Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
ALINA
Istood by the doorway still unsure of what just happened. Frid paced back and forth, her hand still clenching both golden chains.
“Why are you so upset?” I asked, pressing my back against the wall.
“‘I’m not upset. Why? Why would you say that?” She stopped and threw the jewelry back on the side table.
“What are those?”
“Those? Grace seems to think that one of us, or maybe both, will be . . .” she fell silent.
“What?”
“Do you really want me to say it?” Frid gave me a heavy stare.
“I want you to say something because you’re scaring me,” I responded, stepping to the side table and taking a closer look at the chains.
My hand touched the unusual design and I picked it up, examining the faintly noticeable golden thread.
“That’s a pregnancy preventative,” Frid blurted out.
“What?” I dropped the item back on the table.
“I don’t know what she thinks is going on in this house, but she doesn’t want any of us to get pregnant.” Frid resumed pacing.
“How does it work?” I glanced at the chains with curiosity.
“You strap it around your waist while you . . . anyway, it’s infused with magic. Victor saw it. What will he think? That I asked her to bring it? That I’m planning to . . . it’s absolutely embarrassing!” Frid groaned plopping onto the bed.
“Why did she bring it?” I asked.
Frid made some unintelligible noise and covered her face with a pillow.
“I’m sure he doesn’t think that. Besides, since when you are so concerned with what Victor thinks?”
“True. I don’t care what he thinks.” Frid sat up straight.
“You don’t have to wear it. Let's leave them here. Grace will never know,” I reasoned.
Ten minutes later we left the room agreeing not to speak of it ever again.
I was surprised to see that Victor changed into a dark gray matching suit, his usually messy light hair was combed back.
“What happened to you?” Frid tilted her head to the side.
“Do you like it?”
“You look . . . nice,” her voice sounded unexpectedly soft.
After that, all three of us stepped out of the house into the soft gentle colors of the setting sun.
I glanced toward the city, noticing numerous lanterns lit further in the valley.
Now more than any other time, Darragh resembled a fairy land with its misty, windy roads and the fields blurring in the dim light, tiny cottages scattered here and there and the stars clearly visible up above.
The castle stood overbearing and monumental in the distance.
As we got closer, my eyes took in the unfinished, disorganized exterior of the structure ahead, once again trying to envision Tynan’s life within these walls.
Suddenly, I realized that even if he often appeared cold and unapproachable, he still did not seem to fit in a place like this.
Behind his often uninviting exterior, Tynan was warm and full of life. Scorching hot flames burned underneath his skin, even if he did everything to hide it.
“I wonder if Gabrielle is here?” Frid asked and my thoughts took another turn.
Victor gave me a quick glance and shrugged his shoulders.
Inside, the palace was decorated with garlands of wildflowers, and multiple chandeliers brightened the rooms without being powerful enough to overwhelm us.
In the light of the candles, the long, rough cut, wooden tables were adorned with an assortment of refreshments sitting in exquisitely made crystal vessels.
Local musicians played numerous string instruments, filling the space around us with tender and melancholic melodies.
As soon as we entered the spacious hall, Grace approached us on unsteady feet, appearing slightly under the influence. Her cheeks looked unnaturally pink and contrasted with her cream-colored lace dress. Two rows of pearls decorated her neck, and long gloves almost reached her elbows.
“I’m glad you could come. This place can be cheerful sometimes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen too often. But, you two know that quite well,” she added, glancing at Frid and Victor.
“Why are you helping us?” Frid blurted out unexpectedly.
Even if I did not know the history behind all of it, I could not help thinking that we did not want to upset the only person who seemed nice to us here. Concerned, I watched Grace’s face as she stretched her lips into a thin smile.
“Hello to you, too. I helped you because Tynan is my grandchild, and despite everything, he is still my blood,” the old woman said.
“Where is he?” Victor asked, evidently relieved to change the subject.
“I believe you can find him by the fireplace, catching up with his ex fiance,” Grace moved her elegant head toward the back wall.
My eyes found the figure wearing dark leather, then my mouth went desert dry when I saw an elfin-looking girl standing beside him.
Gabrielle was really pretty with curly brown hair and beautiful, sad eyes.
