Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(43)
He smirks at me with his evil smile and brags, “Oh, I have already had her, Your Highness. Many times as a matter of fact. Her fiery temper in bed was something to behold, and I look forward to f*cking her again.”
Without a moment’s thought, the anger boils over and I lunge straight for him, only to see him disappear before I make contact.
“You son of a bitch! I will kill you before you touch her again,” I roar. My lungs are on fire and not being able to hurt him angers me more. The rage surging through my veins demands action. I take all the anger and all the hate inside me and I put them into words.
“No matter what you do, Meliantha will always be smarter than you. You can play your twisted games, but in the end we will all see you as what you truly are...a f*cking coward that hides in the shadows.”
The dark sorcerer’s smile fades and he clenches his jaw. I smile because I know that was a devastating blow and it struck a nerve. After a few seconds his frown changes to a mischievous grin.
“Yes, well, it’s just a shame you won’t be here for the ending. I would have preferred for you to see what I do to your precious princess.”
The warnings in my body instantly sound off, and I am about to make my move to escape when something hard and cold wraps around my arm. The room begins to fade and it feels like my inner soul is disappearing and being replaced by something malevolent and evil. The last things I hear as I fade out of my body are the sounds of Breena laughing and the taunting words of the dark sorcerer.
“Don’t worry, Prince Kalen. I will be sure to show Meliantha a good time when you’re gone.”
Meliantha…
I watch Kalen walk away and Ashur picks this time to elbow me in the ribs playfully.
“Come on, Princess. You can’t stare at him all night.” I look at him and smile. He looks extremely happy and I wonder where it’s coming from.
“Why are you so happy?” I ask, excited and curious.
He takes my hand and pulls me toward the cottage.
“I’ll show you.” We walk up the steps and onto the porch. Aki runs in as soon as Ashur opens the door and when I look inside I finally understand where his happiness is coming from. Sitting in the middle of the room talking to Finn is Elissa. I let go of Ashur’s hand to dash through the room toward her. She startles at the sound of me bursting through the door and stands up only to be crushed by my arms as I hold her tight. It feels so good to have my best friend back and out of harm’s way. Everything that has happened to her is all because of me and my ties to the dark sorcerer. I hope she can forgive me.
“I’m so sorry, Elissa,” I cry. I let the tears flow because not only am I torn, but I can feel the torment inside of her as well. The knowledge of what she has done is taking a toll on her emotional state. It weighs heavily on her heart and the guilt is eating away at her. She holds me tight and sobs against my shoulder. “Please forgive me. I should never have given you that necklace.”
“I don’t blame you, Mel,” she whispers. It feels good to hear those words, but I know I will always carry the blame no matter what she says. She lets me go and the pain I see in her eyes makes my heart ache for her even more. With tears streaming down her face, her eyes search mine frantically.
“How am I going to get through this? I killed someone, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. How can I bear it when it’s consuming me inside?”
Ashur comes over and pulls her into his arms. He looks me straight in the eyes when he speaks soothingly to her.
“We are all here to help you through it. I will help you through it.” Her crying stops and she sniffles while peering up at Ashur. He wipes her tears away and then he leans down to kiss her lips. She melts in his arms and returns the kiss passionately. I hate that it took something this drastic to make them realize how much they need each other.
Finn turns his head away from their display and looks at me. His smile is weak, but he tries his best to make it strong. He gets up from his seat and disappears down the hallway until I hear the door to his room shut lightly. I hope with all my heart that he finds someone to love who will love him back.
Ashur and Elissa are still kissing, and I know his love for her will help her through anything she has to face. They break apart, but are still in each other’s arms when Ashur pleads to me silently, “Please help her, Meliantha. I am begging you to help take some of this guilt away. As much as I hate to say this, she is not strong enough to handle it, even with our help.”
The moment I saw her I wanted to take the pain away, but messing with people’s emotions is not something I want to make a habit of. I know what happened to her is my fault, so I will do anything in my power to help her. I come up behind Elissa and I place my hand on her shoulder. I can feel the electric current of my magic leaving my hand and entering her body. The tingling sensation feels good as it comes alive in my body. I can sense it taking away the pain and guilt in Elissa and leaving only a dull ache in its place until there is no more.
Her body sags in Ashur’s arms, most likely from my magic and exhaustion, so he scoops her up and cradles her against his body. Knowing that Elissa will be fine and safe releases the heavy burden that’s been building on my chest.
“Thank you,” he whispers to me. “I’m going to lay her down to rest for a while, and I believe it is time for you to get ready for tonight.”