Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (10 page)

His words made her glance up, and under
lowered lashes, she tried to place the slightly familiar face. His clothing
reminded her, the spotted leather apron. He was one of the blacksmiths up the street
from them. They'd walked past the shop almost every day on the way to the
market, and even stopped and looked at wares for sale a few times.

"Thank you," Bo grated out, his
arm tightening around her, "for seeing to my sister." He led her
away, and she didn't look back.

"He's gone. He left." She
wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.

"He'll be back," Bo said
firmly.

She hoped so. What would she do without
Kei?

Garen met them just beyond their gate.
His ears lowered when he saw Kei wasn't with them. Suddenly he snorted.
Why
do you smell like Were?

∞ ∞ ∞

Aro tossed and turned in bed, wondering
if she'd ever get to sleep. She missed Kei. Over and over, she replayed their
fight, if that was what to call it.

Garen had worried the rest of the day
over the fact the blacksmith apparently was a Were. The man hadn't seemed to
know who she was exactly though, which led them to believe he wasn't from
Rhee-En's pack. Yet he did know of her enough to know Bo was her "brother."
The knowledge could have been from common gossip…or not. What it all meant or
how to react left too many questions.

At least Bo's meeting with Elaina had
gone well, or so he said. He mentioned she'd asked him to walk with her to the
market sometime. Aro assured Bo this was a good thing.

Bo worried over Elaina, Garen worried
the Were would tell the king where they were, and they all worried when or if
Kei would come back. He hadn't answered anyone. It had not been a pleasant
evening.

As the night wore on, she tossed and
turned, her thoughts running in chaotic circles. Her panic and sadness faded,
overwhelmed by worry.

Bo's snores rumbled from across the hall
but didn't quite drown out the creak of steps on the floorboards as Garen
entered her room.

You need to get some sleep.

"I can't stop thinking."
Rising up on an elbow, she looked through the darkness in Garen's direction.
Her Fey sight allowed her to mostly see him in the soft light of the stars and
moon coming in her window.

He'll come back.

"You and Bo keep saying that,"
she whispered angrily. "But what if he doesn't? I just don't understand."

Garen let out a wolfish sigh.

She patted the bed and shifted over to
the far edge. "Come up."

I'll get everything covered in fur.

She snorted. "I don't care."

He carefully set his front paws on the
bed and then pulled himself up. The wood frame and ropes under the feather
mattress creaked but held. Once he settled along the bed, she shifted closer,
finding comfort in his familiar furry smell.

"Will you come in?"

Of course.

Closing her eyes, she entered her mind.
Unsurprisingly, she found her inner world more chaotic than normal. Dark clouds
rolled above her and she grimaced at them.

"You needn't worry so much. He will
return. I don't think he can stay away from you anymore than you can from
him."

"I hope so." Turning, she
found the Were in his young human form. "But he left, and he'd promised he
wouldn't." Unable to keep still, she crossed her arms and let her feet
wander.

Garen watched her pace for a few moments
and then sat, crossing his legs. "Sometimes, we can't always keep our
promises."

She didn't find those words helpful at
all.

"Do you think I'm selfish?"

He shook his head. "Not at all.
Why?"

"Things he said. That I don't care
about him, only about Prince and my brothers. That I've just been sitting
around doing nothing this past month."

"Aro," he said, exasperation
in his voice. "You've had more heartache and losses in this past year than
most humans ever have in their entire lives. You are allowed to rest. You are
allowed to think of the ones you love. Kei means much to you, but he isn't
everything."

Shaking her head, she walked back and
forth in front of him.

Garen stood and came up behind her,
resting his hands on her shoulders to make her stop. "This life you lead,
this path you follow, you rather tumbled into when you were taken by the slavers.
Yet you have persevered, and you have made choices that led to where you are
today."

"What does that have to do with
Kei?"

Shifting his hands, he gently began to
massage her shoulders. "Life is choices. This is something you just have
to accept. We constantly make them and shape where our future leads. Sometimes
we make bad ones. Sometimes we can fix our mistakes, others we can't. You worry
too much about the future, and about the prophecy. You will go where you go,
and you have to remember seers see many things and speak only of the most
likely to come to pass. Some things will happen, and there is little stopping
them because we would never make a different choice. You must understand worry
does nothing."

She relaxed under his hands and calm
words. "But worrying is…it's just something I can't stop doing."

"You are a very strong woman, but
you are young yet."

She snorted.

