Captive of Wolves (Bound to the Fae #1) - Eva Chase Page 0,111
find there’s also something I need to know before I can totally come to terms with that desire.
“You had a mate,” I say. “Before. Kellan’s half-sister?”
Sylas inclines his head, his smile falling away. “I did. She died before we came here.”
I wet my lips, measuring out the question carefully. “Will you tell me what happened to her?”
With a slow exhalation, he sinks onto the edge of the bed across from the chair. His eyes focus on the distance beyond the window. “She was always very… ambitious. And not always in ways I agreed with. Some aspects of temperament ran in her family that you’ll have seen in Kellan—stubbornness and a certain ruthlessness.” He lets out a rough laugh. “She attempted an incredibly risky move that brought the wrath of the arch-lords down on her. In the ensuing battle, she was cut down. She fought until her death was inevitable, like he did.”
The wrath of the arch-lords. A lump rises in my throat. “Is that why you lost your original domain—why you had to come all the way out to the fringes? They punished you too?”
“And also why we have arch-lord’s second-cousins concerned enough at the slightest whiff of malcontent to come investigating and leave sentries skulking about.”
“But—you’ve been here for decades, haven’t you? And if it was all her fault to begin with—”
Sylas makes a dismissive gesture, bringing his gaze back to me. “Her faults were mine. Soul-twined mates are essentially considered one being, reasonably so. You’re simply born with something about the essence of your being that resonates with that one other person, and once you complete the bond, your souls are literally intertwined. You’re aware of each other’s thoughts and emotions… I knew what she meant to do. I tried to persuade her otherwise, but I didn’t manage to stop her. In that, I share responsibility for her actions.”
That still doesn’t seem fair to me, but obviously the fae have different ideas of justice. And this whole “soul-twined” thing sounds pretty intense. Maybe I don’t understand well enough.
I look at his hand, resting next to his thigh on the bed—wanting to reach for it, not sure if the gesture would be welcome while we’re discussing this subject. “It must have been hard, losing her.”
“It was. But it was a long time ago. And in some ways it was hard having her too. There’s a reason only true-blooded fae can make a soul-twined match, and only once in a lifetime. Even the most powerful of us can’t always find a way to a happy equilibrium.”
True-blooded—I’ve heard August use that term. Fae who don’t have all that much human heritage, the only ones who are considered “pure” enough to rule as lords. I glance up at Sylas’s face. “Then August and Whitt—they won’t ever have a mate like that?”
Sylas shakes his head. “They could form a mate bond if they and a partner decided to, but it would be voluntary and not so all-consuming. But Whitt has generally preferred not to tie himself down in any area of his life other than his role in the cadre, and August hasn’t had a great deal of opportunity… None of us are considered ideal prospects in our current situation.”
His tone has become wry. I don’t get the impression he’s all that bothered about a lack of consistent female company. And I can’t say I’m exactly sad to hear that fae women aren’t lining up at the keep’s doorstep to offer themselves as mates. Maybe August mourns that lost opportunity, though.
As I study Sylas’s face, a swell of emotion that’s much more than just desire reverberates through me. He’s giving me as much freedom as he believes he can without risking someone stealing it away, he’s shown more patience and passion than I ever could have hoped for, and it’s all been while carrying more responsibilities and regrets than I can imagine. Responsibilities and regrets he shoulders without complaint or letting them weigh his spirits down.
If all those fae women think someone like Aerik is a better “prospect,” they should have their heads checked.
In my silence, he pushes himself off the bed and moves to go, his demeanor business-like now. “Well then, everything is settled for the time being. I’ll determine the best way to construct the glamor around your foot and gait, and there’ll be measures to take to ensure your safety during the full moon, but we have a few days for that.” He takes a sniff of the air and