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SEEING THROUGH EMELIA’S eyes, I saw Rudy and myself when we’d first appeared in the Seelie realm. We’d been on a quest to find items my foster daughter needed to use for some spells. I was huge compared to the men Emelia knew and was more rugged than pretty like they were. There had been an instant attraction between us, but she’d tried to deny it. Her duty to her rulers came first.
Thrust into the warrior’s thoughts and emotions, I relived each word and touch that we’d exchanged. She’d never let her walls down with anyone enough to fall for them, but she knew there could be a strong bond between us if we allowed ourselves to care for each other.
Kissing her had been an erotic experience the first time. It was just as arousing reliving it through her memories. I desired her like I’d never wanted any other woman before. It was a burning need that wouldn’t be denied.
I was about to pull her into my arms when different memories replaced the pleasant ones she had of me. Syanil’s face flashed in front of my eyes and I froze again. I saw him entering the room where she’d been kept in the Unseelie palace while his ruler had waited for me to answer his summons. Emelia’s magic had been suppressed by an enchantment and she’d had no defense against him as he’d abused her.
After his attack, she’d become a broken, grieving woman filled with rage that was almost a match for mine. Our eyes met and I saw her torment. She knew I had the power to override the spell I’d created to protect her. I saw her resignation that she would once again be helpless as a man took what he wanted from her against her will.
Something rose inside me, rebelling against the instinct to push my emotions down and to smother any shred of compassion. The ring Queen Wysterial had given me began to glow, capturing my attention. Almost as if by its own will, my hand rose. Magic emanated from the ring and a word appeared on the silver metal.
I stood on the precipice of the darkest moment I’d ever faced. I had a choice of continuing down my current path of evil and becoming the worst scourge any world had ever seen, or I could throw it all away for a woman who probably no longer even wanted me.
A tear welled in Emelia’s eye and rolled down her face. My eyes followed it down the curve of her cheek to where it came to rest on her jaw before dropping to the floor. She was so small and so fragile, yet she was the strongest woman I’d ever met. Meeting her eyes again, I cupped her cheek with my palm, then spoke the word that was spelled out on the ring.
A shockwave blew us apart. I staggered backwards as white light blazed from the ring. I sensed the pureness of the King and Queen of the Seelie realm as a spell settled over me. I fell to my knees as it fought against the Unseelie side that currently held sway. I thought I’d lost all traces of my Seelie and human natures, but the enchantment dug deeply into my soul, dredging them up from where they were hidden.
I let out a gasp when my emotions became unlocked and swayed on the verge of passing out. Small hands caught me by the shoulders, steadying me. I looked up to see Emelia gazing down at me compassionately. She brushed my unruly hair out of my eyes as the spell dissipated. “Are you well, Jake Everett?” she asked cautiously.
“I am now, darlin’,” I replied huskily, then put my arms around her and rested my head against her middle. She didn’t try to pull away and the spell I’d placed on her didn’t zap me, but she didn’t hug me in return. In her mind, she was sullied beyond repair. When I felt steadier, I drew away and pushed myself to my feet. I didn’t like towering over her, so I staggered over to the chair and sat on the armrest to contemplate the fairy. “I’m so sorry, Emelia,” I said softly and ran a hand through my hair, messing it even more.
“What are you sorry for?” she asked dully.
“I’m sorry the Dark Prince kidnapped you to get to me. I’m sorry Syanil abused you and I’m sorry I didn’t rescue you in time.”
More tears rose and she angrily dashed them away with her sleeve. “That is in the past,” she said. “He is dead now and he can’t hurt any woman ever again.”
“He’s still tied to you, darlin’,” I told her. “But I can set you free, if you’ll let me.”
“What do you mean?” she asked warily.
“I can see the thread that binds you to him even after his death,” I explained.
Her eyes widened. “That is a rare gift. Few can see the threads. How can you set me free from him?”
“I can sever his bond to you.” I made a snipping motion with my fingers and she looked shocked. “I severed the thread that bound you to him before I killed him.”
“I thought only Sindarian could do that,” she said.
“I think I’ve always been able to,” I replied. “When my wife died, I didn’t want to be tied to anyone else. Every time I was intimate with a woman, I subconsciously cut our ties to each other. It stopped me from being able to form an attachment to my bed partners.”
“Could you really sever my tie to Syanil?” she said in a hopeful tone.
“It won’t erase what he did to you, honey,” I warned her. “But maybe it’ll help you heal enough to be able to trust men again one day.”
“What man would want me now?” she asked in despair.
“I do,” I told her simply.
“You saw what he did to me,” she said harshly, slashing her hand through the air. “I’m ruined now.”
She sounded so broken that my heart ached for her. “I won’t even try to pretend I know what you went through, but you’re still the same person you were before you were captured. You’re still brave, fierce, intelligent and beautiful. None of that has changed.”
Her hands rose to cover her face, but she wouldn’t allow herself to descend into sobs. I watched her in silence as she reached her decision. Dropping her hands, she looked at me and nodded. “Cut the thread,” she said.
Gesturing for her to come closer, I took her hands in mine and focused on the frayed filament. Rage tried to surge inside me again, but I stamped down on it. It had taken every ounce of will I possessed to return to my old self. I wasn’t about to allow my Unseelie side to take me over completely again.
Now that I’d had some practice at deliberately cutting the bonds, it was easy to reach out mentally to the strand. I snipped it with my innate ability and Emelia’s fingers tightened on mine. She drew in a deep breath, then let it out with a shudder. This time when I hugged her, her hands went around me in return. She put her head on my shoulder as I held her.
I’d thought Teresa had been the only woman I would ever love, but I’d been wrong. She was my first love and I would never forget her, but my heart belonged to this fairy warrior. If she would let me, I would spend the rest of my potentially lengthy life protecting her and trying to help her heal. Maybe one day, she might be able to love me in return.
