Page 140 of Fated

“Breathe, Calyx,” I whispered.

He turned, looking into my eyes, and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around him. He leaned into me, his face buried in my shoulder, and I held him as he sobbed, his body shaking with the weight of his grief and guilt.

He mumbled things I couldn’t understand, but I held him anyway, staying with him until his cries quieted, fading into soft sniffles, and only then did I slightly pull away.

“I know it hurts, Calyx. Ash went through this too, and I’m here for you, just like I was there for him. Do you understand?”

He nodded, still sniffling, his face pale and exhausted.

“What happened to you … that wasn’t your fault. The things you did under the curse—that wasn’t you. Agidius and Cynthia did this to you.”

Another nod, his gaze falling to the floor.

“Ok,” I said, nodding to reassure both of us. But just as I thought he was starting to regain control, his face crumpled again, and a new wave of tears spilled from his eyes.

“Dammit, Calyx,” I said. “You were kind to me, even under the curse. You were good. I sensed it then, just like I sense it now.”

He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to hide his anguish, and then his eyes fell on the mark on my hand. “You two are really fated?”

I gave him a sad smile and nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m so sorry, Areya,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Oh, God … what we did to you …”

“I know, Calyx, and I forgive you. I forgave Ash, and I forgive you too. None of this was your fault. And you know what? It led me to Ash, which is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He took a deep breath, his sobs slowing as his breathing steadied, and I watched as the storm inside him began to calm.

“Ash cares about you very much, and so do I,” I added.

Calyx stared ahead, his expression shifting from sorrow to something more resolute. He was pulling himself together, the weight of his role settling back into place. He nodded slowly.

“Ok. Ok, Areya, what do we do now?” Ash’s second-in-command was looking to me for guidance.

“I need your help,” I said, my voice steady and determined.

“Anything,” he replied without hesitation.

“I need you to tell me exactly what happened back there at the cabin.”

Calyx took a deep breath before he began explaining. “When Agidius discovered you and Ash were missing on the morning he came to the cabin, he lost his fucking mind. He went on a killing rampage, murdering a couple hundred of his own men in his rage.”

I cringed at the image.

“When Cynthia discovered that Agidius had let you slip through his fingers again, she came straight for me. She knew Ash would come back for me, so she set her trap. That woman, she’s got heir power, and that shit’s no joke. You saw how Ash vaporized those men with his mind?”

I nodded, remembering the shock of watching a dozen men dissolve into dust.

“She warded the outpost to alert her whenever someone came or went. I was stuck in that house with her for three days. When the charger landed, she transformed me into Ash and took my form herself. She had those other rippers hiding on the property, ready to take you the moment I captured you. Ash, Greyson, and Xanth took the bait and went after me, not realizing Cynthia had taken my form. I went to the charger disguised as Ash, and when you saw me, you came right out …”

Fear flickered over his face.

“Shit. Xanth … Did you see Xanth come out of that cabin?”

I shook my head.

“No, I didn’t, and when Greyson came out, he looked as if he’d been in a fight.”

“Damn it. I bet Cynthia put a fucking poison dagger into him, too.”

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