"These are things you learn with
time and age, but I'm sharing it with you now, because I think it is something
you need to hear. Having confidence in yourself and the choices you make will
make you stronger. You need to be strong," he whispered forcefully.
"Things will not be getting easier. Not with the future we can easily see
before us."

"Healing the Fey, fighting the
Vor," she answered, her shoulders tensing again.

"The Were king and who knows what
else. Yes. I don't mean to frighten you. I just want you to understand. You
aren't a child any longer."

That comment made her smile at least.

"Whether you intended it or not,
you are our leader, our alpha. We will depend on you and we will follow
you."

"Garen." She turned, but his
hands stayed on her shoulders. "I don't know–"

"You can do this. Whatever you need
to do." He smiled. "You won't be alone. You may lead, but we will be
with you and we will support you. Even Kei."

She shook her head. "But he
left!"

"He'll come back," the Were
repeated. He paused a moment before continuing. "Think of what I said. You
have to think, Aro." When she merely shook her head, he continued.
"We all make choices. Kei chose to leave. But what does he want?"

"To heal the Fey," she
answered.

"And who does he need to do
that?"

Her eyes widened. "Me," she
whispered. "He has to come back for me. I don't know what to do. I can't
do it on my own…"

He tilted his head with a smile and
dropped his hands. "Exactly. See, you just have to think to
understand." He paused. "When he does return, we do need to talk
about the prophecy, mainly what is happening to him."

She nodded her agreement and began to
pace again. "He kept mentioning words."

"I do believe your idea his parents
bound the words within him is correct. However, I worry the magic used is
having adverse reactions. Obviously he was meant to remember, but I can't
believe they intended for him to go insane."

She turned quickly, her eyes wide.
"Insane?"

Garen grimaced and shrugged. "I
would say it is possible. Words are released into his mind, apparently in no
order, and repetitively. They invade his thoughts and dreams. Kei is much
stronger than we think to have withstood them these past months."

"How…Can we even help him?"

"I don't know," Garen answered
quietly. "But we can try. Talking about the words might help, putting them
together. I think he tried to do this on his own, writing them on his
walls."

Staring up into her darkness, she sucked
in a deep breath, trying to push away her growing fear for Kei. "Do you
believe in them? The prophecies?"

"There is always truth in prophecy.
Yet often you don't know what that truth is until afterward."

She nodded and looked away, before
another thought came to her. "Will the king know we're here, because of
you?"

Garen took a moment to reply. "We
are connected through our packs. When solitary, he could not keep track of me.
Now, our pack has not been approved by the king. We are not yet bound to
him."

"So, no," she said with an
amused laugh.

"It is more complicated, but no, we
needn't worry about that. Come, try to get some sleep."

With a small smile, she turned and
nodded before pulling out of her mind. Garen stayed with her, and his even
breaths helped calm her tumbling thoughts.

Kei, please come back. I miss you.

Chapter 10

Mistakes

She woke late, which didn't surprise
her. Worrying about Kei the day before had exhausted her. Walking into the kitchen,
she struggled to braid her growing hair. Should she cut it? Kei would…

"Rot," she muttered.

Bo raised his eyebrows. "How you
doing, pup?"

She raised her chin. "Good
enough." When Garen cocked his head to the side and gave her a skeptical
look, she continued, "He'll be back. We just have to wait for him."

Bo looked to Garen. She scowled at the
long silence, knowing they spoke about her. "I will say," she said,
interrupting their private talk on purpose. "I'm rather sick of waiting
for men, though."

Bo laughed out loud. "Everyone waits
for something."

Raising her eyebrows at his cryptic
remark, he only shrugged his shoulders and bit into an apple.

Trying to keep busy, she set about to
sweep floors and tidy the house. Garen kept her company while Bo went outside
to clean out the stable and brush the horse. By noon, no one had heard from
Kei.

Preparing to head to the tavern for
lunch, Aro winced at the cold when she opened the door.

"Should have mentioned it's rotting
cold out today," Bo grumbled.

Both she and Bo fetched their cloaks, wrapping
them tightly around themselves as they stepped out into a biting wind.

Thankfully, the walk to the tavern
didn't take long. When they entered, warmth met their faces from the fireplace
at the side of the room.

"We might want to get ours started
later, too, if this cold is here to stay," Bo said, heading toward their
booth.

"Do we even have anything to
burn?"

He paused a moment. "I'll look into
it later today."

