Chapter 22 Ariana
ARIANA
“Ugh, do you have to do this? Why are you even here at this hour?” Gorm’s voice grumbled through the space as I placed a salve on his foot.
“I am meeting Clause at noon today instead of this morning,” I commented with a frown, choosing to ignore his first question.
Unease settled over me like a fine blanket at the thought of the Sidhe King’s truths.
The things he said would open my eyes to the lies of my life.
And that was not the only thing that troubled me regarding him.
Gorm jerked, bringing my attention to his grumpy face. “Hold still,” I instructed.
“It tickles!” He mumbled a few words I could not make out before saying, “Seriously, I am fine.”
The angry inflamed wound on his foot said otherwise.
“No, you are not, you injured yourself. Again. And it is infected. Again. I told you to check your feet before bed every night and to come to me if there are ever any issues.” I had no idea how anything tickled the man who could hardly feel a thing at all where his feet were concerned.
He grunted. “You think I am this young and limber fella, do you? Well, I’ll have you know I am an old man. And I cannot bend like I once could. It’s not easy for me to see my feet every night.”
“I’m going to secure a mirror to the floor by your bed, then.” I snapped. It was actually a decent idea.
He snorted in response. As I continued working on finishing up with his foot, we fell into a silence that allowed my mind to wander. It was the day Clause believed would change my world. He intended to show me something that he thought proved his way of life superior to my own.
But no matter how much I considered the possibilities, the outcomes always were the same. I loved those who I trusted, those who were closest to me. I would never turn my back on them. The Sidhe King was wrong.
I knew it in my bones that he was wrong.
Yet, a dark cloud hovered over me, trailing me.
It rumbled with thunder, on the edge of a downpour that had not yet come.
Being suspended in that moment of waiting for some unknown horrors to unfold was torturous.
It twisted my stomach, poisoned my mind, and stole my sleep.
And then there was the moment I shared with the Sidhe King.
What happened between us made no sense. How I could have responded that way, why my mind was so slow to register everything, to react.
To push him away. Something within felt a belonging being in his arms, but that feeling was foreign.
It was wrong. And it was enough to frighten me.
What little control I thought I had begun slipping through my fingers without my notice. Leaving me with nothing but air to grasp at.
I wanted to go home.
I wanted the safety of arms that I chose to find comfort in. Not ones that circled me when reality strangely merged with something indescribable. Something was happening and I couldn’t understand what it was.
What I would give for a single day back home, in my room, surrounded by friends. What I would give to see Erik, to remember how good life could be even in the darkest moments.
Paws scraped across the floor as Shay ran into the room, coming around to stand beside Gorm where she seemed to dance excitedly.
“Hey girl.” I smiled at her, my one piece of home. “You never came back last night. I was getting worried.” Typically, she always returned in the night, sleeping in my room. It felt uncomfortable spending the night without her.
She whined as though apologizing.
“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” A voice sliced through the room, stealing my breath. A memory moved through me, flooding my mind with the image of Erik and the sound of those same words spoken to me the first time I met him.
Had my thoughts of him brought forward a cruel illusion?
Gorm glanced from Shay to something behind me, before angling his head as if encouraging me to look.
Fear settled under my skin then. A fear to hope. A fear of being fooled by a trick of a distraught mind.
I rose to my feet and slowly turned, wishing to remain suspended in that moment of uncertainty longer. For at least there was still hope nestled in it.
Warm blue eyes met with mine.
Erik.
Breath left me.
He stood before me.
His clothes were simple, nothing to mark him as the King he was.
But there was no disguising him. No hiding the presence that bled from his skin, thick and undeniable.
Power rolled off him in waves, filling the space, pressing into me.
It wrapped around me like unseen hands, his strength an intoxicating force, the heat in his stare a slow-burning fire.
A single heartbeat stretched between us.
And I was caught in it.
Those predatory eyes pinned me, held me captive in their depths. Is this real?
Then, my heart beat again, and I was released.
My body moved before my mind could catch up—drawn to him like the tide to the moon, pulled without hesitation, without resistance.
Powerful arms closed around me. One wound tight at my waist, anchoring me to him. The other skimmed up my back, fingers pressing into the delicate skin just above my nape.
The scent of him surrounded me, and I breathed him in—desperate, hungry, filling my lungs with him. My pulse pounded against my ribs, but in his arms, I could feel it—his heartbeat, slamming just as wildly as mine.
It is real.
The familiarity of him unraveled me. The safety of his embrace shattered the last fragile thread of strength I clung to.
A sob tore from my throat.
Tears fell freely now, and his hold only tightened—as if he could somehow keep me from ever slipping away again.
I shattered as he collected the pieces, not letting a single one fall to the ground.
“How is this possible? How is this real?” I whispered, unable to release him. Afraid that if I let go, he would disappear.
His head dipped and his breath moved over my neck as he spoke. “Shay found a way in through the mountains.”
My arms tightened around him. New tears flowed at the sound of his voice.
It is real. I couldn’t stop telling myself this.
“You are here,” I whispered.
“I told you I would come for you.” His voice was so gentle, so safe and warm. Had it always harbored such a tone? One that caused my heart to trip over beats.
A cough from Gorm somehow infused me with the strength I needed to release Erik and step away enough to view him. He towered over me, capable frame tense while his gaze explored my face, as though afraid that I would vanish.
