Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48827 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
“That's not fair,” I say. “I wasn't choosing my brothers over you, I was choosing life, your life, over losing you.”
Her jaw goes taught, and she shakes her head. “That's another line of horseshit,” she says, shocking the hell out of me.
She stands from her chair, crossing the room as if she might leave, and I rush to her side, gently gripping her wrist, silently begging her to stay. She looks at where I hold her, shifting her hand into mine, smoothing her thumb over my palm as she looks up at me.
I graze my free hand over her cheek, pushing back some of her long hair over her shoulder. “Would it be such a tragic thought that you might want to stay? In the king's court, and the king's residence, with me?”
She chokes out a dark laugh. “That's the thing, Z,” she says, shoulders dropping. “If you would’ve asked me this before you went into stasis, if you would’ve looked me in the eye and told me the reasons why you were doing what you were doing, I would’ve waited for you. I would’ve spent an eternity waiting for you.” She sighs. “But you didn't ask me. You didn't explain. You wrote me a goodbye letter, wishing me to find the best life without you, saying you had no choice.” She steps away from my touch, tears lining her eyes. “But you did have a choice. You could have chosen me. You could’ve chosen to include me in your plans, to see me as your equal, and to trust me to wait for you, to support you. Because that's the fucked-up thing, Z. I would have. I would have understood, even as it ripped my heart out, I would have understood. In case you forgot, I love Saint like a brother, and Dagon and Talon and Ajax. They were blood to you, which made them blood to me, and I would’ve never asked you to choose between us. All I wanted was the respect enough to make my own decision to wait for you while you slept. But you denied me that.” Tears roll down her cheeks.
My world shifts on its axis at her words, her admission.
She makes her way to the door, and I'm frozen, unable to stop her. She looks at me, shaking her head. “I would have waited forever for you,” she says. “But that's before I knew what it felt like to be pushed aside for the sake of duty.”
She leaves, closing the door behind her, not once looking back.
CHAPTER 16
Talia
It's been a week since Zachariah took me on our axe throwing date.
A week of throwing myself into hunts and researching and hanging out with the girls in a pathetic attempt to avoid him.
I’d laid every inch of myself bare that night, and I didn’t have the courage to stick around and hear how he might respond.
I half expected him to have cornered me in the last week, to force me to hear his side of the story. But the charming bastard was respectfully giving me my space, and I hated myself for wanting him to break the clear boundary I'd set up.
Hated that half of me appreciated the distance, the time to clear my head. The other half of me hated the distance, and I ached for him on a second-to-second basis.
It certainly didn't help now, standing with the girls on one of the little balconies that overlooks the training room, doing what they call one of their favorite pastimes—watching the assassins and hunters train.
Zachariah is facing off with Dagon, the two dominating one of the large cushioned mats in the left portion of the training room. Both are shirtless, their powers snapping here and there at each other right alongside their fists and legs.
Goddamn, Zachariah is fun to look at. His body is all carved muscle and smooth skin, sweat dripping down the grooves his muscles created.
Lachlan and Ajax were facing off on another mat on the right side of the training room, and Valor and Grace are watching that battle with rapt attention.
Annika stands on my left, her eyes trained almost exactly where mine are, except she can’t stop staring at Dagon. She isn’t even trying to hide it, and why would she, when she was among trusted female companions far away from prying eyes?
“I think you have a little drool happening right here,” I tease, pointing toward corner of her mouth.
She blinks out of her stare, laughing and shaking her head. “Can you blame me? Look at him.”
I certainly couldn't blame her. Dagon is a fine specimen with tons of corded muscle of his own, although more ink decorated his skin than Zachariah’s. His dirty blond hair is cut just above his shoulders, and is tied back now, his strong jaw dusted with the hint of a newly grown beard. With crystal blue eyes to match, he would draw anyone’s attention, not to mention he’s powerful, confident, and on occasion funny.