“How could I have not realized that Cassie was the same bloodline as Lucy?” Tamsin asked his Chosen as they sat on the edge of the bed in Cassie’s parents’ room. “If I’d have recognized the relation I might…,”

“Have what?” Syndra interrupted, her voice rough with frustration. “Would have been able to stop a mad man? Would have been able to predict the choices of a raving lunatic? You can’t possibly take the blame for this mate. You are no longer king and yet you still think it is your duty to bear all the responsibility for both humans and elves.”

Tamsin stared at her in awe. Only she could remind him that he was not all knowing and all powerful. No matter how badly he wanted to be able to prevent bad things from happening to the people he cared about, he couldn’t. That was the way it was in their realm and the human realm. Free will gave people the right to choose their own destiny, good or bad.

“I know,” he finally agreed. “I just hate to see yet another human hurt because of our people.”

“I understand that, and we will do whatever we can to make it right.”

Tamsin took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. “Unfortunately, I have a feeling that before it’s all said and done, there is going to be a lot that we have to make right.”

“I don’t remember the last thing I said to my parents,” Cassie’s small voice pierced the darkness of her bedroom as Trik lay beside her on her bed. Her head was pressed against his chest and the steady beat of his heart seemed to bring her a small measure of comfort. “I don’t remember the last time I told them I loved them.”

“Regardless, they know that you love them, Cassie,” Trik assured her as he ran his hand down her hair soothingly.

“But I lied to them. I didn’t tell them anything that was going on with me and had I been honest with them I might have been able to prevent this.”

“I could argue too that had I chosen to leave you alone instead of pursuing you, then this would have been prevented,” he replied. “Don’t play the blame game, Love, because you will never win. There is only one person to blame and that is Tarron.”

“When did you get so wise?” she asked playfully, though her voice still wavered.

“I’m an old married man now; isn’t that supposed to make me wiser?”

“No, I think it just makes you unavailable,” she chuckled.

“Ah, Beautiful, I became unavailable the moment I laid eyes on you in that boardroom.” He pulled her tighter against him and thanked the Forest Lords, not for the first time, for bringing her into his life and for her willingness to forgive his many transgressions and love him any ways.

“It’s not hard you know, loving you,” she told him picking up on his thoughts.

“Tell me that in a hundred years,” he challenged.

“Let’s just get through tomorrow,” she sighed softly as she let Trik’s warmth and familiarity soak into her tired bones. Her emotions were raw like exposed nerves and she so badly wanted to just forget. She didn’t want to think about the hell her parents might be going through, she didn’t want to think about the Rapture still being given to people in the casinos, and she didn’t want to think about the Book of Elves and all the power it held and whose hands it might be in. She just wanted to be in the arms of the man she loved and who loved her. She wanted to rest in the knowledge that he would do everything in his power to protect her and bring her parent’s home safely. She wanted to be happy for Elora and Cush and the love that she had seen on their faces when they looked at each other. She wanted to be happy for herself and the new marriage that she had yet to really take in.

“Breathe, Cassie,” Trik whispered against her ear and his warm breath sent pleasant shivers down her skin. “I’ve got you.”

She turned her face up to his and he gladly gave her what she wanted, pressing his lips firmly to hers, pouring into her mind all of the love he felt for her. His soul cried out for her and her soul answered as it always did, finding wholeness in him alone. Trik whispered to her in the beautiful language of his people, and she felt peace and love flow over her as he loved her. He listened to her thoughts and gave her the comfort she needed, comfort only he could give, and she took it greedily. Deep into the night they reveled in their passion, and as Cassie drifted off to sleep, Trik made her a promise. “I will destroy the one who has caused you such pain, my love. For you I would destroy the world.”

“Are you going to destroy it?” Ilryana asked her mate as they stood out in the quiet night on the street in front of Cassie’s house.

Lorsan looked up at the house that currently cocooned his enemy in false security and safety. He could bring it down before they had even opened their eyes and destroy them without their knowledge, but then what would be the satisfaction in that? No, he wanted to see the look on Trik’s face as he died. He wanted Trik to know that it was Lorsan who was delivering that killing blow, and he wanted his little mate to be watching as the final breath of life was taken from Trik’s body.

“Not tonight, Love,” he told her. “Tonight we will let them think they are safe from my wrath. We will let them have tonight, but tomorrow is a new dawn. Come,” he took her hand and turned away from Cassie’s house, “we have plans to make, deaths to arrange, cities to destroy, and a certain dark elf to deal with. He has something that belongs to me and I wish it returned.”