Elaina strolled up and stopped before
them, hands on her hips. Her sour look was directed only at Bo though.
"You get things sorted out?"

Aro looked to Bo, eyebrows raised.

I rather left in a hurry yesterday.

She bit her lip.
Sorry.

No worries, pup.

"For the most part," he
answered Elaina, forcing a smile.

She stared at him for a long moment.
"What'll you have today?"

Maybe you should bring her a present
later?
Aro offered.

You going to help me pick something out?

It was hard not to laugh or keep in a
smile.
Of course.

They placed their orders and Elaina
left, still obviously put out with Bo.

"So to the market after," he
stated with a wistful sigh, his eyes on the retreating back of the barmaid.

"We'll fix it."

They ate, and after Bo left to use the privies
outside, Aro was surprised when Elaina suddenly plopped down beside her.

"So…"

Aro blinked, not sure what to say. She had
an opportunity to make things right though, and intended to take it. Leaning
in, she said quietly, "Kei and I had a fight." Close enough to the
truth.

"Oh!" Her hand rose to her
lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't…he's not here." Her cheeks flushed
suddenly, as she realized she'd stated the obvious.

Aro looked away. "He left. Needed
some time away, he said."

Elaina rested her hand on Aro’s arm.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. How are you doing? I…" She hesitated and
lowered her voice. "I know you're not all really family. Kei is your–"

"We are," Aro snapped.

Elaina leaned back slightly at the
vehemence in her voice.

"They are everything to me," she
said more calmly.

"I…see." The barmaid cleared
her throat and tucked a stray lock of hair over her ear. They sat in silence
for a moment before she spoke again. "I understand though. Someone
leaving. It hurts."

"He'll be back," Aro said
firmly.

Elaina smiled slightly and looked away.
"I thought so, too."

Aro raised her brows, realizing the
woman wanted to share her story. "He didn't come back?"

"We were to be married. He was a
sailor. His ship returned, but he didn't. The Captain told me he decided to
stay in the west." She smiled bitterly. "At least he didn't die,
though I may have wished it upon him at the time for not returning to me."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "It happens. Not
returning. I'm rather against sailors now, though. Lost a brother." She
tipped her head toward the kitchen. "Venna's husband. Another brother died
in an accident on the docks. He was Cally's."

"I'm sorry," Aro said again,
not really liking the direction the conversation had gone. "We're not
really fond of ships either."

Elaina laughed. "Well, that's good
I guess."

"Bo's a good man. The best," she
felt the urge to say.

"That's good, too," Elaina
said with an amused smile.

"Aro, ready to go?"

She glanced up at Bo, who stood looking
back and forth between her and Elaina. "Yes." Elaina slid out of the
booth and she followed, Garen making his way out from under the table behind her.
"We're off to the market," she told Elaina. "Do you need
anything?"

The woman looked over at Bo. "I
believe we had plans to go soon? Perhaps tomorrow morning?"

Bo grinned like a fool and bobbed his
head. "Yes, yes of course. I'll meet you here."

Aro rolled her eyes and grabbed his
sleeve, tugging to get him moving before he made a fool of himself. "We'll
likely see you for dinner," she called, giving a small wave before she
pulled a still grinning Bo out the door.

"Is she angry? Of course she is.
How much? What should I buy her?"

With a sigh, she tried to pay attention
to Bo's rambling as they headed to the market. It was going to be a long
afternoon.

∞ ∞ ∞

Once she convinced Bo he should only get
something small as a gift this early in his blooming relationship with Elaina,
things went better than expected. He picked out a pretty silver hair clip Aro
could easily give her approval of.

The change in Bo when it came to Elaina
still left her staring at him in surprise more often than not.

Love did funny things to a person's
head.

Bo walked her home and then went out
again in search of wood, returning after dark with a parcel of pieces tied to
his back. A load would be brought by the next morning.

The cold had not abated, so Aro didn't
complain as Bo set to starting a fire in the large enclosed kitchen stove.
Wondering if they'd all sleep downstairs, Bo laughed and pointed out pipes leading
to vents in the upstairs rooms.

They found the tavern busy, and Bo's
disappointment at not being able to talk much with Elaina amused her and Garen.

Once home, Aro went straight to bed.
Maybe tomorrow she'd hear from Kei.

∞ ∞ ∞

The weather hadn't changed by morning.
Aro watched her breath come out in white puffs as she helped Bo pile wood.
Hopefully they'd get it all done before Bo left to meet Elaina.