He raised a hand, the pad of his thumb smearing the last tear that slipped past my eyes.
“What now?” I asked, stunned by the change of having him before me.
Erik glanced at Gorm without replying. Suspicion tainted his stare.
The old man chuckled. “Young fella, this young lady has touched my dirty feet on more than one occasion. And I already know she plots secret plans right under the Sidhe King’s nose. I would never betray her. She has done more for me in her short time here than that King ever did.”
My lips pulled up lightly at Gorm’s comment. “We can trust him.” I half expected Erik to refuse and force us to find more privacy.
Sapphire eyes turned back to me, and they nearly took my breath away. The strength in his gaze was overwhelming. “The forces have moved closer. They are likely about a day away now, if they were to be needed.”
I nodded, brows pulling together. “Did something happen?” Why did they move closer?
Erik tilted his head, his muscles tensing, his body growing rigid as if bracing himself for something. “You tell me. All Willis would say is that Shay sensed a change, and that danger seemed to surround you more. It was enough to spook Willis into action.”
Clause. Flashes of what happened invaded my mind, stealing the moment. Robbing my relief at seeing Erik.
My attention dropped to the floor as guilt wrapped its hand around my throat and squeezed.
“Did something happen?” Erik pressed, tension seeping into his voice.
I swallowed, unable to look at him as my mind raced.
He stepped towards me, yet I stepped back, gaze colliding with his once more.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
He looked baffled and confused. “I came for you. There is no other reason.”
My chest tightened with a horrible unease. It was the day Clause intended to open my eyes to some sort of lies. The same day Erik happened to show up.
I took another step back. “You are certain?”
Erik’s thick brows drew together, and he viewed me as though looking at something he didn’t understand. “What is this about?”
“Clause said...” My voice trailed off, suddenly uncertain how much I should even share. What if whatever Clause was insinuating had to do with Erik?
My heart rate spiked. A cold sweat came over me, my stomach growing queasy. I was going to be sick.
Erik searched my face, though he made no move to close the distance. “What is happening? Why are you afraid?”
My fear– he smelled it.
I couldn’t answer him. Instead, I stood before him like a silent coward.
“Are you… are you afraid of me?” His voice grew low, a look of disbelief passing over him.
I shook my head no, though was uncertain. “I just… I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?” He went completely rigid.
“The timing of your arrival, it...” I tore my gaze from him and looked at Gorm. “Would it be noticed if he stayed here for a little bit?”
Gorm snorted. “No one would notice. He can even come to work with me tomorrow. A big healthy guy like this would be useful.”
I glanced at his leg. “Not with your foot like that.”
Gorm grunted. “Young lady, you think Clause will ensure I get fed if I do not work?”
“I’ll make sure of it.” I turned to Erik, who was still staring at me. Uncertainty dug its talons into me.
“Should I leave?” He asked, his voice so low I was uncertain I heard correctly.
“What?” My throat closed up.
“Do you want me to leave here?” Pained eyes searched mine for an answer I could not fully provide.
“No I–” I looked at the ground, trying to collect my head. “The timing of your arrival is just… I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on.” I was drowning in the uncertainty surrounding me.
Erik stepped towards me, reaching for me. I moved back before he could touch me. A look of hurt flashed across his face and it ate me alive. Guilt wrapped around me so tightly I could hardly draw in a breath.
“Will you stay here?” I asked.
“Where are you going?” Confusion painted his face with a frown.
“There’s somewhere I am needed. I hope it will help clarify some things for me.
And then I will explain as much as I can.
I just need you to wait here. Please.” I paused, searching his face, but found nothing threatening.
I trusted him. In my gut, at my core, Erik was the truth.
Yet, my mind somehow became poisoned, and I doubted how much of my gut to trust. “Will you wait?”
He shrugged. “I have nowhere else to be.” He seemed at a loss for words.
I glanced at Gorm who said, “I’ll keep an eye on him. He will be okay here.”
I nodded. “Stay off the foot.” I turned, glancing at Erik. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back.” I left the two of them in thick, uncomfortable silence.
My heart raced, pulse throbbing in my head.
Unease coated me in a heavy film that I could not shake. Something was happening. Though I could sense it, I was also blinded by it. What was going on?
I would have been shaking if I were not moving quickly down the hall, heading towards the secrets Clause believed he could unveil. My steps were swift and silent, fueled by a mixture of adrenaline and fear.
I turned down the hall the throne room was off of and saw Soren at the end, standing guard by the open door. His jaw clenched when he glanced my way, noting my approach. Something about it only worsened the dread coursing in rivers through my veins.
As I drew closer, voices seeped out.
I paused by the door. Holding my breath so that I could hear the next words clear as day.
“Are you sure you wish for this? Our agreement was made long before her birth. Whether she knows it or not, you are, after all, Ariana’s last living relative,” Clause said, voice as smooth as silk.
My entire body tensed, and the dread coursing through me melted into something so much worse. Something that had not even a name. I had no living blood relatives, at least none that I knew of.
“Yes, I am certain. It’s time you give me what is owed.” A gravelly voice answered, robbing me of breath. My heart stopped in my chest at the sound of it, at the sound of her voice.
Edda.