Her hand was comfortably resting on Tynan’s arm as she was saying something to him.
Her lips were curling up, while Tynan looked impassively grave, and deep in thought.
He did not seem to know that we were here, oblivious to everything around him.
“They have a lot to talk about.” Grace sighed, turning away.
“May I take both of you to a table?” Victor asked, extending his arm to Frid.
“Knock it off. You freak me out,” Frid hissed.
“Yes, you may.” Grace placed her gloved hand into his, catching him off guard.
Frid smirked, watching Victor leading Grace to the table with refreshments.
“Shall we?” Frid offered me her arm and I took it, forcing myself to look straight ahead.
It was about an hour later and all the noise and the suffocatingly sweet scent of the flowers brought me a pounding headache.
I took a sip of my sparkling wine, the bubbles went up my nose and somehow burned my throat.
Tynan and Gabrielle were still talking, and not a nod or a look came from the former who seemed to be engrossed in his companion.
“What do you think is going on there?” Victor glared at Tynan and Gabrielle.
“I don’t know, but she sure didn’t miss any of us,” Frid muttered.
At that moment Sol joined our group, looking like he had just stepped out for a moment.
“Sol, I didn’t know you were here,” Victor said.
“I just got in. Where’s Ty?”
“Right over there,” Frid pointed.
“Is he with Gabrielle?” Sol raised his eyebrows.
“As you can see,” Victor added.
“I thought he was done with her. It took him over a year to get over the breakup. I’m not even sure he is completely over it,” the giant man continued.
My heart cracked into multiple pieces, bringing me pain I never knew before.
I looked down, picking up my glass. The blood rushed to my face and for once I was happy that my companions would not be able to see it in the dim light.
I took a deep breath, looking down at my dress.
It was getting physically difficult to keep it together when I knew that I wanted to do something crazy.
I was contemplating if I could leave without being noticed.
The evening had proven to be one of the most miserable evenings I have ever experienced.
It was truly ironic, because for the past two years I thought that my heart was completely spent, incapable of any strong emotions.
I thought that the death of my fiance broke me in more ways I could ever fully comprehend, but here I was, dying inside while watching Tynan talking to a girl.
Somehow he had become so important that seeing him with someone else felt like inhaling poison.
“Shall we dance?” Frid offered.
I looked at her confused.
“Sol, would you like to dance with me?” Frid asked.
“Sure, if you want.” Sol stood up offering Frid his hand.
I could not help glancing at Tynan, whose eyes moved in my direction and lingered on my face for a long moment.
“Do you think she likes him?” Victor asked.
“What?” I returned my gaze to the young man but quickly saw that he was looking at Frid dancing with Sol.
“No, I don’t think so,” I sighed, picking up my glass.
“You’re a girl,” he continued.
“Yes?” I blinked.
“She’s a girl, too. Do you talk about . . .?”
“What?”
“Men?” Victor answered, not taking his eyes off Frid who was laughing as she pulled Sol to the side to avoid bumping into another couple.
“Not really. Why?”
“No reason.” Victor picked up his glass and emptied it in one motion.
“Do you like Frid?” I asked.
“What?” Victor’s eyes peered into mine.
“Do you like Frid?”
“Why would you . . .What makes you think . . .?”
“This is the first time I have seen you speechless.” I placed my fingers on my chilled glass.
“Is it that obvious?” Victor let go of a long sigh.
“Yes.” I nearly smiled watching him messing up his hair absentmindedly.
Victor was silent, staring at Frid and Sol with the look of a predator who was stalking his prey.
“You should ask her for a dance,” I said.
“She won’t agree. She only sees me as a friend.”
“Try and ask her. Otherwise, you’ll never know.”
When Frid and Sol came back to the table, Frid’s cheeks were flushed, she was clearly enjoying herself.
Almost right away, a young girl with a flower braided in her hair approached Sol and asked him for the next dance. Only the three of us remained at the table.
“You probably want to dance a little more?” I asked Frid while pulling a flower from one of the vases.
“I don’t know, I guess.” Frid gave me a confused look.
“Victor wanted to dance, but I had too much wine,” I said, catching the surprised expression on Victor’s face.
“Is that so?” Frid turned to him.
