Page 77 of Brambles and Bellflowers
But as Miles pressed the mug against my hands—this time, the contents had cooled enough to touch without a barrier—I accepted, eating and watching the others over the rim asthey began discussing other topics. Even so, the soothing broth couldn’t dissolve the stone that remained deep in my stomach.
Things might look normal again, but why did it feel like, instead of moving forward, I’d just taken two giant steps back?
14
Miles POV
“Why did you follow me?”I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence around our small campfire.
“Huh?” Damen lifted his head, his haunted expression visible even in the dim light. “Oh. Bianca needed you.”
“She has all of you,” I pointed out. “And I said I was coming back soon.”
“You didn’t say anything,” Julian said, finally turning from where he’d watched Titus escort Bianca to her evening bath. “You left a cryptic note and disappeared.”
“Outside of that,” Damen shot Julian a look. “We might be used to what happens when we’re apart, but Bianca’s abilities were restrained, and we’ve only been reunited for a short while. She hasn’t even gotten used to our quintet or her power. We’ve grown up understanding this feeling and have been aware of ourselves. But imagine what it would feel like for her—how unbalanced she might have felt.”
I rubbed my jaw. In the face of everything, I now regretted my vague words, and the image of Bianca’s furious, heartbroken expression refused to leave my mind.
Things had been rough when I’d lived in France, but I knew what to expect. It must have been so much harder for her.
“She needs stability,” Damen said, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of weariness.
“I understand that,” I said carefully. While I had an obligation, I could have done this much differently. “But I have to stay—to finish this. As it is right now, I can’t help her—not the way she needs. To complete the Soul Bond, I—”
“The Soul Bond is not what she needs,” Damen interrupted sharply. “You’re all so focused on it, but has anyone ever stopped to consider that might not be the best approach?”
“That’s because you don’t understand it.” Julian folded his arms, the flickering firelight catching the edge of his scowl. “The bond is how we harness our abilities to support her in a way we wouldn’t otherwise be able.”
“She’s not ready for that,” Damen said.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” I asked, breaking the rising tension. “The entire point is to protect her. We need that connection. She needs more support than we, as a quintet, can provide. Not having the bond could hurt her more than it helps.”
Damen studied me, his expression unreadable. “A Soul Bond isn’t going to fix everything.”
“I’m not saying it will,” I replied. “But we read her better with it, especially what she doesn’t say.”
“It’s true. I can barely understand what she’s hiding, even with my connection to her,” Julian added, his voice softening. “She’s suffering, and every time I touch her, I feel how much she’s hiding. There’s only so much I can do. We can’t take her to my mother without her consent.”
“It’s too soon,” Damen mused, frowning. “She won’t agree.”
“I know that.” Julian sighed. “And I’m certain there’s more I’m missing. The physical symptoms that she ignores are just the beginning.”
“And that’s exactly why we need to focus on the foundation,” Damen said, his tone hardening again. “Our connection as a quintet. She can get hurt if you rush into a Soul Bond before she’s ready. That is why I told you not to do it.”
“It’s not your business what we do in our relationship,” Julian snapped. “Don’t try to project your insecurities on me while using her trauma as an excuse. You’ve avoided the Soul Bond in every lifetime. Maybe it’s time you admit the truth: you never, in any circumstance, plan to share in one. You’re too selfish to be that vulnerable—even for someone you claim to care about, yet keep hurting.”
Damen’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might snap back. But instead, he said, “You don’t understand my motives. I’m trying to help her.”
“Itwouldhelp her,” Julian pressed, but his voice lacked the earlier venom.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Damen said under his breath, so quiet I almost didn’t catch it.
“What?” Julian asked, leaning forward.
“Nothing.” Damen waved him off. “Regardless,” he said, redirecting his gaze to me. His voice softened, though the weight in it didn’t lift. “I will not approve of anyone else seeking to enter into a Soul Bond with her now.”
I frowned at him as Julian glared. It wasn’t his call to make—not on this topic. “But—” I began, but he cut me off.
