need him. The two parts of me were going to ruin any progress I’d made if Ryland stuck around much longer.
“Please, just go. Leave me alone,” I said softly.
He nodded, and the magnetic pull between us finally fizzled out. When he stepped away and closed the door behind him, I allowed myself a few minutes of tears falling freely for a love I was destined to have but never would.
If I ever saw the Fates, I’d be the first to tell them what a bunch of assholes they were.
When my allotted time was up, I headed for the shower, washed away the evidence of my heartbreak, and got ready for my final test.
It was time to shed away the hurt and do what needed to be done. Most importantly, I was going to do it proudly without a man by my side.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryland
Walking away from Kali was harder than I thought it would be. My plan had been to tell the truth, hopefully dissuade her, and it would be a mutual understanding, but the sympathy I’d seen on her face told me the bond was in fact very real. She had truly only wanted to heal the hurt within me.
Only, it had made me angry and I’d insulted her by forcing her to show me her book of life. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything for her. My soulmate had already walked our worlds, and I wouldn’t disrespect her memory by accepting another, not even when my heart had been telling me it was the right thing to do from the start.
Kali couldn’t be mine, or so I kept telling myself. Except there it had been in black and white, proof that none of this was a ruse. I’d really been given two Merakis in one lifetime. None of it made sense. I was furious with the Fates for doing this and not sending a heads up.
I knew they couldn’t interfere in most things, but with an abnormality like this, it would have seemed pertinent for them to do so. Considering Kali was the key to everything we were trying to prevent, I would have assumed they wanted things between her and me to go more smoothly than they had been.
When her eyes met mine, they told me she wanted to give things a shot and accept what had been forced upon her. When I really looked at her and was honest with my feelings, I was overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt for wanting the same things but knowing my first love had been murdered. There was no way I could move on like she had never existed.
I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t disrespect her memory by taking another Meraki. Instead, I’d been rude and distant and angry, all things Kali hadn’t deserved or put up with. When she’d retaliated, a part of me had been grateful she wasn’t taking my crap. She deserved better.
Porting to the only place that brought me peace as of late, I arrived at the falls and settled myself against the rocks at the edge of the grass. I closed my eyes, focused on the roar of the water, and felt the vibrations beneath me while the magic within the core of our world eased my pain.
My body warmed, and I felt a presence before me. Deciding I wasn’t in the mood to speak with anyone, I kept my eyes closed and hoped they’d get the point and move along.
When a foot slammed into my shin, my eyes flew open. “What the hell?” was my immediate response, but I quickly realized my mistake and bowed before the man in front of me.
“I’m sorry, Fate. I didn’t expect your company,” I said reverently.
The Fates very rarely made an actual appearance in our worlds, so I’d either royally screwed up or whatever they had to tell me was so secret they couldn’t even send it in writing the normal way.
“Stand, Ryland. You don’t need to bow to me. We are all equals here.” His voice was angelic, and there was an ethereal glow around his russet skin and ocher hair.
When I stood, I averted my gaze, because I had no clue what I was supposed to do. Usually, only council members spoke with the Fates. I was way out of my comfort zone.
“Take a walk with me,” Fate said.
None of them had names. We simply called the group of them Fates. Since they worked so cohesively, it was as if they were one person anyway.
“Are you sure