Chapter 7
TARIAN
I t had taken Tarian several hours of canvassing to find Seris again.
She’d been on the move, but eventually, his magic caught up when she stopped long enough to be found.
He parked his Jaguar in a nearly full lot in front of a building with many doors—a place where people lived, he realized. Perhaps her home?
The thought sent a thrill through him.
What would that be like? What kind of place would she make for herself here on Earth, far from the palace they had shared? Would it still carry her special touch—the unique warmth and beauty he’d adored?
Tarian stepped out of the car and stilled, scanning himself for the pull of their shared bond that would guide him to her. The pull whispered to him, faint but steady, guiding him toward the stairs. Rocky padded at his side, his small paws beating a steady rhythm against the pavement.
“Do I look presentable for this planet?” Tarian had asked the dog earlier, back in the hotel room, once he’d donned the suit.
He’d chosen it because his brother, Rax, always seemed so at ease wearing one. It was part armor, part uniform—an unspoken signal that Rax belonged, even among humans.
Tarian wasn’t so sure it would work for him. Finding a suit that fit had been its own challenge. The man who sold it to him hadn’t been reluctant, but he’d spent a long time searching the racks before emerging with something that could accommodate Tarian’s broad shoulders and tall frame.
“Quite distinguished,” Rocky had said confidently, his tail wagging as if he were a proper judge of fashion.
And so, armed with nothing but a small dog’s opinion, his brother’s influence, and eight hundred years of hope, Tarian mounted the stairs.
When he reached the door he knew was hers, he hesitated for only a moment before raising his hand to knock.
He recognized the blonde from earlier when she opened the door.
She was drunk—he could scent it on her breath. That, combined with his shower and shave, might have been why she didn’t place him immediately.
She stared at him, brow furrowed, tilting her head slightly—like she was working through a puzzle. Then, she twisted back toward the party. “Who the hell ordered a stripper?”
Tarian blinked. He didn’t know what that was, but it didn’t sound good.
Another woman, just as drunk as the blonde, stumbled up to the door. Her gaze swept over him hungrily—until it landed on Rocky, who sat obediently at his feet.
“Sarah, strippers don’t bring dogs,” the new woman said, her words slurred.
“Maybe the dog does tricks?” Sarah offered, her brow still furrowed as if trying to connect stray memories.
“Who’re you here with?” she finally asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“Now? He’s with me,” the second woman declared, grabbing his arm with surprising decisiveness and hauling him inside before he could respond.
Tarian was momentarily overwhelmed the moment he stepped inside.
The music was loud and heavy with bass, vibrating through the floor. The lights were low, casting strange shadows, and the air carried the unmistakable scent of something pungently herbal.
The temptation to unleash his magic and find Seris here, now, was immense. But he kept himself under control.
Barely.
The woman at his side pressed a cold bottle into his hand. “So, how do you know Chelly? I thought I knew all her friends!”
“Is this the girl?” Rocky asked, bouncing excitedly at his feet, ready to claim his place as dog-king.
“No,” Tarian said quietly, his voice meant only for the dog. “Mine has warm skin, warm eyes, brown hair, and she carries the scent of orange blossoms.”
“Got it!” Rocky barked, then zipped off into the crowd without hesitation.
The woman frowned. “You want orange beer? We don’t have any Blue Moon.”
“I do not want beer,” Tarian said, though he absently took a sip of the one in his hand, scanning the room from his greater height.
Several people were already staring, whispering, their eyes darting toward him as if they could sense he didn’t belong.
Seris was so close. And yet, impossibly far. “Excuse me,” he said abruptly, handing the bottle back to the stranger. His chest ached with the familiar emptiness, the void only Seris could fill. He had to find her. Some part of him would never be whole again until he did.
And a furious barking erupted from the next room.
Tarian moved instinctively, following the sound, each step drawing him closer to her. He could feel her presence now, a pull deep within his soul.
His pulse quickened as he turned the corner, bracing himself for their reunion. Surely now she would see him, know him, and everything would fall into place.
But she didn’t.
Rocky had her cornered—and she didn’t even realize it.
Because she was too busy being kissed against the wall by another man.
The world around Tarian went still. The music dulled, the shadows pressed closer, and all he could see was her. His Seris. Here. Alive. With someone else’s lips on hers.
Tarian crossed the room in a single breath, his hand closing around the man and barely stopping himself from launching him through a nearby window.
“Hey, man!” the kisser protested, stumbling back as Tarian released him.
The kissee was definitely Seris.
She wasn’t as drunk as her friend, and the second her eyes landed on him, recognition flared. Not from her past, but from earlier today.
“How the fuck did you get in here?” she demanded.
“I showered and shaved,” Tarian answered, honestly.
Her expression twisted with disbelief. “What the—who let you in?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He stepped closer, setting himself between her and the rest of the room.
The lights here were even dimmer, casting shadows over her, and she was wearing a black dress.
It reminded him of the last time he’d seen her form—when the false version of her had been wrapped in a burial shroud.
“Seris,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “It is Tarian. You know me.” He searched her face, willing her to remember, pouring his heart into every word. “I’ve been waiting?—”
“To ruin this for me?” she snapped, cutting him off. She stepped to the side, fast and sharp, taking the arm of the man he’d shoved.
The human stepped in front of her protectively.
“Who is this guy?” the man asked, his voice edged with anger.
“I have no fucking idea!” Seris said, and Tarian heard the truth in her voice.
The words hit him like a blow. His muscles tensed, his breath coming hard. Around him, several men made fists and crouched, ready for a fight. A girl screamed, another ran for the door, and Rocky barked furiously at his feet.
It was like being trapped in the Below all over again.
The entire world could be open to him, but it meant nothing if he was forced to live in it without her.
“Twice now, Mister!” The blonde, Sarah, shoved her way toward him, her phone in hand, shaking it like a weapon. “You need to go, or we’re calling the cops.”
“That’s who shot you earlier!” Rocky chimed in helpfully. “The cops!”
Tarian inhaled deeply, forcing his rage back down. He didn’t want projectile weapons fired anywhere near Seris, especially if these “cops” had poor aim.
But what could he do?
He couldn’t keep chasing her if she didn’t want him.
And if she didn’t want him—what else was there?
Tarian straightened, his shoulders squaring, and met her gaze. Searching her eyes, he spoke the only truth he had left.
“I cannot live without you, Seris. Please. Save me.”
Confusion flashed across her face—a brief reflection of the agony on his own. For a heartbeat, he thought she might say something, anything, that would anchor him in her world.
And then her friend was shouting, “I’m calling, I’m calling!” Rocky was nipping at his heels, trying to herd him toward the door, and the human man stepped in front of her completely, blocking Seris from his view.
He knew he was almost indestructible but somehow he still felt destroyed.
He turned and stalked out of the small dwelling, his fists clenched at his sides. Behind him, the crowd murmured and speculated, their words cutting into him as the door slammed shut.
It felt as strong as any Gate.
Outside, Rocky reared up on his hind legs, resting his forepaws on the railing Tarian was gripping with white-knuckled hands.
“That’s not how you thought things were going to go, huh?”
“No,” Tarian said, his voice hollow, his gaze fixed on the stars above.
Rocky tilted his head, his small frame vibrating with nervous energy. “Hey,” he said, his voice softer now. “You gonna be okay, big guy?”
Tarian didn’t answer.
He didn’t know.