Fragile Eternity
Page 81
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You are like us, Tracey whispered. Not mortal.
She walked toward him with a sad expression that was common for her, but as far as Seth saw it, not warranted by the circumstances. Tears filled her eyes. She hugged him. What have you done?
For the first time since hed met any of the Summer Girls, Seth was not affected by her touch. He didnt feel the temptation to hold her longer or feel the fear of her injuring him in her forgetfulness.
He released her. Ive changed.
Skelley took Tracey in his arms and held on to her as she began to sob. Other Summer Girls wept silently.
This is agood thing. Seth felt stronger, more alive, and sure of his choices. Its what I want.
So did they, Skelley said. Thats why they weep. They remember making that same foolish sacrifice.
Aobheall didnt frown or weep. She blew him a watery kiss. Go see our queen, Seth, but know that life as a faery isnt as kind as you thought. She had to do what was best for her court.
The pressure in Seths chest, the fears of what else had changed, grew. He hadnt felt that unease so strongly when he was in Faerie with Sorcha. There, he had calm. There, he had certainty. Now, he was walking into his beloveds home, hoping that what hed built with her was still strong enough to be saved.
He didnt speak to the guards he passed; he didnt knock. He opened the door and walked into the loft. She was there. Her cheekbones were more obvious, as if shed lost a bit too much weight, and she sat much closer to Keenan than she had before. She was smiling, though, looking at Keenan, who was midsentence.
Everything stopped as Seth came into the room. Keenan didnt move away from Aislinn, but his words and gestures stilled. Aislinns smile vanished, replaced with a look somewhere between amazed and unsure. Seth?
Hey. He hadnt been so nervous in months. Im back.
There were so many emotions racing through her expressions that he was afraid to move, but then she was across the room and in his arms, wrapped in his embrace, and in that moment everything was right in the world. She was crying and holding on to him.
Keenan stood, but he didnt cross the room. He looked furious. Small eddies of wind lifted around the room. Sand bit Seths skin. Youre not mortal anymore, Keenan said.
No, Im not, Seth acknowledged.
Aislinn pulled back and looked at Seth. She didnt let go of his arm, but she stepped back. What did you do?
I found an answer. Seth pulled her closer and whispered, I missed you.
Keenan didnt say another word; he was almost mechanical in his movements as he walked past them and out the door.
Aislinn tensed as he passed, and for a moment, Seth wasnt sure if she was going to go after Keenan or stay with him. Keenan? Wait!
But the Summer King was already gone.
Donia knew it was him when he knocked at her door. Her spies had told her that Seth had returned to the mortal world as a faery. Keenans arrival was inevitable.
You knew where he was. She needed to hear it. Theyd spent too long with half-truths. The time for such tolerances was past. You knew Seth was in Faerie.
I did, he admitted. He stood just inside her doorway and looked at her with the same summer-perfect eyes that she had dreamed of for most of her life and silently asked her to forgive him, to tell him something to make it all right.
She couldnt. Ash is going to find out.
Ive ruined everything, havent I?
With her? Donia stayed at a distance, not touching him, not approaching. It was what she had to do. Hed given her words of love and then abandoned her to romance Aislinn. It wasnt unexpected, but it still hurt. Now hed come seeking comfort. Yes.
And with you? he asked.
She looked away. Sometimes love wasnt enough. I think so.
So I am left he broke off. Ive ruined everything, Don. My queen is going toIve no idea what this will do to my court. Ive lost you. Niall hates meand Sorcha cares for Seth, the mortalthefaery I He looked at her. The sunlight that usually shone so brightly when he was upset had all but faded from him. What am I going to do?
He sunk to the floor.
Hope that some of us are kinder to you than youve been to us, she whispered. Then, before she could soften again, she walked away and left the Summer King kneeling in her foyer.
Chapter 33
As her fey started filtering into the room, stealing glimpses of Seth and whispering things she didnt want to hear, Aislinn led Seth to her room and closed the door. It was the only room in the loft that was just hers, so it was the only place she could think without feeling like she was intheir space. The loft was their home now. It had changed. She had changed.
Seth sat on her bed and watched her, patient as hed always been. Hed changed too, not just what he was, butwho he was.
The words wouldnt come. Shed thought them, spoken them to him in scenarios she played out in her mind, whispered them in the dark as if he could hear her. Now, they werent there. She wanted to tell him she hated that hed left her, that she was devastated that Niall had known where he was but she hadnt, that shed thought shed never be whole again, that shed never love anyone else the way she loved him, that it hurt to breathe when he was away. She didnt know how to say any of that, not now, but there was something she had to tell him. Keenan and I areweredating.
Seth crossed his arms over his chest. Which means?
It means I told him he could try to make melove him. That I was willing to give us a chance. She hated that he was looking at her like she was the one whod messed everything up. Hed left her. Hed stayed away. He hadnt even called. She flopped down on the bed. What was I supposed to do?
