Heart of Torment (Breath of Mist #2)

Chapter 1

ERIK

It had been a torturous few days since the small Bavadrin party left for the Sidhe territory.

Kole and I grew restless and bored waiting for Ariana’s return.

Most of her Bavadrins wished to keep their distance, avoiding us as much as possible.

Only Willis and Kiora, two of Ariana’s closest friends, did not outright ignore us.

Willis allowed us to help with repairing certain parts of their town’s wall.

It brought Kole great joy to see me doing manual labor, something he assumed was beneath me.

“If only your brothers could see their great King now,” he had said with a full smile on his face.

Still, what little we could do to assist around the town was not enough to fill my mind with anything but her.

Ariana had gone to see the Sidhe King, a man foretold of his cruelty and extraordinary power.

She was not defenseless, but she was likely no match for someone like him.

I feared that no one was, at least not alone.

If I could, I would have tied her to a post and kept her from ever going over there.

Worrying did not suit me well. I had grown accustomed to having a certain amount of control, yet Ariana continuously tested those boundaries.

She somehow always found the edge and nudged me towards it.

It was extraordinarily infuriating, yet it was also something that drew me to her.

Life gained a bit of intrigue by meeting her challenges.

She was one of the most exquisite people I had ever met, her heart full of compassion despite the conditions she came from.

Love was not a weakness for her but instead a fuel.

She did whatever was necessary to protect those she cared for.

Even willing to strike a dark deal without hesitation, as she had when she gave her father over to me to protect someone she cared for.

She was cunning. In some ways, she was incredibly dangerous, yet that only further drew me towards her, curious to know those dark corners of her mind.

Shaking my head as if that could have loosened some of the thoughts, I continued walking alongside the dirt road.

It was my seventh time going down the path.

I was long distance pacing while waiting, for it was the day she was expected to finally return from her trip to the Sidhe.

I hadn’t allowed myself to think of what would happen if she did not return as expected.

Though with the sun moving across the sky, my mind began leaning in that direction.

The sound of horse hooves against the dry dirt pulled me from my thoughts.

I smelled Ariana’s fear before seeing her, and my stomach turned. Something happened on their trip.

The sight of her struck me still. Her dark hair was windblown, eyes hooded, lips set in a tight line. Even Rain appeared oddly subdued, as if the cloud hovering around Ariana was thick enough to shroud the horse as well.

Still, with the strange air around her, relief washed over me at seeing her alive and whole.

The rest of the group must have separated, for Ariana rode alone with only Edda in tow.

The old one caught sight of me and changed her direction.

Dismounting, the Seer walked over to where I stood across the road while Ariana continued to a small nearby townhome.

If she noticed my presence, then she did not make it known.

Ariana remained sitting atop her horse in silence, her pulse steadily rising.

Nervousness surrounded her, intermingled with the fear already there.

The atmosphere felt off. It was like nothing I ever sensed coming from her before.

Though she was home and unharmed, she drew no comfort from that.

If anything, she seemed to get more tense with every beat of her heart.

I wanted to go to her, but the Seer crossed in front of me. “Erik, better you give her some space and not intervene in this.” Never had Edda before used my name to address me. I always assumed she was too senile to remember it.

“What happened?”

Ariana still sat on top of her horse, seeming to stare at the door to a building.

“It should be for her to tell, but seeing as your sight and hearing are so strong, you will soon understand that Landin is no longer with us. As part of Ariana’s duty, she is now informing his next of kin.

” Edda frowned before adding, “Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the last time she will have to bear this burden. ”

Ariana finally dismounted. Taking a large breath, she marched up to the door and knocked.

The door flung open as if expecting the knock.

A man stood tall for a Bavadrin with broad shoulders and a muscular build.

Realization hit me that it was Willis who stood before her.

His golden eyes beheld his Leader Superior.

Ariana said not a single thing before he fell to his knees and burst into tears before her. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

Surprised, I turned to Edda, “But he’s-”

“Male?” Edda peered at me knowingly.

