Page 201 of Mated to Monsters

But it makes it easier, looking at Laura’s regretful face, to let the past go. I can forgive her fully, knowing she did not comprehend all she had wrought.

I hurry to cheer her up, assuring her that I have done all right for myself here as well. Volikan may not be a prince, but I wouldn’t want him any other way. She gives me a smile that reaches her eyes, that troubled expression vanishing as she listens to me describe my happiness.

“Eat, eat,” she urges, waving her hand over the little decorative table heaped full of food before us. I recognize it for what it is – another attempt to ease her conscience - and pick up a piece of bread. But I am too nervous to eat, and instead pick it apart with my fingers.

I look out the window at the sky outside, trying to judge how much time has passed. It’s hard to guess, in a place like Galmoleth where the clouds never lift. Shouldn’t Volikan be back by now?

I try to reassure myself that everything will be fine. Perhaps they had to hunt Drir’gen for some time first. Volikan managed to beat Drir’gen within an inch of his life before to protect me. Surely, he can take him again, and this time he has the Prince’s help.

But then I remember the last time I had been confident in Volikan’s success. Drir’gen knocked him out cold and assaulted me, the price I paid for being so sure of success. It’s enough to give me pause and make my stomach turn over.

Looking down at my lap, I suddenly snap back to awareness when I see a mess of crumbs strewn across my skirt. I stand up, offering a hasty apology as I brush myself off.

Laura must sense the anxiety in my voice. “They’ll be back,” she says confidently. “No one is going to let Drir’gen harm the Prince, at the very least.”

That’s true, I think. As long as he has the Prince with him, there should be a relative certainty that Drir’gen can’t pull any sneaky moves. No one is going to stand idly by for that.

Drir’gen’s last success was only due to him taking advantage of Volikan when he was unprepared. Without that element of surprise and ambush available to him, I feel a renewed sense of confidence that Volikan can best him.

But I can still only fidget nervously with my food, no matter how much Laura tries to reassure me. I notice that she eats without hesitation and wish that I had her nerves of steel. My stomach, even empty, can barely take this horrid wait.

Finally, we hear the front door bang open loudly. It turns out that one of the perks of being royal is that you can get a broken front door changed with extreme ease. The new one was installed within hours. No one is willing to be the one who makes the Prince reside in a house with an unsecured, gaping hole for a door.

Laura jumps to her feet, already racing toward the entryway. But then she pauses, remembering me. I’m doing my best to get to my feet as quickly as I can, dying to see for myself that Volikan has come back in one piece.

Despite my best efforts, my injuries slow me down. Laura patiently offers as much assistance as she can. I grit my teeth as we rush as fast as I can manage, ignoring the pain and the tears that spring to my eyes.

Our heroes stand triumphantly in the entryway, already doing their best to clean themselves up and brush the dirt away. The servants are fetching wet rags and drinks, and the overall scene is chaotic, but heartening.

Because Volikan is there, safe and sound. He’s bloodied, and not entirely unscathed, but sound. He turns to face me as I enter the space, immediately flashing a big, confident grin that stretches from ear to ear.

I shake Laura’s hand away and run for him. The tears that fill my eyes are no longer from the pain. This time, they are tears of joy and relief.

I leap into his arms. His eyes widen in surprise, but he catches me neatly, holding me tight against himself. I feel my ribs protest in pain, but I don’t care. I don’t care if he’s bloody, or dirty.

All I care about is that he came back to me, just like he promised.

My heart bubbles up, overflowing with something that I think must be gratitude. I’ve never felt so much of it before.

As he holds me tight, my feet still dangling off the ground and his arms wrapped around me, I say a prayer of thanks to The Mother. She has always looked after me and continues to do so. It is more than I deserve, but what a blessing it is.

The prayer flows out of me wordlessly, unbidden. The words are so jumbled up in my head that I can’t imagine they make any sense. But I know that she senses my intention, and that’s all that matters.

120

VOLIKAN

I hold her against my chest, feeling her warmth flow through me. Her visible relief and delight comes as a shock. It’s a feeling that I’m not familiar with, having someone excited when you return. I had never expected how pleasant it would feel.

Can she possibly care for me that much? She seems to trust me with her whole self – the fact that she dangles willingly from my very arms proves that. How can that be, after what happened? After I failed so miserably to protect her, she still has faith in me?

“I’m back,” I point out lamely, not sure what other response to give. She chuckles tearily, slowly sliding out of my arms. I lower her until her feet find the floor, waiting until she is steady to let go.

When I begin to pull away, she wraps her arms around my waist to delay it. Clinging to my torso, I can feel her tears dampen my shirt. My mind is blown, that this woman could care so little about my shortcomings. That she still has it in her to attach herself so firmly to my side.

She’s truly unshakeable. It’s a trait I’ve seen since the first day that we met. Though I have long admired that about her, never before has it been so valuable or precious to me.

I wrap my hands around the back of her head, holding her close. It seems to comfort her. Her sobs slowly dwindle away until she falls silent, only the occasional sniffle breaking the quiet.