"I'll need to buy an ax," he
commented. "Some of these are too big for the kitchen stove."

"Or just save them for the
fireplace?" The living room had a large open one, though they rarely used
that room. Maybe they would once Kei came back. They could sit around the fire
and make plans. He'd like that.

Aro?

The voice came quiet and tentative into
her mind, yet startled her enough she dropped a piece of wood, barely missing
her toes.

A grin split her face.
Kei! Where are
you?

I'm…I'm coming back. I just…I wanted to
let you know…

I'll meet you,
she replied
quickly, bouncing on her toes and grinning at Bo.

You don't have–

Coming from the east?

Yes.

Watch for me.
She paused a
moment.
Love you. See you soon.

In the silence, she turned to Bo.
"Kei's coming back, I'm going to meet him."

"See, I told you so." He
turned to Garen, lying by the woodpile and watching them with interest.
"Do you want–"

"I'll bring him back," she
said quickly, knowing her reunion with Kei would likely be emotional. "I
need…we need to talk."

Bo nodded his understanding. "Be
safe, pup."

She grinned. "Always."

Love you, too
, Kei finally
replied.

∞ ∞ ∞

She found it extremely difficult not to
run as fast as she could through the city toward the east gate. Not to push and
shove past the slow people standing in her way of meeting Kei. Alternating
between cursing under her breath and grinding her teeth, she finally made it to
the gates and joined the few people heading late out into the fields.

Though late fall, there was still work
to be done: some fields turned, seeds harvested, and other such work she knew
little of. All that mattered was no one gave her a second look when she headed
out of the gate. The rolling hills worked in her favor as well. Darting down
paths through the fields, she quickly became lost from view and could let
herself truly run.

After a while, it became clear Kei had
been right when she had to slow, legs aching and chest heaving. A month of
lazing around hadn't done her well. Sucking in a deep breath, she scanned the
fields ahead of her. The forest remained a blur in the distance and she grimaced,
pushing herself on again.

By noon a whipping cold wind descended. She
cursed herself for not grabbing her gloves and a hat. Her cloak's hood refused
to stay up as she ran. Ignoring the cold biting at her fingers and face, she
pressed on, thinking only of seeing Kei again.

He was returning to her. That was all
that mattered.

Eventually she stopped, bending and
grasping her knees, trying to fight a painful stich in her side. Her legs wobbled,
and her breaths came in ragged gasps.

"Wither me," she grumbled between
breaths.

When her body finally stopped protesting,
she turned, trying to judge the distance from the city. At least half way, she
thought.

Another small hill rose before her.
Taking a big breath, she started out again. Nothing would keep her from Kei.

When she reached the top she stumbled,
shocked at the sudden feelings overwhelming her. Sorrow, love, fear, devotion.

Kei.

Somehow, she'd connected with him again.

Aro.
His mind voice held such utter
hope and love and so many other emotions she couldn't identify, she dropped to
her knees.

Squeezing her eyes closed against the
onslaught of emotion, she struggled to gain her feet. She'd done it. As he'd
told her, all she needed to do was think of him. Only him. Of how much he meant
to her.

Wait there. I see you.

Raising her head, she searched the
fields below her. An ecstatic grin formed when she finally saw him, a dark form
rushing toward her.

The wind picked up, howling around her
as she stood waiting on the low hill. The sudden flurry of snow came as a surprise
and irritated her as it obscured her vision.

Finally he stood before her, cheeks
slightly flushed and hair as wild as ever.

For a brief moment, they only stared at
each other. His hands fisted, and she didn't need to feel his emotions to know
he hesitated, uncertain of her reaction.

Stupid Fey.
She flung
herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't," she
whispered fiercely. "Don't ever do that to me again."

His arms wrapped around her waist as he
dipped his head into her neck. "I won't. I promise I won't." His body
shuddered against her. "Aro," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

He shook his head and pulled back from
her, but his warm hands rose to cup her face. Why did he have to always be so
warm?

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." His
words came out too quickly, reminding her of when they'd first met.

She raised her cold hands to cover his.
"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have–"

He shook his head violently, his wild
hair tossing about, and then set his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry. I
expected too much from you. I know…I know it's hard. I'm a rotting–"

"No. No!" She squeezed her
eyes closed and pressed into him. "I should have listened. I should have
been there."

"I should have been there for you.
I should never have left. I'm so sorry."