Tortured: An Epic Dragons and Immortals Romantic Fantasy (Fallen Emrys Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 20

Hours pass before I’m able to gain control of my senses—

Before I can no longer feel the physical pain of Niawen’s death.

The emotional pain… I will always feel.

Riahn calls to me. Her arms come around me. She croons to me as she usually does when agony from my bonds rear. I’m always so astounded when she’s nurturing.

Kian’s attempting to heal me—

From an emotional pain so intense I’m blinded to everything else.

I push them away and scrape to my feet. “I’m fine.”

I’m not fine.

I’ll never be fine.

“What happened this time?” Riahn asks softly.

“I can’t.” I shake my head and stalk off into the dark.

I don’t feel right. Something deep inside me feels all wrong. Broken. Hollow.

My bond with Niawen is destroyed.

I stop a few yards from camp. I twist my neck. Arch my back.

I no longer feel her pull.

She’s truly gone.

I stop, rooted to the spot. I can’t draw breath. I can’t form a coherent thought besides She’s gone. Gone. She’s gone.

I’ll never see her again.

But I never expected to.

I didn’t keep her safe. Staying away did nothing to keep her from Caedryn!

I should have been with her. I could have protected her!

A fury builds inside. My blood races through my body, burning as it goes, imbued by the heat of my light. The scorching fire doesn’t cause the pain I wish it would.

Burn the agony from me!

Moisture dampens my cheeks.

I remain rigid.

I sense my team winding down for the night. From my distance, I hear Riahn telling them to leave me alone and that she’ll take first watch.

What am I doing here? My breaths come strong and heavy. I’ve failed at everything in my life. I failed to be the brother I should have. I failed to be the son I should have. I failed to protect the woman I loved, and now I’m an assassin for someone I don’t care for, don’t owe allegiance to.

All these years abroad have just been to distract me from what I can’t have. Family.

All because of Caedryn.

Why did he do this? Why did he kill Niawen?

And I’m still connected to him!

I have to get rid of him, of this vile, despicable connection I have to Caedryn. Niawen is dead. I don’t have to protect her anymore. I don’t have to hold onto my promise to her to stay away from Caedryn. I just need to be free from his torment.

Get revenge for Niawen.

I skirt around the camp to where Riahn is on watch, right through the bramble bushes and over fallen logs. The stickers cling to my clothes, but I don’t care.

Riahn sits on a boulder in the dark, frozen, staring into the distance, yet I know she’s keenly alert. She never dozes on watch.

I step on a twig, and it snaps.

Riahn doesn’t turn her head. “This was one of the worst for you. You were standing there for some time before you collapsed.”

I grunt as I stop in front of her. “You told me once how you could sense my light. How it’s different from mortals and different from emrys.”

“Yeah. So?” She narrows her silver eyes at me.

“Can you take it from me?”

She snorts and then shakes her head. “You don’t want me to do that.”

“I do.”

She slides off the rock toward me, making me back away because of her forwardness, the sudden eager tone in her voice. Her demon is hungry for me. It has always been curious. Yet Rhian says, “You’re angry. You’re upset. You don’t know what you’re asking,” as if her human side is trying to dissuade me.

Though her commanding aura makes me nervous, I say, “I do. This has to stop.”

“You know how I extract light. You know what I would have to do to you.”

“I have to be rid of him.” My words are hard.

“What did he do this time?”

“He killed her.” My voice catches, and I swallow. I channel all the sorrow I feel for Niawen into rage for Caedryn.

“Why not make him suffer? Do one of your self-torture things to make him pay.”

I glare into her dark eyes. “It’s not enough.”

Riahn trails a finger down my jaw and across my chest as she paces around me. This is her demon in control. I’ve piqued its interest.

Her voice drops low, soft, and seductive. “Your light is everywhere in you.” She stops behind me, and her nose touches my ear. Her body heat mixes with mine, making my skin sweat. “I won’t lie. I’ve always wanted a taste.”

I pinch my eyes shut. “I’m offering it freely.”

Riahn pulls away enough that the heat from her body leaves me. I draw a deep, nervous breath. I’m desperate enough to let her dig her claws into me.

“Have you been with a woman?” Her voice changes, taking on a menacing edge as her demon fully emerges. I don’t have to turn and look into her eyes to know. “All this time that we’ve been together, I’ve never once known you to disappear to bed a woman.”

“Once. A long time ago. Another lifetime.”

Riahn throws her head back and laughs with such force I whirl around.

“This is not fun—” I snarl.

She pushes me against the boulder she’d been sitting on. “Young prince,” she hisses, “this is going to hurt.”

My body tenses. “Just don’t stop until it’s done.”

Her hot lips land on mine, and she thrusts her tongue into my mouth.

Momentary disgust courses through me as she eagerly moves her mouth. Her hands slip up through my hair and then down my shoulders to my waist to undo the belt at my pants.

I almost push her off. Almost yank her hair back and rip her lips away.

But then a hurt stabs through my chest. The hurt of sorrow, the hurt of dreams never being realized. Everything that I had ever wanted has been taken from me. My life. My love. My family. My friends.

A sinister part of me blames Niawen.

And she’s finally gone from me.

I’m rid of her.

I’m not saving myself for her.

Why do I have to suffer anymore?

I let the shock and disgust from Riahn, from the demon touching me, sear away. For once in my life, I will be greedy. I will find pleasure in satiating a part of myself that I’ve denied for so long.

I slam Riahn against the boulder, taking control, being the aggressor. Riahn responds with a gasp. She yanks my head back and flashes a wicked grin at me, just long enough for me to catch her black eyes in the moonlight.

By morning, I will be rid of Caedryn.