"And if I don't want that?"
She was taken aback by his question. "You'd rather stay in Artemis's service?"
"I'm immortal, and I'm an animal, remember? I live for war."
"You would choose that over me?"
His black eyes burned her. "You chose much less than that over me."
Retta looked away, ashamed. He was absolutely right. Her heart heavy, she slid herself off him. Her gaze fell to the areas of his body where his skin was still blistered from his rescue of her. "Then I guess there's no future for us."
He let out a tired sigh. "We were never meant to be, Esperetta."
She ground her teeth in frustration. "Then do we divorce?"
"Why bother? Death has already separated us."
Not true. Stupidity had separated them, not death.
Retta scooted from the bed and gathered her clothes before she dressed without another word to him. She didn't know what to say. "So that's it then?"
"That's it."
She nodded as she opened the door to the hallway. She hesitated. "I have to say I'm surprised."
"By what?"
"Your cowardice. I always thought you had more guts than this."
He turned in the bed to give her his back. "Then we're even?"
"How so?"
"I misjudged you, too. I once thought you were worth dying for."
The door slammed shut in her face.
Retta stood there staring at the wood, her mouth agape, his words ringing in her ears. She glared at the door, half-tempted to kick it in and beat him. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of it.
Fine. If he wanted to play it that way, so be it. Far be it from her to argue. As he'd pointed out, she had a life in America. Lifting her chin, she turned and walked toward her room down at the end of the hallway.
And with every step she took, more tears gathered in her eyes as pain filled her. Her heart broken, she opened the door to find Raluca in her room, shaking her head at her.
Retta cleared her throat. "Don't give me that look. You don't understand."
"I do understand." Raluca crossed the small distance between them and held her hand out to her.
Needing to feel comfort, Retta took Raluca's hand and then gasped as a spike of hotness tore through her. It ripped her from this room out into a lightless void that was searing and frightening. She heard winds howling in her ears as something whipped against her body. She held her hand up to protect her eyes as a sudden light pierced the darkness.
No longer in the manor, she found herself in the small cottage where she'd taken refuge with Velkan after their families had learned of their marriage. His family had disowned him and her father had vowed to see Velkan dead. And it'd been her father who'd found them first.
Completely disembodied, she stood in the corner where she could watch Velkan, who was kneeling beside her comatose body. Because they were in hiding, he didn't wear the armor of a warrior. He was dressed in a simple tunic and hose. To her utter shock, there were tears in his eyes as he held her hand in his and kissed her fingertips. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," he whispered, lowering her hand from his face. "Raluca will see you safe for me. Please don't be angry that I'm leaving you. It's the only way I know to free you to live the life you deserve." He rose up so that his lips were only an inch above her own. "I love you, Esperetta.' Always." And then he pressed his lips to hers before he tore away with a growl.
Still, she saw the lone tear that slid from the corner of his eye, down his whiskered cheek. He brushed it away before he turned and opened the door to their cottage.
There before him was her father with his army. Dressed in armor, her father wore no helm to cover his stern, chiseled features. His long black hair brushed his shoulders as he narrowed his black eyes on her husband. She winced at the rage that contorted her father's face. Never once had she seen this side of him. To her, her father had only been loving and indulgent. Kind. Velkan drew his sword and stood there as if to take all of them on.
"You're outnumbered, boy," her father snarled. "Is this how you would die?"
"In battle, aye. It's what I prefer." Velkan glanced back over his shoulder. "But you promised me that you'd allow my servants to take Esperetta home for a proper burial. Do you still swear it?"
Her father's lip curled before he nodded.
Velkan planted the blade of his sword into the ground beside his foot. "Then I surrender to your…" he paused before he said, "mercy," from between gritted teeth.
Two of her father's men dismounted before they came to take Velkan. As soon as they held him, her father slid from his horse. He came forward with an angry swagger.
"She's dead," Velkan spat, trying to free himself. "Leave her in peace."
Her father scoffed as he entered the cottage and moved to stand beside her. Retta held her breath as she saw the pain that darkened his brow. His lips quivered ever so slightly as he looked down on her body. He lifted his hand to press it against her mouth and nose so that he could hold them closed.
"I told you," Velkan said, his voice rife with anger. "She's dead."
Her father jerked the dagger from his waist as he turned on Velkan with a fierce curse. "She's nothing but a Danesti whore." And then her father plunged the dagger straight into her heart.
Velkan let loose a cry so anguished that it made every hair on her body stand up as he shook off the men who held him and grabbed his sword. Before he could pull it free, two arrows were shot into his back—one striking his shoulder, the other to the left of his spine. Velkan stumbled to the side, and when he failed to go down, another arrow was shot into his leg. He cried out, reaching for the fallen sword. Until another arrow was embedded into his forearm.
"Don't kill him!" her father roared. "Not yet!" He kicked Velkan's sword out of reach before he shoved the arrow at the small of Velkan's back deeper into his body. Velkan growled, trying to move, but there was nothing he could do.
Instead, he looked to where she lay inside. "Esperetta," he breathed in a tone that was filled with tragedy and loss.
Her father seized Velkan by the hair and pulled him back. "She's the least of your concerns, you bastard."
Velkan tried to fight, but he was too wounded to have much effect on the knights who were better armed.
Unable to bear it, Retta turned away. "Take me out of here, Raluca. Now."
She did, but still she didn't take Retta back to the manor. Instead, Raluca took her to where her father was torturing her husband. Retta's breath caught in her throat as she saw him bleeding and bruised as they laid hot pokers over his skin.
"Stop!" she screamed, closing her eyes and covering her ears. "Take me home. Now!"
To her instant relief, Raluca obeyed her.
Retta glared at her in anger. "What was the point of that?"
"Understanding."
"I got it, okay? I was willing to—"
"No, not for you. I know you were ready to start over. But now you know why Prince Velkan isn't. You couldn't even look at what your father did to him and you didn't even see the worst of it." Raluca's eyes blazed in anger as she glared at her. "What do you think he'd have given if he could have simply closed his eyes and told me to take him home?"
Retta swallowed against the knot in her throat. Raluca was right. He'd endured hell for her.
"I can't undo what I did and he won't forgive me. If you have some magic trick in your bag that will give us common ground, then by all means pull it out. But at this point, I'm not the one being stubborn here. And I'm not the one who has to forgive. I've apologized. There's nothing more I can do."
Raluca let go her hand before she gave a curt nod. "You are absolutely correct, Princess. Forgive me."
And before she could even blink, Raluca vanished from the room.
Velkan tensed as he felt a presence behind him. He turned quickly in bed to find Raluca staring at him with a gimlet look that was unsettling.