Page 84 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Inching closer to the opening, I strained my neck to hear Killian’s hushed voice more clearly.
“Dec—?”
“It’s entirely my fault!” He interrupted with a snarl. “Don’t deny it, Killian. If my mother and brother were still here, things would be different. They wouldn’t have let this get so out of control.”
“Declan, no one knows where our paths will take us. Their lives could have easily gone down the same one as yours.”
“I know I’ve made a mess of my life, but I refuse to ruin the lives of everyone else in this kingdom more than I already have. These people deserve a better life…we all do.”
Slow steps treaded across the floor, pausing for a moment before Killian’s voice strained through the silence. “We’ll add more guards to the city wall, as well as more patrol shifts. We do this together, brother. You don’t have to walk this path alone.”
The endearment tugged against my chest. Killian and Liam might not be blood, but it was easy to see that they had formed their own bond of brotherhood, just as strong, with Declan. It warmed my heart to know that this trio of men were looking after each other.
Footsteps padded once more, but this time it was headed towards me. Panic bristled through me as I tried to shuffle away from the open door and not get caught.
“Freckles, whatever are we going to do with you?” Killian stepped through the open door and leaned against the wall beside me.
“I—umm—I just—” The words jumbled out of my mouth, none making any sense at all.
Killian towered over me, his arms folded in front of his chest. Slowly a smirk danced across his face, his honey eyes filled with the faint glimmer of amusement. “Take care of him today, will you? That man is going to need every bit of your light today.” He patted my shoulder has he passed, then left me behind without another word.
As I faced the open door, my nerves bundled themselves into knots. This would be my first time seeing Declan after last night’s events. Last night’s version of Shadow Lord had been tender, caring. When I stepped into this room, however, I might encounter the quite the opposite. Gathering my courage, I stepped inside.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight I beheld before me. Resplendent light illuminated the room, filtering through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Rows of bookshelves lined the remaining walls, filled with thousands of books in every shape and size. Smaller shelves sprinkled throughout the room, also overflowing with books. Inhaling the heavenly smell of parchment and leather, I sighed, letting the calming scent wash through me.
Declan hadn’t noticed that I had entered the room. Lost in his thoughts, he stood staring at the ceiling, as if silently praying to the gods to give him the strength to keep going.
Cautiously, I crept over to him. His shoulder was slumped against the side of a bookcase, his broad back facing me.When only mere inches separated us, he shoved himself from the bookcase, both hands combing through his thick, chestnut waves. Then he let out a roar so loud, the entire space rattled. Grabbing the closest chair, he launched it over the floor. It splintered into a thousand pieces.
I flinched, my arms wrapping around my body.
As if he sensed me behind him, he abruptly turned, hands clenched in fists.
Wild eyes locked onto mine, and the fury that raged within in them began to melt. His breathing evened, while his fingers began to unlock from fists. Then a look that I had never seen on Declan before flashed across his face.
He slid his palm over his glossy eyes as his head tilted towards the floor where it remained. Shame was written all over his body, but it was also floating through me. My heart pinched at the sight of him. Eyes swollen from exhaustion. Defeated. Broken.
One way or another, I would find a way to get my revenge on the king and Alastor.
“Elena—I didn’t mean for you to see—” He paused, his throat bobbing up and down.
“Dec…” I said softly. “I believe it was you who told me last night, ‘Never apologize for feeling.’” Closing the gap between us, I grabbed one of his hands and rubbed my thumb soothingly over the top. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Deep down, Declan, you and I both know who is truly responsible for what happened to those children.”
His forehead scrunched.
“I, umm, overheard it all,” I said sheepishly, biting my lip. One corner of his lips tilted up and the smile spread across his face, which I considered a victory. “Don’t carry this weight on your own.”
He opened his mouth to interject, but I raised a hand to silence him. “How about tonight we go to those families? We can say our condolences. Together, we can tell them that we will avenge their children.”
There was no way I would let him bear the weight of this terrible situation on his own. The baggage that this man carried on his shoulders already seemed heavy enough. Though I didn’t have to know all that he carried, it reflected in everything that he did. It was a feeling I knew all too well.
Perhaps we’d been brought into each other’s lives to help each other understand the burdens we carried on our shoulders were too much for one person to hold onto. Just maybe, we were fated to teach a lesson to each other on the importance of letting others in to help and letting the past go.
He sighed, taking in my words. From this point forward, like Killian had said, we would do this together.
A smile grew on his lips as he stared at me longingly. “You just keep surprising me.” He spoke so softly the words floated in a haze surrounding us.
I shrugged my shoulders. Lightening the mood felt needed at this moment. “I could say the same of you, Your Highness.” I winked.
