Page 72 of The Seeker
“Well, that seems completely foreign; I can’t imagine having to deal with a person like that.”
“Shut up and listen, you git.” He took a deep breath. “I think she’s myreshon.”
Malachi was silent for a few moment. “Well… I’d say congratulations, but you don’t sound very pleased about it. Is she a complete nightmare?”
“She’s bloody perfect!”
“I thought you said she was arrogant, stubborn, and maddening.”
“She is.”
“And she’s… perfect.” Malachi laughed a little. “Okay. Fine then. Um… should I get Ava for this?”
“You’re my best friend; you have to listen to me.” Rhys sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hand. “She’s the heir of Anamitra, Mal.”
“You mentioned that suspicion. You’re sure now?”
“Yes. And she’s brilliant. She’s powerful. Honorable. She cares deeply, even though I can tell it hurts her. She’s… unflinching.”
“She sounds like an incredible woman. How do you know she’s yourreshon?”
“I asked her. There was a confrontation tonight. Long story, but she reached for me. She’d been using some very powerful magic on Grigori and her shields were down. After… when it got to be too much, she pressed her head to my hand and—”
“You made the voices go away,” Malachi said softly. “Yes, we can do that for them.”
Rhys swallowed the lump in his throat. “I used to think fate was rubbish. What did it mean to us, after all, when most of our chosen mates were probably dead? Who should count on areshonwhen she was probably killed during the Rending? It was a mad hope for a lucky few. Our mission was more important than finding happiness for ourselves.”
“Happiness is important too,” Malachi said. “If we’re too weary to see joy, then we lose our sense of purpose. Everyone needs something to fight for.”
“When I see her, I see my purpose.” Rhys swallowed hard. “Finally I see it. All the places I’ve wandered. All the useless trails I’ve followed. They’ve all been leading to her. And she…”
“She’s fighting it.”
“Yes.”
“Does she trust you?”
“No.” He thought. “Some. More than at the beginning.”
“That means she’s cautious. There’s nothing wrong with that; she has reason to be. Have you made your desires known?”
“Yes.”
“Is she not attracted to you?”
Rhys scoffed, thinking about their kiss in the library. “That’s not the problem.”
“Is there anyone else?”
“I don’t think so. She’s dated human men in New Orleans.”
“Humans,” Malachi scoffed. “Ava did that too. They never last long; human men can’t handle Irina.”
Rhys rose and ran a hand through his hair. “I thought most singers want areshonlike scribes do.”
“From what you’ve said, she doesn’t sound like most singers.”
“She’s not.”
