Page 97 of Dream in Darkness
“I’m sorry about being dishonest,” I say, but she doesn’t look over at me. Instead, she continues working her loom.
“You weren’t dishonest. I never asked if you were secretly plotting to kill one of us,” she says.
At that, I burst out laughing. “No, but I earned your trust, and I feel guilty. I feel like what I did was manipulative.”
She finally glances in my direction, her expression scrutinizing. “Was there anything political for you to gain from our friendship?”
“No.” I shake my head. “Our friendship was the one thing that was real from the start.”
“Then I’m not mad at you.” She continues working her loom. “Everyone knew you had to have skeletons in your closet, that’s why they kept close watch of you for so long. But now, it’s all in the past. You paid your penance when you ripped out your father’s heart.”
I guess I did. “So what did they tell you? About what happened.”
“Everything. Rowan recapped the entire battle, essentially,” she says. “Now watch this.”
She does something with her fingers that I don’t quite follow, but I watch, in awe of her skills anyway.
Dark blue hair falls down the front of her chest. “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
I nod, and part of me wishes it weren’t true. “I am, but I’m going to visit. I promise.”
“You better. Life was awfully lonely before you got here. Rowan and you are essentially the only ones who make an effort to include me,” she says, her words feeling like a knife to the heart.
I make a mental note to encourage the others to visit her more often. I know they all love her, but I can imagine the river makes things hard. Winged creatures don’t tend to like water.
Taryn gives me a small smile, and one of her eyebrows ticks up. “Yasmeena better visit too.”
“Yasmeena is staying,” I say, not wanting to think about the bleakness of my future. A future where Yasmeena and I are no longer.
“Why would she stay here?”
I furrow my brows in confusion. “Because this is her home? She works for Hel’s Carnival.”
“Yes, but you two are engaged. She can continue to work herepart-time, while remaining in the den with you,” she suggests, and in her voice, it sounds so obvious—so possible, but I know the reality of the situation.
“Taryn, none of it was real. I told you this engagement was a political arrangement.”
“At the beginning, but everyone can see that things have changed.”
I shake my head. Thingshavechanged, but it is not enough.
“Look me in the eye and say it’s nothing more, now,” she demands. “Tell me you don’t love her.”
I look away, unable to meet her piercing gaze as it bares into me. “I can’t, Taryn.”
“Then you have your answer. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but the two of you will figure it out together, you just need to take a leap of faith,” she says, and bumps her shoulder into mine.
Yasmeenaand I step off the platform of the monorail and head onto the streets of the economic district. Demons and half-demons dressed in suits buzz about, flying from building to building, and the fresh scent of coffee permeates the air.
Today, we are meeting with Pack Forres and Pack Caliban, in hopes of finalizing the treaty, completing the last step in our grand plan.
I’m proud of us, but I’m also experiencing a great bout of sadness.
My life completely changed in the matter of a few months. I went from a second-in-training working at a bar, to a circus performer and political pawn, and now I’m Alpha of Pack Escalus.
There’s nothing more I could dream of for myself—except maybe her.
It’s selfish of me, really. Yasmeena has her own things going for her here. She’s an amazing performer, a spy in The Devil’s Masquerade, and now that she’s the representative for the felion, she’s got her work cut out for her. I truly think Yasmeena can change lives. Not just on Haeresis, but for all felion on Hel. I don’t want to get in the way of that.
