Blade of Truth (The Dawnlin Trilogy #2)

Prologue

Where is she?

The man paced in the road, his worry escalating as time ticked away. She was never late. She always came when she promised. Today was the same as all their other days, the way they’d spent the last few years of their lives.

Except for him, today was different.

Today was the day he planned to tell her how she had enraptured him, how after years of being by her side as only a friend, he wished to be more. He wanted to shower her with the love that had been living in his heart since they were children together.

But she was not here.

His mind reeled with places she could be, replaying their conversations to see if there was something he did not recall, some plan that had changed. He didn’t want to leave.

What if he missed her? What if he went out looking for her, and she arrived thinking he’d abandoned their plans?

But what if she needed help?

His chest tightened as he continued to pace, garnering looks from those passing by. Nothing could happen to her. He wouldn’t allow it. Not until the last breath left his body, and he faced the gods to answer for his time in this world.

He did not know how long to wait, how long to continue to flounder in this state of torture before he succumbed to the worry and fear and went searching for her.

She was always steady and calculated. She kept him grounded when he’d been lost, and hopeful for the future.

He could not lose her.

He would not lose her.

He just needed to find her.

His hands clenched at his sides, opening and closing with every step as he scanned the surrounding roads.

His gaze flickered to every face, searching for hers.

He didn’t even need to see her face to know it was her.

He’d been so attuned to her presence, the shape of her body, the sound of her movements over the years, that he could pick her out of a crowd in an instant.

If anything good came from this worry, it was that his love for her was never in question.

He knew his feelings were strong, but the moment her safety was uncertain, they intensified.

He’d only hoped they wouldn’t scare her away, for the fear of not having her in his life was too much for him to fathom.

He hoped that instead of being afraid of their lives together changing, she would return everything he’s felt for her, without a shred of doubt in her mind that she was his.

As if the universe was tugging on his heart, he felt her, his head whipping toward the pull.

His eyes fell on her, and relief coursed through his veins, his shoulders sagging and his feet finally settling.

She was alright. She was here.

A smile broke across his face as he took her in. Her hood was drawn, her golden curls billowing out from under it, lighting the otherwise dreary day. A smile played at her lips, and the sight of it made his widen.

When her eyes fell on him, happiness settled on her face, and she raised her hand in a small wave.

It was as if the breath was being pulled from his chest as he watched her close the distance between them, only able to inhale again when she was by his side.

The way it was supposed to be.

He loved this woman, and he was going to tell her.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” the woman said. “Hopefully you weren’t too worried.”

“Not at all,” he said, the lie rolling smoothly off his tongue. He didn’t want to tell her how worried he’d been, how close he was to going out and searching for her.

His heart calmed now that she was near, and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her with the same ease that he had for years. He’d only held back in recent years out of propriety, now that she’d become more a woman than the girl he’s always known.

A dusting of pink kissed her cheeks, begging for him to brush his fingers over them.

They had plans, like every day, but after the torment of waiting for her, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He decided he had to tell her.

“There’s something I want to—”

“You’ll never believe what just happ—”

Their words clashed together, both of them too eager to get out what they had been holding in.

He smiled softly. Her excitement was palpable, and he wanted to see it, wanted to hear what she had been bursting to tell him before confessing everything to her.

“You first,” he said. He extended his elbow to her, and she weaved her arm through it as he led her to the side, off the path of the other travelers. They sat on a stone bench, secluded from the bustle of the city, in front of their favorite place, the place they spent hours every day.

Yes, this would be the perfect place to ask her to be his.

But first, he needed to know what she had to say.

“You’ll never believe what just happened,” she repeats, her face glowing as the blush deepens across her cheeks. “I’m still reeling. I can’t believe it myself.”

“Tell me,” he says, leaning closer, pinning her with his eyes and hoping she sees how invested he is in every word that falls from her lips.

“I met someone…”

Her words trail away as her hand reaches up to cover her lips, and his world shatters around him. The cold of the stone bench soaks through his clothes and into his skin, sending dread seeping into his bones.

Her excitement was apparent as she recalled the moments that kept her from joining him, and the man that captured her attention, who was undoubtedly also captivated by her.

Who wouldn’t be? She was everything.

But she was his.

Sour taste coated his mouth as tension roiled through his body, but he did everything he could to keep it off his face. He couldn’t let her see the devastation her words caused, how he felt like he was imploding watching such happiness and excitement flitter across her face.

He watched her tell of her plans to see the man again. His focus faded in and out, and the humming in his ears drowned out her words, all while he kept his face neutral and locked on hers.

“Is that alright?” she said, weaving her face slightly closer to his and snapping his attention back to the moment.

“Is what alright?” he asked, keeping the smile tight on his face.

“I have to cancel our plans for tomorrow so I can meet him. Is that alright?”

No, it wasn’t alright. It was the exact opposite. It was the worst thing that could happen. These afternoons were his, a constant in his life that was now being torn to shreds.

“Of course,” he lied again.

Her smile grew impossibly wider, and she threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her back, soaking up the feel of her, the smell of her hair, and hoping he could hold on to it.

This man would never last. He could never be there for her like he had been. This new man doesn’t have the history they do. The friendship. He would have to wait, bide his time, and when it was right, take back what was his.

She released him, leaning back and settling on the bench again, lacing her fingers in her lap atop one of her few simple gowns.

“What were you going to tell me?” she asks, the hope and excitement still shining in her eyes.

“Nothing,” he said. “It’s not important.”