Without saying anything, Victor stood up offering Frid his hand. I could not hide my smile when I saw his wide eyes and the blush on his usually pale cheeks. Frid stood up, letting him lead her to the dancing couples.
I sighed and looked down to the delicate petals of the flower in my hand.
“Is this seat taken?” A soft voice broke my stupor, and I looked up.
My heart ached with dread and disappointment. Denis was standing in front of me wearing his brown flying suit. His eyes landed on the flower I held in my hand and the corners of his mouth lifted up.
“No, it is not taken,” I said.
“The winter solstice is my favorite time of the year. The land finally loses its warmth after the hot summer, and the real cold months are still ahead. The weather is not too extreme and there’s little rain.
” He took the flower from my hand in one gentle motion and asked, “I suppose you already heard about the annual Dreich?”
“What’s that?”
“The annual weapon bearing competition. We have many others, but this one is a long tradition for the clan.”
His eyes were soft, and I tried hard to match his expression.
“Why are you alone?” Denis asked.
“My friends are dancing.”
“Would you like to dance?” he asked and frowned when I shook my head. “Do you know that every man is jealous of me right now?” Denis looked at me with laughing eyes.
I raised my head, suddenly feeling a prick of irritation.
“You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen,” he continued.
Involuntarily, I glanced up at Tynan, but he was definitely not looking at me.
Gabrilelle had pulled him to one of the sofas and sat so close to him that it almost looked like they were embracing.
I looked away; alarmed, confused, desperate to be done with this more than miserable night.
But when my eyes followed Frid and Victor, my thoughts took another turn.
They stood in the middle of all the dancing couples without moving.
Then Victor slowly leaned forward, not taking his eyes off Frid.
The girl looked positively struck. Another moment, and his lips pressed against hers.
I could not help smiling.
“It was meant to be. They have been inseparable since they were children.” Denis followed my gaze.
“There’s only one more couple that was meant to be together.
” He nodded toward Tynan and Gabrielle. “I think whatever happened between them has come to an end. I always thought that they were soulmates.”
I was silent.
Soulmates, soulmates, soulmates.
His words kept ringing in my head. Two people who were meant to be together by the wills of the gods. It was a simple idea, and yet it was so incredibly wrong on every level. He could not be her soulmate, he just could not.
Why did my heart feel so broken?
My fingers traced the lines of the chilled glass.
I hardly knew him. I was not a part of his world, and I did not intend to be. My eyes shifted back to Tynan and I caught a glimpse of something primal in his eyes when he finally looked up.
At that moment, Gabrielle reached out and took his hand, tears glistened in her eyes. I looked away.
“I had always wondered what it would feel like to be someone’s soulmate. You completely lose your own choice in the matter,” Denis continued, but I hardly listened.
I felt like my heart was trapped in my chest, I needed to get out of here, I could not stand being in the room anymore.
The soft light of the candles, wooden tops of the long tables, the glass of wine that I held in my hand, it was all too much.
I needed to breathe some chilly night air and forget about everything. And everyone.
I stood up.
“Excuse me,” I whispered and moved through the dancing couples.
The sounds, the flashes of colorful dresses, the laughter made me want to scream.
I avoided a group of loud girls and pushed the entrance door open.
The fresh scents and moist, cool air did not relieve my despair and frustration, but at least I was free of that suffocating room.
I moved down the stairs, misstepping and almost falling on my face, when someone’s arm wrapped around my waist. The strong, confident fingers stretched across my abdomen and I felt his presence before I saw him.
It was Tynan. He had followed me outside.
“What are you . . .?” I asked, experiencing thousands of emotions, all at once.
“I don’t want you to walk alone.” Tynan removed his hand.
The warmth of his touch was gone and only then I realized how much I craved it.
“Why?” I tried to see his eyes in the dim light of the torches.
“It’s not safe,” he said.
“What about your date?” I blurted out.
“My date?”
“Your . . . Gabrielle.”
“I trust she can find her way back since she’s staying in the castle,” he said in a calm voice.
I turned away, walking down the stairs.
“What did he want?” Tynan asked, and I could not help distinguishing a trace of something dark in his voice.
“Who?”
“That man you were with.”
“Denis? He just wanted to talk.” I sighed.
Tynan followed me, saying nothing.