Page 117 of Tangled Hearts

“Ria.” He grabbed my face. “Breathe.”

“No, I don’t want to,” I said, crying harder. “There is no point without them.”

“Ria,” Taylin whispered. “I need you to get up, lives are depending on you. Their lives depend on you.”

His words caught my attention. “They are here?”

He nodded, but I could see anguish in his eyes.

“What is taking so long?” Laima snarled. She looked older, still beautiful, but that youthfulness had started to wane.

I wanted to run away from here. My body was begging me to leave, but Taylin said they were here, and if I knew Mother, she was about to make sure I stayed with her for the rest of my life, however long she deemed.

“She’s going through bond withdrawals,” Taylin said, picking me up.

His voice was hollow.

“Even better,” she said, walking away and all I wanted to do was stab her or blow her up.

He followed her through a series of hallways until we ended up at what looked like jail cells. Taylin immediately tensed and when he rounded a corner I saw them. I tried to push off of him, except all he did was hold me tighter. Ryder and I locked eyes as relief and dread sat on my chest.

“We did not agree on this,” Taylin snarled, using his magic to hold me still.

“You didn’t agree to it,” Laima snapped.

“That means we didn’t agree to it!” he yelled, setting me on the floor.

One of her manicured brows raised as if she couldn’t believe he had raised his voice at her.

“Don’t forget your place, Taylin,” she clipped.

Magic permeated the air, tingling against my skin. Her magic felt familiar, it felt like mine. I struggled against Taylin’s magic, trying to get a better look at my mates.

“Don’t go back on our deal, you promised.” Taylin set me down. “I have followed you, did as you asked, and I have never once gotten what was due to me.”

“Due to you?” she laughed. “You willingly helped, you pushed for their bond to be broken and you pushed for more power.”

Taylin was turning red, his face was contorted with anger.

“I have stuck to your terms.” She rolled her eyes.

“He is a part of those terms.” Tay pointed at Max who was unconscious on the floor. “And so is she.”

“The moment they mated, you should have known, that broke our deal,” she sneered.

“That was never stated.” He walked up to her.

Their combined magic was stifling, but he was distracted and I was able to free myself from his magic. They continued to argue as I slowly crawled to my men. They had varying degrees of injuries, but Gray and Max worried me the most. Something was wrong.

Don’t, Heaven. Ryder’s voice was so soft in my head; I wondered if I didn’t just make it up.

It’s not worth it. Soren’s voice was just as soft, bringing tears to my eyes.

“Don’t make me regret ever bringing you in this,” Laima yelled.

“You begged me, bitch!” He grabbed her by the throat.

The air crackled with magic before Taylin was blasted back into the bars. I rushed to Gray who was lying on the floor like Max. The moment I touched him it eased some of the tension in me, but it quickly returned when I felt a sickness in him.

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