he have to do with this?”
“The fae you saw with Sara. That’s Alaryk. He has been trying to get Kaliah since before she was even born. He believes they’re meant to be together and he can convince her to become a dark fae. He was told from a young age that the only way to true power was to be stronger than anyone else. For some reason, he believes Kaliah will be the partner he needs to fulfill his greatest wants.”
Fury like I’d never felt before flooded through me, and I lost all control of my abilities. Wind whipped around us as I let go of all restraints. I’d been played for a fool. As much as I didn’t want to believe the Fate before me, I also knew they didn’t meddle with things lightly.
My heart was shattering into a million pieces as I recalled my time with Sara, all the moments that I’d held on to for decades and cherished. My mind was still unwilling to believe they were all a lie, but my heart? My heart was conflicted beyond comprehension. Half of me filled with hatred at having been tricked, and the other was filled with grief for a love I had thought was true but wasn’t.
How could everything with Sara have been false? I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to accept it. Everything within me ached at not only the loss of the woman I once loved, but the memories that were now tarnished after what Fate had shown me.
I’d made so many mistakes, because I’d believed in what I had with her.
Kali. I’d pushed her away. Told her I didn’t want her when everything about her drew me in. I’d lied to both of us and probably made her want to hate me, but she’d never be able to. The bond wouldn’t allow her to, no matter how much I had denied it. Eventually, if I’d never given in, she would have moved on, but indifference is all she would have been capable of with someone else.
Sucking in a deep breath, I drew the air back within me. “What do I need to do?”
Fate smiled at me. “You need to make things right with Kaliah. The bond needs to be accepted by both of you before she faces Alaryk, or she will be highly susceptible to his attempts at luring her to his side.”
If he’d been able to trick me into thinking Sara was my Meraki, I had no doubt he was more powerful than I’d given him credit for before.
“Why does he want her?” I asked between gritted teeth.
“Alaryk believes that a union between the last dark fae and light fae royalty lines will bring about a reign of power like their ancestors had never been able to achieve. He is deceptive and will do anything to get what he wants. You need to understand just how dark he’s gone, Ryland. He killed his own parents when he was only thirteen years old, and he’s been on his own ever since. With every kill, he becomes more powerful, and he won’t stop until there is nobody left that he considers a threat.”
My jaw tensed as fury flooded through me. This was not good, and I needed to get back to Kali. I needed to apologize for being an idiot. Though, my mind and heart had loved another for so many years that even though my mind now believed she was my Meraki, I was still hesitant. To make my heart believe what I’d seen wasn’t going to be as easy as it sounded.
“I can’t stay any longer, but we need to know you understand now. That you believe what you’ve been told and seen,” Fate said.
“It’s not going to be something I can quickly fix, but yes, I believe what you’ve shown me today. We’ll figure out a way to make this right,” I replied.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Do you want me to make you forget she ever existed? We never want to take your free will away, but if it will help you move forward, I can take those memories away.”
Did I want that? Would it really make things easier? No, it wouldn’t. I wanted the rage that settled deep within me. I wanted the motivation it gave me to find Alaryk and make him pay for all he had done and all he planned to do.
“No, I’ll be okay, so long as Kali forgives me for not accepting what