t happen agains’, and ‘yes sirs’ where appropriate and had never felt more loved.

Once the air cleared, I formally introduced him to Rowan and tried to smooth some of the raw edges on that one. Despite his grumblings about Rowan being a civilian, and a Noble, I think he liked him or was starting to. Funny, most fathers would have been thrilled their daughter married a wealthy doctor, but in Reign’s eyes, Rowan’s only star quality was that he was a swordsmith.

Go figure.

Julian gave me a proper hug and offered me a cd case. “I downloaded the surveillance feed from your cam and made you this.”

I’d forgotten all about my third eye recorder and rolled my eyes. “I lived that nightmare, bro, I don’t need a reminder.”

He scrubbed a hand over his cheeks and chuckled. “Uh . . . this footage was taken earlier in the evening. It’s your wedding and the hours that followed.”

I snatched the case out of his hand and my cheeks warmed. “You didn’t watch it, did you, pervert?”

He made a face. “No, I edited it out before Reign saw it and killed the man. I will say, the time stamp from start to finish impressed the hell out of me. Your man’s a machine. Well done, Princess.”

I laughed and left my brother to go join my sex machine husband. After slipping the cd case into Rowan’s pocket, I cupped his ass. “So, Doc, what’s my surprise?”

“Despite what your brother thought it’s not my penis.”

He led me by the hand, past the colored glass doors of the library, past the entrance with the glass wall and the fish, and into an area of the main floor I had discovered during hide and seek. The double doors to a ballroom were open and when I saw who was inside, I jolted to a stop.

“Tham!”

I launched myself across the room and into his arms. He felt whole and warm and real and I let myself believe the past five days had been nothing but a cruel trick. “You’re here. Castian gave you back to us. Gods, I’m so sorry. I never meant—”

Tham pulled back and wiped my tear-stained cheeks with his thumb. “Shh, I know your heart. I made peace with what happened and accept my passing.”

“Made peace? Screw that. You’re back now and that’s all that matters.”

Tham shook his head. “No, little one, Castian has allowed me to say my goodbyes and fulfill my promise but that is all. He will not undo what has been done. That time has passed and my body has been burned. I am grateful he allowed me this much.”

“What? No? If I speak to him—”

“A life for a life, sweeting. You have your Rowan back. With Coal and Elani, your family is restored.”

“But you’re my family too. I need you.” I could see in his Highborne blue eyes that the deal was done. I had only this moment with Tham to say our goodbyes. “Will you still come to me? Still visit me in my dreams? I need our time together.”

The sharp intake of breath behind me made me wince. Shit. I’d never told Rowan about the nocturnal get togethers Tham and I shared.

“If I am able,” he said. “I shall always watch over you and Galan and our Haven family.”

I exhaled, glancing back to where Rowan stood over my shoulder. There was hurt and tension in his gaze, but love too. I turned back to Tham. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Hotness. This is all my fault.”

Tham shook his head and his flaxen waves rustled against the suede of his vest as it always had. “Mayhap this is where my Ambar Lenn was leading me all along. We cannot know what my path was meant to be. Whether my future lay in the hands of Castian, or the Fates, or my own free will, this is where we are and I accept it.”

“You’re such a fucking martyr,” I said with a quiet laugh. His perfect features blurred behind my tears. “Only you could take being dead and make it sound like a new and exciting adventure.”

He bowed his head and gestured to our family filing into the ballroom behind us. Reign corrected Coal’s grip on his dirk. Tham smiled. “If I spend a lifetime watching your futures unfold, neelan, it will be a full life indeed. With Rheagan and Abaddon together and on the loose, the war with the Scourge will escalate. You will need someone watching your back.”

“You’re pretty determined for a ghost, you know.”

“I am aware.” He smiled at me with an ease that only Tham could muster and my heart ached. “Do you remember what you told Galan, Aust, and me the morning we left our village and headed to Haven?”

I shrugged. “Something profoundly inspirational?”

“Naturally.” Tham laughed, running his fingers down the side of my cheek. “You said not to hold back when facing Fate’s Journey, that starting anew is the perfect opportunity to strike a fresh path and create a life only dreamed of.”