She walked toward him with a sad expression that was common for her, but as far as Seth saw it, not warranted by the circumstances. Tears filled her eyes. She hugged him. What have you done?
For the first time since hed met any of the Summer Girls, Seth was not affected by her touch. He didnt feel the temptation to hold her longer or feel the fear of her injuring him in her forgetfulness.
He released her. Ive changed.
Skelley took Tracey in his arms and held on to her as she began to sob. Other Summer Girls wept silently.
This is agood thing. Seth felt stronger, more alive, and sure of his choices. Its what I want.
So did they, Skelley said. Thats why they weep. They remember making that same foolish sacrifice.
Aobheall didnt frown or weep. She blew him a watery kiss. Go see our queen, Seth, but know that life as a faery isnt as kind as you thought. She had to do what was best for her court.
The pressure in Seths chest, the fears of what else had changed, grew. He hadnt felt that unease so strongly when he was in Faerie with Sorcha. There, he had calm. There, he had certainty. Now, he was walking into his beloveds home, hoping that what hed built with her was still strong enough to be saved.
He didnt speak to the guards he passed; he didnt knock. He opened the door and walked into the loft. She was there. Her cheekbones were more obvious, as if shed lost a bit too much weight, and she sat much closer to Keenan than she had before. She was smiling, though, looking at Keenan, who was midsentence.
Everything stopped as Seth came into the room. Keenan didnt move away from Aislinn, but his words and gestures stilled. Aislinns smile vanished, replaced with a look somewhere between amazed and unsure. Seth?
Hey. He hadnt been so nervous in months. Im back.
There were so many emotions racing through her expressions that he was afraid to move, but then she was across the room and in his arms, wrapped in his embrace, and in that moment everything was right in the world. She was crying and holding on to him.
Keenan stood, but he didnt cross the room. He looked furious. Small eddies of wind lifted around the room. Sand bit Seths skin. Youre not mortal anymore, Keenan said.
No, Im not, Seth acknowledged.
Aislinn pulled back and looked at Seth. She didnt let go of his arm, but she stepped back. What did you do?
I found an answer. Seth pulled her closer and whispered, I missed you.
Keenan didnt say another word; he was almost mechanical in his movements as he walked past them and out the door.
Aislinn tensed as he passed, and for a moment, Seth wasnt sure if she was going to go after Keenan or stay with him. Keenan? Wait!
But the Summer King was already gone.
Donia knew it was him when he knocked at her door. Her spies had told her that Seth had returned to the mortal world as a faery. Keenans arrival was inevitable.
You knew where he was. She needed to hear it. Theyd spent too long with half-truths. The time for such tolerances was past. You knew Seth was in Faerie.
I did, he admitted. He stood just inside her doorway and looked at her with the same summer-perfect eyes that she had dreamed of for most of her life and silently asked her to forgive him, to tell him something to make it all right.
She couldnt. Ash is going to find out.
Ive ruined everything, havent I?
With her? Donia stayed at a distance, not touching him, not approaching. It was what she had to do. Hed given her words of love and then abandoned her to romance Aislinn. It wasnt unexpected, but it still hurt. Now hed come seeking comfort. Yes.
And with you? he asked.
She looked away. Sometimes love wasnt enough. I think so.
So I am left he broke off. Ive ruined everything, Don. My queen is going toIve no idea what this will do to my court. Ive lost you. Niall hates meand Sorcha cares for Seth, the mortalthefaery I He looked at her. The sunlight that usually shone so brightly when he was upset had all but faded from him. What am I going to do?
He sunk to the floor.
Hope that some of us are kinder to you than youve been to us, she whispered. Then, before she could soften again, she walked away and left the Summer King kneeling in her foyer.
Chapter 33
As her fey started filtering into the room, stealing glimpses of Seth and whispering things she didnt want to hear, Aislinn led Seth to her room and closed the door. It was the only room in the loft that was just hers, so it was the only place she could think without feeling like she was intheir space. The loft was their home now. It had changed. She had changed.
Seth sat on her bed and watched her, patient as hed always been. Hed changed too, not just what he was, butwho he was.
The words wouldnt come. Shed thought them, spoken them to him in scenarios she played out in her mind, whispered them in the dark as if he could hear her. Now, they werent there. She wanted to tell him she hated that hed left her, that she was devastated that Niall had known where he was but she hadnt, that shed thought shed never be whole again, that shed never love anyone else the way she loved him, that it hurt to breathe when he was away. She didnt know how to say any of that, not now, but there was something she had to tell him. Keenan and I areweredating.
Seth crossed his arms over his chest. Which means?
It means I told him he could try to make melove him. That I was willing to give us a chance. She hated that he was looking at her like she was the one whod messed everything up. Hed left her. Hed stayed away. He hadnt even called. She flopped down on the bed. What was I supposed to do?
