Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(28)
I sweep a mound of snow off the ledge of the fountain, and I take a seat. I wrap my arms around myself hoping to bring in some warmth. I do know of one way to send warmth through my body. I bend down on my knees and I cringe as the cold snow soaks into the fabric of my dress. I don’t plan on going back to the ball so ruining my dress now is of no consequence. I lay my hands on the cold, snowy ground and I close my eyes. I concentrate on the very core of my magic, summoning it to do my will. The power of the magic warms me with its gentle caress and it spreads all around the fountain and deep into the land. I breathe a sigh of relief. I haven’t felt this good in a really long time. The first thing I’m going to do when I go home is spend plenty of time in my gardens. The rush of using magic is intoxicating.
As the power begins to fade, I start to feel something cold and wet nuzzling my hand, and I open my eyes quickly to find a huge white wolf lying down on his belly in front of me. This must be one of Kalen’s wolves! I remember talking to him about them at Calista’s Guardian Ceremony and how much I would love to meet them. Having a magical ability pertaining to animals always draws them close to me and I love spending time with them.
Communicating with them also comes with my ability. They may not speak words, but I hear them all the same through images. With a simple touch, they can tell me everything. I reach over with both hands and I cup the wolf’s face to bring it level with mine. His fur is soft and feels like the fluffy fabric of cotton. His eyes glow a bright green making the snow on the ground give off a faint emerald glow. He is one magnificent creature.
“Why hello there, boy. What, may I ask, is your name?”
Still holding onto him, I close my eyes to concentrate on his thoughts. It starts off jumbled and not clear, but then the thoughts come together in a slow procession.
“Ah, so your name is Aki, right?” He huffs and licks my hand. I laugh and rub my face against his. He smells like the freshness of a winter snow and his fur is icy cold when I rub my cheek against it. He sends images cascad-ing through my mind and what I see is absolutely amazing. I can see his mate and his pup frolicking in the snow, and I can see an image of the pack resting together in their den. The image is breathtaking — I can see the whole pack together. I wish I could see them now.
“You have a beautiful pack, Aki.” He huffs again, pushing me to look further so I delve deeper into his thoughts. The next images are of Kalen. He looks forlorn and lost in all of them and it breaks my heart to see him so defeated.
“Was he this distraught over the past five years?” I ask the wolf.
He nods his head up and down with a painful set to his glowing green eyes. I shake my head.
“I don’t understand, why has he chosen to marry someone else then?” As soon as I ask, I can see the scene play out in my mind just as Aki had witnessed it. Kalen is training with the warriors when one of them mentions they heard one of the princesses of the Summer Court was dating one of their warriors.
Kalen approaches the warrior immediately and demands to know which princess. When he finds out it is me, his face turns crimson with anger, and he throws his sword half way across the training grounds and storms off. I never knew he had been living in pain and loss just as I have.
“Oh, Aki, it was all a misunderstanding. I had no idea he was that upset over the situation. We were tricked by the dark sorcerer and have been living in lies for the past five years.”
Aki abruptly stands up and guards me with his body, instantly on full alert. I snap to attention, but then calmly breathe a sigh of relief when I see who approaches. The thought of Aki protecting me is endearing, but it’s only Finn approaching, and I know he means me no harm. He’s carrying my cloak with him, and I can’t stop the excitement of knowing I will be warm in a matter of seconds.
“He’s a friend, Aki. You don’t have to protect me from him.” I rub behind his ear one good time and then I walk toward Finn with anticipation in each step. I really want my cloak. He opens it for me and the soft, velvety material slides over my cold body and begins to warm me instantly.
“The flowers are beautiful, Meliantha. I always loved what you could do with a garden.”
“Thank you, Finn. I haven’t used my magic in a long time and it felt good to use it.” I wrap the cloak tightly around my body while looking at my creation around the fountain. It’s a shame the flowers won’t last long once I leave.
Finn comes closer to me and takes my hands. I can feel the sadness in him rolling off in waves, and I hesitate a few seconds before lifting my face. I know what he’s about to say and it hurts my heart to feel this pain coming from him. I look into his watery gaze and my eyes burn with the unshed tears that are beginning to surface.
His voice is sad when he asks, “Is this the end for us, Princess?”
My heart lurches at his words and I know there is no way I can stop the tears from flowing. I pull him closer and I rest my head against his chest. I haven’t cried in a really long time, but knowing that I’m going to lose and hurt him is too overwhelming to hold the feelings inside.
I can’t bring myself to look at his face, so I sob against his chest.
“Finn, I don’t want to lose you, but my heart is with him.”
He blows out a loud breath, “I know, Mel. I’ve always known you would find your heart. It still doesn’t make it any easier. I have enjoyed every minute with you, and I want to know that you felt the same way with me.”