Page 47 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“But you said you would,” Cara pressed.

“For The Divine, without hesitation. But it won’t be an easy feat. Lady Evelyn is likely kept in the upper levels. We’d need nothing short of a miracle to find her without alerting the High Lord himself and if we do it, it’ll likely trigger him to act against the entire continent. He’s already hell bent on revenge as it is. Rescuing her means this will be our last chance to grab the others and any information within his stronghold.”

“You think it’ll push him to war?”

“I know it will.” He shifted, pushing one foot out in front of him to stretch the joint. “He knows about us. He’s known since the beginning.”

“And you’ve been the leader from the start?”

“No, no. I’ve had several predecessors. It’s the group that has survived through the centuries and preserved it’s original ideals.”

“Which are?” Arianna turned to find Rion standing on the other side of the wreckage. He glanced at her, his eyes full of shame and questioning. Arianna let her gaze drift to the markings along his arms.

Sive still sat in the chair behind him, her partner tending to her. Arianna wondered if weaving the magic was taxing on her body or if her discomfort was simply due to sitting in one place for too long.

Rion started toward the far side of the area, but Arianna tugged on the bond, beckoning him closer. He obeyed and settled in the grass across from Cara. The female smiled at him, then Conall continued. “We want to bring down the High Lord and set the continent free.”

“But why is he doing this at all? What’s the point?”

Conall clasped his hands together. “Did Niall ever tell you the previous Divine’s story?”

“He told us she lost her mate then basically went mad.”

“He told you the truth. The part that he omitted was that she had a previous lover.”

Arianna’s lips parted. It couldn’t be. That was impossible. Improbable.

“But she lived so long ago.”

“Approximately ten thousand years have passed. In his anger, the High Lord convinced himself the mating bond was nothing more than an invisible set of shackles. He believed the female he loved, The Divine, was forcefully taken from him. Due to those beliefs, he’s set out to discover how to break an already formed bond. He’s failed at every turn and now believes you might be the key to unlocking an answer he’s sought for centuries.”

“Then why the whole fiasco at the royal city?” she asked. “What was the point in trying to convince the world that Niall was really my mate?”

“To maintain the story he’s written. I can’t say what was going through his head at the time, nor what he might have been doing in the shadows, but my guess is that he had to make the story play out, if only for a little while.”

Conall looked at Rion. “And he might have been enjoying the pain it put you through. He holds a very deep grudge toward the previous King. So much so that he made a point to kill all the ones that followed.”

“So what made me different?” Rion asked.

Conall shrugged. “What indeed. My only guess is that you escaped a few of his attempts. Or maybe he uncovered the same information we did and finally realized you needed to live in order for The Divine to be born.”

“Why not kill me afterward? Why take me prisoner?”

“That was Niall, not his father. Our sources tell us that Niall isn’t privy to all his father’s plans. At least he wasn’t. It could be different now that the royal city has fallen.”

Arianna rubbed her temples, trying to process the information. It all seemed so far-fetched. Like they were inside some messed-up, fevered dream.

The door opened behind Conall and his female companion smiled at them, a little unsure as she stood there with another tray. “I thought I’d bring you all a few more refreshments.”

Cara stood to retrieve them. She set the tray in the grass and poured their tea before passing a mug to everyone. She handed Arianna a soft cookie, then placed the tray before Rion. “Eat something, it’ll make you feel better.”

Arianna took a small bite. The sweet sugary flavor burst across her tongue and she inhaled the rest of it, earning a smile from Conall’s partner before she sat beside him.

Rion finally took one and bit into it.

“If there’s anything else you’d like—” The female trailed off.

“Get them both some food.” Arianna turned to find Sive standing behind them, moving closer to sit in one of the cushioned chairs that hadn’t been destroyed. “They need the nourishment.”

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