Page 65 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Eden audibly gasped. Walls, painted a soft green, were covered with Nero’s artwork. Every surface was lined withpaintings and pencil drawings. Canvases, half-painted or finished, were hung on easels that were positioned in the best-lit areas of the gigantic room.

She was in awe of the collection, when she noticed one common thread: Edenherselfwas its subject.

Her likeness, whether it was painted, penciled, or sculpted, was the focus of his artwork. Laughing, smiling, cooking; none of the images could be confused with anyone else. The sheer number of artworks was proof of how many years he’d spent in the studio, with Eden as his muse.

Equal parts flattered and disturbed, she warred with her instinctual response. Though her heartbeat soared, her breath stalled in her lungs. A faint tremor began to ripple through her limbs.

“Nero, you met me three days ago.” Her voice was hollow. “How is this possible?”

“Remember when I explained about the various powers Raeths can exhibit? Key has the ability to see the future.” A gentle squeeze as he took her hand. “She foresaw you coming into my life, and I’ve been waiting for you ever since.”

Shock suffocated her. Eden moved away from him, closing herself off. “How long has it been, Nero? How long have you known about me?”

“I’ve known about you for eleven hundred years, Eden. That’s when Key shared her first vision of you with me.”

“Thefirstvision?”

The shock seamlessly shifted to horror. Her eyes darted from sketch to sketch, as she tensely waited for his answer. When he took a step toward her, she cringed, and he immediately stilled.

Nero’s voice was pinched with regret. “Yes. Key’s seen several visions of you over the years. She’s the most powerful precognitive in modern history.”

Eden gripped the counter behind her, desperate for something tangible as she unraveled. This simply wasn’t possible—what he was saying didn’t make any sense. A pinprick of pain pulsed behind her temples, but it barely registered in her panic.

“Eden, I’ve been waiting for you because I’ve loved you for centuries. Ever since I first saw your face, knew you were meant to be mine, I’ve longed for you.” He paused. “I love you.”

Eden couldn’t help the terror that beat in her veins. By keeping the truth about her health situation from him, she’d unwillingly strung him along. Nero had been waiting centuries for her, yearning for their relationship, only to lose her within a week.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Eden’s hoarse cry rippedout his heart. His panther yowled at her pain, and Nero was confused by it. Before he could reach her, she lurched away from him.

Desperation fueled her voice. “I can’t be that person for you!”

Wide green eyes connected with his for a fraction of a second before Eden sprinted past him. A chaotic rhythm, each footfall was slightly offbeat, as if she were favoring one leg. The predator in him immediately noticed it.Fearedit. While Nero was devastated by her rejection, he was even more concerned about her state.

“Eden!”

A myriad of emotions breached his heart: fear, devastation, pain, and above all, panic. None of her feelings were positive.

“Eden, please!”

When he rounded the corner she’d disappeared behind, he found her plastered against the wall, her head in her hands.

“I apologize. I’ll burn my studio to the ground if it distresses you and never pick up a pencil again. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Nero’s heart caught in his throat. “Forgive me.”

“No, Nero, they’re—they’re amazing. And I can’t believe you’re so talented—”

A sob cut off her speech, leaving Nero even more bewildered at her behavior. Tentatively reaching for her arm he gently supported her.

“Why are you crying? Please tell me how I’ve hurt you?”

“No, Nero. You haven’t hurt me, I’ve hurt you.”

One corner of her mouth pitched down in a frown, and her arm gripped him weakly, confusion seeming to grow across her features.

“Nero?”

“What, baby?”

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