“Arwyn. Arwyn! I’m sorry, okay?” Darius’s voice echoed behind me. I stormed away from him after launching a stream of water at his face.

“Damn you, Darius!” I whirled around to face him when his fingers clasped around my wrist. “You had all this time to tell me the truth. How long have you known?"

He shifted uncomfortably. “A while.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me? This is my life you’re screwing with.” I threw my hands in the air and collapsed on a rock.

“Ar.” His fingers tenderly rubbed circles on my back. I tensed, not wanting to give in, but it felt nice. And I hated that. “What happened with you and Raydir?”

“You. You happened, Darius.” Tears flowed down my cheeks. “Did you not tell me because you want me all to yourself? Is this some sort of selfish alpha male thing?”

He shook his head as his stormy blue-eyed gaze landed on me. “Of course not. I care about you, Arwyn. And I just want what’s best for you.” He leaned forward.

I longed for the taste of his lips on mine, the feel of his hands over my body. Wait, where was this coming from?

“No.” I shook my head and pushed a hand against his chest. “Darius, I appreciate you talking with me yesterday and that kiss was pretty amazing, but it wasn’t the right time. Ray and I are on the rocks right now, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to us.”

He nodded. “You’re going through a lot right now. I shouldn’t have pushed.”

I sighed, flopping my head against his chest. “How is it that in moments like this, you always know the right things to say?”

“One of my charms, I guess,” he teased. “So, I guess I’ll see you later?”

“See you later, Darius.” I gave him a half-hearted smile before walking away.

Flashes from yesterday clouded my brain, heated passion mixed with the tender moments with Raydir from the last few days. Fingers grazing my skin. Gentle kisses. Gazes locked in desire. Subtle touches. Passionate glances. Small smiles to share an inside joke. Darius. Raydir. Darius. Raydir. Darius. Ray—

“Trouble on the horizon?” Caesaria asked, her voice breaking through my internal debate. She crossed her arms over her chest as she approached.

I waved at her. “Try all the time. Do you think I can stay with you for a while?”

She frowned. “Of course you can. But why? Did something happen with you and Ray?”

Could I really do this? She deserved to know. “Raydir and I are taking a break.”

“What? Why? What happened? Start from the beginning.”

I winced. “Promise you won’t be mad?”

“Promise.” She looped her arm through mine. “But tell me as we walk because I’m hungry.”

I sighed and relayed the story to her, starting from the love ceremony in Gwyniar and the voice that spoke and ending with my kiss with Darius. When I was finished, I watched her face for reactions.

“Cae, please say something.”

“So that’s what Ray was talking about,” she murmured under her breath before turning to me. “Tell me more about this voice. You said you first heard it in Gwyniar?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was Darius and Raydir agrees. But—”

“No he doesn’t,” she interjected.

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean he doesn’t? Ray and I had this conversation already. We both thought it had to be Darius because, c’mon, who else could it be? They’re the only two people I have a link with.”

Caesaria kept walking and I hurried to keep up with her. “Raydir isn’t convinced anymore that it was Darius. And frankly? Neither am I. I mean, do you really think Darius would purposefully do anything to try and break you and Ray up?”

I considered this. But as much as I didn’t like it, Darius had truly proven himself as a friend and not some guy trying to win over a girl.”

I shook my head, breaking away from my thoughts. “That’s not why we’re taking the break. It’s because we both need time to sort out our feelings, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Cae ran her fingers over her arms. “Okay, I’m going to be the type of friend here for a minute who understands that you’re going through a rough patch, but I want you to know that keeping what you’re feeling bottled up inside is not the way to go. Talk with Ray. Communicate with him. You two practically just got married and now you’re about to give it up for what, a crush?”

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

I stayed silent for a minute. She was right. “He’s having doubts about us, too. And I don’t know where they were stemming from.”

We entered the Grand Cabin and took seats at one of the tables.

“Yes, you do.” She looked into my eyes. “Arwyn, this man gave up his life for you. The least you can do is talk with Ray. Tell him how you feel. Because if he finds out after the fact that you do have feelings for Darius, someone is going to get hurt.”

I sighed. Ray was going to be hurt no matter what, and I hated that. “I know.” I wish I didn’t feel this way about Darius.

Caesaria took a deep breath beside me. “And now I’m going to be the friend who you spill all the dirty details to. So, tell me: how was it?”

“Kissing Darius?” I bit my lip, not sure I wanted to admit the truth. “Amazing. Sensational.” Different.

“So you’ve made out with him how many times now?”

“Only once.”

