Chapter Thirty-one : Darkness falls

Chapter Thirty-one : Darkness falls


Ronan POV

It’s been three days.

Three days of running. Three days of hiding.

We had no food, water, and most definitely no shelter.

At this point, we would die before the king’s men got to us.

Right now, the sky was starkly dark. We had managed to set up a fire, which we sat by. 

Few words had been spoken between us. I couldn’t muster the courage to speak to her.

Not with what I had seen. 

My throat tightened, and I snuck a glance at her timid form. She had her legs bunched up, and her head was lost in between them, her eyes were closed.

Her breath wasn’t slow, but neither was it fast. It was pretty hard to tell if she was truly asleep.

But her sleeping form was so alluring, her hair fell from the messy bun she had pulled it into.

My hands itched to touch her strands and pull them off her beautiful face.

Her lips were pale from the cold. Guilt ran down my spine.

I should have been able to do more, instead, I led her to all the people who wanted her dead.

Was I truly capable of protecting her? Would she suffer because of me?

Just like the vision. The one I had when she’d struck me unconscious.

I swallowed even harder. The pain from the dry friction of my throat lugged at me.

“You know it’s creepy to stare right?”

So she was awake. And aware that I have been gawking at her for a long time like a freak.

I pulled my eyes away, and in that instance her own fluttered open.

“You still wouldn’t utter words to me.” I hated the sound of pain in her voice.

But how do I explain the cause? How do I explain that I saw myself kill her in that vision? Cut her head off her delicate body.

The memory gutted right at my chest. It had felt way too real.

“I guess I can understand why. No one wants to be in love with a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.”

“I have the spirit that rains death and destruction on everything good. I would argue otherwise.”

“That was Kyros doing.”

“It doesn’t make it any less my fate.”

I frowned. That was not true. Kyros was a bitch. And all of them who wanted to hurt her.

I would see to it that they do get what they deserve. My only fear is how I could protect her from me.

“All my life I felt sheltered, like I was kept in a box. And all I wanted to do was escape. But recently, I think I understood why Granny did it. Seeing the way everyone is clawing to use me or kill me. My entire existence should never have been.”

That’s it. I wouldn’t sit still and have her look so down on herself. I stood to sit next to her by the burning fire. Her head was still her legs.

I brought her face forward to meet mine with my chin.

“I am the luckiest man in this universe to have met you, My life was hopeless until you came along. You filled me with a sense of calm and belonging that I had lost a long time ago. I bless everyone who was involved in creating a master piece like you into existence.”

She sucked in sharp breaths. Her eyes were almost stinging with tears of pain.

“I thought you were afraid of me. Why would you such nice things?”

My expression softened.

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then why are you holding me now? You’ve avoided that for days.”

Guilt lodged in my chest. I wasn’t sure I had it in me to tell her the truth. I wasn’t sure of how she’d react. She may end up running away from me.

And if she wasn’t by my side. I wouldn’t be able to protect her from those who wish to hurt her.

“I was just processing.”

“Processing what?“ she pressed on. 

I had to give her something else.

“I found out about Ciaran's dubious acts. And I’m just processing how I missed the signs.”

Her eyes widened as though in remembrance, before taking their original form.

“Ciaran betrayed me. For his selfish feelings. He was willing to let you suffer.” The bitterness in her tone made me thankful that I wasn’t the one it was directed at.

“He had a deeper reason.”

“What reasons?”

Then I filled her in with everything that happened from being locked up, starved, to being rescued and till I found her.

Her tiny gasps sounded each time I said something shocking.

By the time I was done. Her face was blank with shock and dread.

“I know it’s a lot to take in.”

She stayed still for a while: and I was almost getting worried that we’d lost her to the element of shock. Until she muttered

“I can’t trust anyone. They all wish to use me in one way or the other.”

It sounded like she was saying she was alone, which wasn’t true to me.

I held her hands and squeezed them.

“You have me. And the only use I have for you is to kiss you, after slaying the bastards who dared lay hands on you.”

Her eyes crinkled into a sad smile.

“And are you sure you wouldn’t change your mind one day? Maybe have use for the power effect of the lobizona blood.”

Her distrust was understandable and dare I say wise.

I squeezed her hands gently, rubbing circles around them.

“If that impossible scenario somehow finds expression. The first thing I’ll do is tell you, so you can gut me right in the heart.”

And I meant it. She stared dumbstruck.

“I can’t hurt you.” She finally spoke.

“If I ever pose a danger to you, you will have to. Promise me that.”

Her eyes widened.

“If my actions cause you hurt, harm, or any plotting of your demise. You will chop my head off my body.”

“I can’t.” Her eyes were rimmed closely in tears.

“You will. You have to.”

It was the only way to protect her.