Page 21 of The Bound Mage
“They were mates,ael’sura.” Loren looked at her then, a sad smile tugging at his lips. “Magic binds powerful fae together, joining us with the people the seeds of the relationships we need to survive. To lose your mate in such a way…”
He trailed off, his voice thick with grief.
“They must have loved each other very much,” she said softly.
“They did,” Loren’s voice dropped to a whisper, raw with all the pain he hadn’t shown in the past twenty years. “He tried to hold on—for Eloria, for the fae who escaped. But his control was already fraying. And when he tried to use the shadows to defend against the New Dominion…” Loren exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “No one knows exactly what happened. But shadows covered the battlefield, killing fae and human alike.”
“And that’s when the Shadowed Veil formed,” Araya whispered, the pieces clicking into place.
“Our savior and worst nightmare all in one.” Loren’s lips quirked in a bitter smile. “His body was never recovered. They tried…but in the end, Eloria moved her court to Lumaria. And I—” his throat bobbed as he swallowed, his voice rough. “I rotted in that cell.”
He broke off, his shoulders sagging. In that moment, he looked younger than Araya had ever seen him. He wasn’t a prince or a warrior—just a boy, grieving his mother.
“Being his mate killed her,” he said. “It’s the only reason the Arcanum wanted her. If she hadn’t been his, she’d be alive today.”
Araya hesitated, the urge to reach for him battling with every instinct to keep her distance. Her sympathy for this lost and broken prince had already cost her enough. But something in the rigid set of his shoulders—like one breath might shatter him completely—pulled her closer despite her best intentions.
She reached out, sparks of magic sizzling at her fingertips as they brushed the back of his hand. Heat blazed at the point of contact, racing up her arm. It curled in her chest, her heart suddenly thundering against her ribs.
“They killed my mother right in front of me,” she whispered. “And she wasn’t anyone’s mate.”
His hand closed around hers, their fingers tangling together like he just couldn’t stop himself any more than she could.
“I didn’t understand that humans could lie,” she said, staring down at the intertwined hands. “For a long time, it didn’t even feel real—like I was living in someone else’s nightmare. So…your grief—however you feel it—it’s exactly what it needs to be.”
Loren stared at her, his expression raw. “It wasn’t your fault,ael’sura.”
“Neither was what happened to your parents.”
Loren’s head dipped, the harsh line of his jaw softening. For a heartbeat, he was just another person who had suffered and lost at the hands of the New Dominion, the sharpness in his eyes turning softer, vulnerable.
Before she could second-guess herself, Araya reached out with her other hand, giving into the temptation to run her fingers along the curve of his jaw. His eyes slipped closed, the shadows around his feet stilling like even they were holding their breath.
“Araya,” he murmured, her name a soft, reverent whisper that sent a shiver down her spine. He opened his eyes, his gaze rooting her to the spot as he took a half-step closer.
Heat pooled low in her belly, the air between them taut with possibility. His thumb brushed the inside of her wrist, his gaze dropping to her lips. For a dizzy, breathless moment, she thought he might close the distance between them, might lean in and?—
“Do you have a mate?”
The question tumbled from her lips before she could stop it, shattering the fragile moment.
“Gods—” Araya stumbled back, pressing a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t mean—I’m so sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”
“No—it’s a fair question.” Loren took a small step back, like he needed the distance as much as she did. “The answer is just…complicated.”
Araya blinked, her heart pounding in her chest. He wasn’t angry. He didn’t even look upset, just… conflicted.
“I do have a mate,” Loren said. He raked a hand through his hair, not quite meeting her eyes. “But she hasn’t recognized me. And I haven’t told her.”
“Oh.” Something twisted in her chest, squeezing her heart. “Well—you should tell her. Don’t you think she deserves to know?”
Loren laughed humorlessly, the bitter sound scraping from somewhere deep in his chest. “I’m telling her now.”
Oh.Oh. Araya swayed where she stood, her vision narrowing around the edges. Loren didn’t reach for her, but his shadows crept forward, curling around legs and whispering words she didn’t understand.
“I—” her voice shook so badly she had to stop and take a breath. She wanted to say it was’t possible. That it couldn’t be true—but the words wouldn’t come. Because somehow, deep in her chest where that strange pull she felt toward him lived—it made sense.
“How long have you known?” She asked instead.
