Page 156 of Beautiful Exile

“Trace, can I have a minute with Linc?”

Her voice was like the most beautiful sort of agony, a husky musicality that wrapped around me like a vise-grip.

Trace’s gaze moved to Arden. “Of course. I’ll be inside if you guys need anything.”

Neither of us said anything as Trace headed for the back door. I didn’t even turn around. Arden’s voice was bad enough, but seeing her? I’d crumble.

But she took no prisoners, like usual. My vicious girl.

Arden rounded me, coming to stand between me and the pasture so I had no choice but to look at her. To see her beauty. Her fierceness. Her strength.

Those gray-violet eyes flashed with anger, sadness, and frustration, all in equal measure. “Are you done?”

“With my call?”

Her stare hardened. “Playing the idiot isn’t a good look on you.”

I knew it. But I couldn’t find anything else to say. Because therewasn’tanything. Nothing left but the brutal truth. So, I finally spoke it into existence.

“How can you even bear to look at me?” I rasped out.

Those beautiful eyes flared in shock. “Linc?—”

“His blood runs through me. The man who cost youeverything. His eyes aremyeyes.” I knew the sentiments weren’t completely logical, but it was all my mind had grabbed on to these past eight days. Tortured and tormented by all the ways Philip Pierce and I were the same.

Arden moved in then, getting right up into my space. Her hand lifted, fingertips ghosting over my brows, around, and then down to the sensitive skin beneath my eyes. “Your eyes could never be anything like his. Because they look at the world with kindness and wonder. They look for ways to help, not harm. They see beauty when all he sees is ugliness.”

“Arden,” I croaked.

One hand dropped to rest right over my heart. “The blood that runs here is yours alone. So uniquely you, it could never belong to anyone else.”

That featherlight touch burned me. “You’ll never be able to forgive me.”

Her eyes flashed a brighter purple. “You’re right.” A single fraction of a pause. “Because there’s nothing to forgive. He was a monster to us both. But we slayed that dragon.”

“Vicious,” I breathed.

“Vicious for all the things that matter. And you will always matter most.”

I stared down at her with a mix of wonder, pain, and gratitude.

“I’m not scared of the dark. Not anymore. Because you gave me the light. Please, don’t take that away.”

My arms wrapped around her, more of that beautiful agony sweeping in. “I won’t.”

“Promise?” she breathed, tipping her head back.

“With everything I have. Everything I am.”

“Good, because I’d hate to have to kick your ass.”

A smile curved my mouth for the first time in over a week. “And I know you could do it, too.”

EPILOGUE

ARDEN

THREE WEEKS LATER

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