Rían’s eyes shuttered. “I was in a dark place when you died. Convinced you’d never forgive me for what happened to your sister. I . . . did some things I'm not proud of.”
“Do I want to know?” I was certain I didn’t.
“Slept with a maid.” A wince. “Or maybe three.”
We hadn’t been together. I’d been dead. Feeling betrayed would be silly, and yet I couldn’t help it. Why would Rían do something like that if he believed I was truly his soulmate? Tears welled in my eyes. I hated that he had been with anyone else. That both of us had.
“I’m sorry. I just . . . I believed all hope was lost.” His hands fell open on the faded quilt. “Then I remembered your wish. And that gave me purpose. I thought that, even if you never spoke to me again, you may think fondly of me one day.”
I scrubbed at the useless tears rolling down my cheeks. What good would they do? What had happened in the past didn’t change things now.
For all his faults, all his mistakes, Rían had wanted me to be happy. Even if it was without him. “So you bought me a shack and some flowers,” I said, the words coming out all wobbly and weak.
“I built you a shack and flowers.”
Did he say hebuiltthis?
Rían’s frown deepened as he looked around the room from the small armoire to the window and back again. “Probably not something I should boast about.”
Rían, a man who hated dirt and was allergic to dust,builtme a house.
What in the world was I supposed to say to that?
“This grumpy old farmer owned it,” he went on, picking at his nails and avoiding my gaze. “Asked for far too much. He showed me what to do. Helped me some days.”
“I’d love to meet him.” And request stories about how Rían had survived getting dirt on his clothes.
Rían finally looked at me, eyes glowing a faint blue. “We can go tomorrow if you’d like.”
“We have plans tomorrow.” Plans to get back his heart. “Let’s go the following day.”
His mouth flattened.
I didn’t have to ask to know what he was thinking. What if there was no day after tomorrow? What if tonight was the last night we had together? The thought had crossed my mind more than once. But how could we have any hope of success if our minds were focused on failure?
I held Rían’s face between my hands and kissed him. “I love you, my deceitful prince. Despite everything you’ve done, I will love you tomorrow. And I will love you the day after that.”
“And the next day?” he whispered against my lips, slipping his hands to my hips and drawing me onto his lap.
“That depends on whether or not you irritate me.”
His reluctant laugh was a burst of warm air.
He brought my hand to cover the scar on his chest, his skin warm and solid and smooth. But also silent and still. “Out of darkness shines a light, bringing day to darkest night. Find your soul’s one true mate, for she will save you from your fate.”
The chill running down my spine had nothing to do with the howling wind battering my poor cottage. “What’s that?” I asked. The beautiful rhyme was like a song of hope.
“A fortune told to me long ago.”
Fortunes.
I didn’t want to think of the one given to me. Instead, I focused on Rían’s.
For she will save you from your fate.
One way or another, tomorrow I would succeed. I took solace in that.
Drawing me into his embrace, Rían pressed a soft kiss to my hair. “You’ve filled the hollow parts of me, angry, miserable, violent, happy, beautiful Aveen. And now that I’ve found you, I’ll not let you go.”