Alora: The Maladorn Scroll (Alora 3)

It was like the parts didn’t fit—as if the pieces were from different puzzles.

“It is me. You were mistaken about who I was.”

Then the pieces began to slide into place.

“Listen, Kaevin. Back when my father was torturing us together... it was the worst pain imaginable, right?”

“Yes. And I still lament my part in not protecting you.”

“That’s not the point. The point is, you didn’t try to escape by letting us die. You fought to the end.”

“I was braver then, I suppose. But now, I’m different.”

“There’s only one thing that’s changed since then, and that’s me.”

“You’re still courageous,” he objected. “That hasn’t changed.”

“Not by myself, I’m not.” She sat forward, using her hands while talking. “When Vindrake had me chained out there... every time I felt like giving up—like dying to escape him—I used my empathy to reach out to you.”

“That’s no different than before. You already possessed your gift while we were in Vindrake’s caverns together.”

“Yes! Exactly! But I wasn’t controlling it. I was just spilling out all the time. Sharing everything with you. Everything.”

“That’s true, but you still share with me,” he argued.

“I do. But only a little bit. I just share what I think you need or what I think you can handle.”

“You can’t be faulted for that.”

“Listen to me! I thought I was protecting you. But don’t you see? I wasn’t protecting you at all. We’re soulmates. We need each other. All of each other. All the time. The good and the bad. No holding back.”

He nodded slowly, rubbing his wet face with his fingers. “So you’re saying, without you, I’m a coward.”

“No! No, no, no. I’m saying we’ve given our souls to one another. We’re only one soul now. We’ve shared everything together. So now, if I keep something back, it’s like I’ve stolen a piece of your soul.”

Kaevin’s eyebrows lifted. The creases smoothed on his forehead. His eyes brightened.

“Can you give it back? The missing part of my soul? For I can’t abide the man I’ve become.”

“I can do it.” She took a deep breath. “But it may not be pleasant. You’ve probably forgotten how many emotions go flitting through my brain all the time. And it’ll mean I’m feeling all your pain again, and you’re feeling mine. Constantly.”

“But, you still love me? Even now? Knowing what you know? Knowing what I did?” He dropped his eyes to the stable floor, where his fingers idly picked at a piece of straw.

“I do love you. But, Kaevin?”

Thick lashes shielded his hope-filled eyes as he met her gaze. But she couldn’t help wondering if he’d lost his feelings for her, along with his courage, that night.

“What about you? Do you still love me?”

Her stomach clenched, waiting for his answer.

“More than life,” he breathed. “Only... I lost hope that I was worthy of you. I tried to avoid thinking of what I’d done, but it haunted me, constantly.”

He still loves me!

She let him feel it—her rejoicing. And she saw him smile.

She felt him smiling.