Bavadrins were always said to have been rigid when it came to sexuality. “I didn’t think this was acceptable for your kind.”

“Many would probably still frown upon it. But that is a tradition that Ariana will not keep. After all, in the speech she gave after her Ascension, she said something along the lines of love knowing no bounds and that the Bavarians will no longer try to bind it.” She arched a dark silver brow.

I then understood why Landin and Ariana never were anything romantic. I also understood that she protected their secret, though it never should have even been one. Suddenly everything Edda had shared when I first asked about Ariana’s relationship with Landin made sense.

“How?” Willis asked, his face buried in his hands.

Ariana took another deep breath before answering. “The Sidhe King. Landin was trying to protect me... he pulled his sword.”

Golden eyes looked up at her. “Were you injured?”

She shook her head no, though she was only talking about her physical body. The hurt she felt within was likely extraordinary, for she had given up her father to save Landin’s life. Her love for him was clear from the very beginning.

Landin likely lost his life while still in the Sidhe territory. It meant that for days now, Ariana traveled with his corpse. I could not imagine the agony she went through during that time.

“Did he suffer?” Willis asked.

She swallowed. “It was instant. There was no pain.”

Willis nodded, gaze dropping. Several seconds passed, and he regained some of his strength, rising to his feet.

“We will have the departure ceremony for him tomorrow. You will need to choose a second to help you with the release.” Ariana’s gaze remained lowered, looking at the ground.

“It is you. You are the second,” Willis stated without hesitation, and her attention moved to his face.

She shook her head no. “I don’t deserve it. It is my fault he-” Her voice quivered, and it took everything for me to keep my feet rooted to the ground and not go to her side. Even as Edda held out her arm before me as if to bar me from moving.

Willis’s strong hands gripped her by her shoulders.

“You are his family, my family. His life would have ended long ago were it not for you being in it. You gave him a chance to love and be loved. No one but you deserves to stand with me for his release and departure. He would have wanted it to be you at my side.”

A sob escaped Ariana’s wavering control, and she would have crumbled to the ground if Willis wasn’t there. His arms circled her as leaned her forehead into his chest as she wept.

Together, they mourned the loss.

“Let’s go,” Edda’s said. Her dark eyes turned from them. “After she finishes here, we will have a small meeting to discuss what occurred in the Sidhe territory. Against my advice, Ariana wishes for you and the other Lysian to be present for it.”

“Kole?” I lifted a brow at her, pretending to not know his name.

I did not care for Edda’s opinions of me or the Lysians, not when Ariana stood trembling in Willis’s arms. Whatever happened that caused Landin to lose his life was not good.

The fact that she now wished for a meeting, the day she returned, and right after having to go through the challenge of telling Willis that Landin was gone, meant that whatever she had to share was pressing.

Edda’s response to me was a grumble before she turned. I followed her through the streets. Looking back, I could still make out Ariana and Willis holding one another, supporting each other so that they both could remain on their feet.

Willis arrived just a minute before Ariana.

She was the last to enter the small chamber, closing the door behind her.

Her gaze avoided everyone as she made her way to the only open seat left.

An unease moved through the small space.

Everyone except Willis watched her with anticipation.

The entire room was silent as if holding its breath.

We were made up of Edda, Willis, Kiora, Kole, and me.

I was surprised to see such a small group joining the gathering.

There were no elders present other than Edda.

Outside of the Lysians, it appeared only those closest to Ariana were privy to whatever it was she wished to discuss.

“For those of you who may not yet know, we lost Landin during this trip,” Ariana stated, and Kiora’s gaze slid to Willis, whose face remained unreadable.

It seemed as though both he and Ariana regained their composure in the little time they had before the meeting began.

“Clause has requested that I come to stay with him for some time and learn of the Sidhe ways.”

My blood went ice cold. She couldn’t have been entertaining that invitation. To willingly spend time with the one responsible for the death of her friend.

Somehow, I kept the growl from my throat when I asked, “Requested or demanded?”