“For now.” She smirked.

I whacked her arm playfully. “And it wasn’t exactly a make-out.”

Caesaria raised her eyebrows. “Oh it was so a makeout. It was hot and heavy, right? Totally a make-out.”

“Okay, so maybe it was a make-out. But that doesn't matter because he confirmed what I feared about the connection, the marking, everything.”

She regarded me with hesitation. “What did he say?”

“I have until the third alignment to make my decision between him and Ray. And I don’t know, I’m mad at myself. I like Darius, and he likes me. But should that be the reason why I give up Raydir and everything I’ve ever known?”

“Arwyn, it’s natural to have doubts.”

“I’m not having doubts, Cae. But if I can’t trust him…”

“Have you thought that maybe he didn’t tell you because—”

“If you say protect me, I’m going to smack you. Just like I told Darius this morning. ‘Trust me’. ‘I’m trying to protect you’. I just can’t take it anymore.”

One of the servers placed a salad in front of me before I stabbed at the food with my fork. “I wish for once people would stop trying to protect me. This is my life.”

“I know it’s your life, Arwyn. But”—she looked around the room—“Look, I’m going to tell you something because Darius is a guy and he’s obviously crazy about you so he won’t tell you this, but there is a reason why the two of you fight so much yet always come back to kiss and make up.”

“I’m not kissing him ever again.” Pfft, yeah right.

Caesaria smirked. “You seriously underestimate your feelings for him, Arwyn. Listen, I have to run, but I’ll see you later?”

I nodded. “See you. And I can still come stay with you, right?”

She gave me a hug. “Of course. I’ll talk to Rosie about getting you an extra cot.”

With that she hurried away, leaving me to finish my lunch in quiet.

Once I finished eating, I headed toward the library. I had been in Darqua for over two months, and ever since going back to the library at my former home in Gwyniar, I longed to hold a book in my hands.

The library in the Grand Cabin was massive with oak-paneled doors and walls lined with bookshelves. I walked over to the left side and slipped a book out of the shelves, running my finger along the smooth spine. The scent of old leather wafted toward my nose and I smiled. It felt just like home.

Before I knew it, the sky had darkened as the clouds settled in, and I hurried over to Caesaria’s cabin. She invited me inside and we got settled for the night.

“I’m going to bed,” Caesaria said. “If you need anything, just knock. I hope the couch will be okay until we can get you that cot. Then you’ll be able to bunk in my room. And sorry for not having an extra room.”

“It’s alright, Cae. I promise. You weren’t expecting to have a roommate, right? Heck, if I knew that Ray and I were anywhere near the end, I would’ve told Rosie to give us a one-bedroom cabin on our arrival here.” I curled my fingers around a mug of hot ibisco tea.

“Arwyn, do not beat yourself up over this break. Remember, that’s all it is right now. It’s not an official break up. And, well, maybe just think about Darius.”

I raised my eyebrows and she rolled her eyes.

“Think about what I said about Darius,” she clarified.

Right. “I will. Night.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance. As I settled into the couch, the rain began to hammer down on the cabin roof. I closed my eyes, breathing in the beauty of the rain. Ever since I was a child, the rain had always been my favorite. Maybe that’s why my powers were to control water.

I opened the book I’d borrowed from the library in the Grand Cabin. With the aroma of the tea and the sound of rain pelting against the cabin windows, I soon drifted off with the comfort of knowing I was safe here. No Raydir. No Darius. Just me.

And maybe that’s how it needed to be for a while, I thought to myself as I drifted to sleep and into a memory.

“You’re late!” I hissed as I let my sister into our bedroom well after she’d agreed to return from her rendezvous with a man she called Earl Bennett.

Arabella quietly closed the door. “Sorry. We got caught up in the moment.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t get caught.”

She pulled at the pins that held her hair into a fancy updo, letting her dark tresses tumble down her back. “Relax, Ar. Ginny took me through the servant quarters so I wouldn’t be seen. And I’m back now.”

I huffed and bounced on the bed. “He better be worth it, Bella. Your ceremony is in a few days, what happens if it’s not his name you pick?”

“Then we will run away together.” She placed her hand over mine. “I know what it means, Arwyn, and I’m prepared for the consequences.”

“Even if it means leaving me?” My voice came out barely above a whisper.

Tears filled Arabella’s eyes. “I love you, Arwyn. With all my heart.” She reached forward and brushed my hair behind my ears. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Then don’t.” My voice broke.

She leaned forward and kissed my temple. “Get some sleep, Ar. I’ll see you in the morning.”