Page 20 of Eternally Rare
“I am anything but normal. This is my form. I have no other.”
“Your mate would be stupid if they ran.”
“Then you should stop being stupid and running from yours.”
I click my tongue, nudging his arm. “I see what you did there.”
“Good. I wanted to be obvious.”
“Goal achieved.” I tap my fingers against my stomach. “I’m going to see my beloved tomorrow, actually.”
“You should go now. Why wait another night?”
“My uncles are coming with me.”
“You are a child who needs parental guidance? Rarity,” he scoffs. “I’m disappointed.”
I frown at his statement, but now that he has said it, he is right. I am acting like a child. My beloved is someone I need to face on my own. Having my uncles there will show my beloved I don’t trust him.
And maybe I don’t, but that’s between me and Cailian.
No one else.
“Thanks, Irving.” I stand. “If anyone asks, tell them where I went.”
He doesn’t look away from the sky. “I will. I swear.”
I begin to walk away, patting my leg for Whiskey to come with me but he stays plopped at Irving’s feet.
The closer I get to the large, white mansion, the louder the yelling coming from inside becomes. Quietly, I inch my way up the steps, opening the lid of the sunset magnolia powder that Reuel keeps by the door. The powder is in individual bags, so I snag three, stuffing two in my pocket.
Running down the steps, Reuel pops in front of me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I toss the powder in the air, thinking of Cailian and Elementalu. “A place I’ve been putting off for far too long.” A portal appears, the ring shining bright orange, and I can see the ice castle.
Fear is the last thing I feel as I step through, and peace overcomes me.
A voice in the back of my head whispers, “Home.”
And as much as that scares me, I welcome it.
It is only been a few hours and I cannot stop thinking about him.
My mate saved me.
He had his chance to finally kill me, to finally have his revenge, but he did not take it. He couldn’t.
He chose me. Even if he hates letting me live, that means something. I do not care if I have to live in the depths of his regret— what matters is that I live somewhere in his soul.
I will swim in the regret because now I know he won’t let me drown.
“That dopey smile is a good change of pace,” Zyrl says in the entry of my bedroom doorway.
I sit up in bed, deciding it was best to rest after getting burned by dragon fire and then slammed against the invisible walls. Even though I’ve healed, my body is exhausted.
I rub my shoulder where he scarred me. “It could have been worse.” My dragon has a more even temper than it thought. I figured once he had me alone, he’d attack me and not think twice.