Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (29 page)

Chapter 25

Love and Death

Memories flashed by in a whirl of color.
She didn't pay attention to them, but fought against the rainbows for what felt
like forever. They'd never been so strong. Despite knowing she fought a losing
battle, that he'd given her more than her body would survive, she didn't give
up.

They swirled around her, taking her from
one memory to another until finally they did pull back.

A dim forest surrounded her and she
paused, not being able to place what memory it might be. The sound of hoof beats
caught her attention and she searched the shadows of the trees, trying to find
where the sound came from.

Turning, she found herself in the middle
of a snow-covered meadow. The setting sun cast long shadows of the surrounding
trees onto the glistening snow. Still, she heard the hoof beats and turned once
more. A rider burst out of the trees.

The dark shadow raced forward. A
magnificent black horse kicked up plumes of snow as the rider urged it on.
Black cloak flowing behind him, the wind sent his long dark hair floating back
from his face.

Past memories surfaced. The dark hold of
the slave ship and her younger self, in chains, trying to be brave and talking
to a broken stranger.

"Do you have a white horse?"

He chuckled. She loved the sound of it.
"Yes. I've a number of horses at home. My favorite is the black
though."

"Prince," she whispered.

She didn't move as the horse bore down
on her. Though her heart beat furiously, her eyes would not leave the
approaching figure's face.

One last time, one last time she would
get to see him.

He pulled up the horse a short distance
from her. As it pranced and huffed out white bursts of air, she forced a weak
smile. For a long moment he just stared at her, regal and cold. Dropping the
reins, he finally slid from the saddle and strode toward her.

"I had hoped never to see you
again."

Her lips trembled at his words and for a
moment, she wondered if perhaps he had sent Baelan to kill her.

Reaching her, he pulled her into a crushing
embrace, burying his face in her hair. "My Arowyn," he murmured,
dispelling her strange notions.

"My prince." Leaning into him,
she held him tightly until he gently pushed her away.

"What has happened?"

The sorrow on his face threatened to
bring tears to her eyes. Did he know? "Vesrin attacked," she said
finally. "Baelan…he betrayed me."

His dark brows drew together. "Baelan?
What was he doing there?"

It was her turn to be confused.
"You sent him?"

"No, Arowyn," he said angrily,
snapping out each word. "I did not."

"But you said…" Her words
trailed off at the fury on his face. "He said he was sent. I'd just
assumed…" She was such an idiot. Cheeks burning, she cast her gaze to the
ground.

Prince sighed and pulled her close once
more. "I have no one I trusted enough. I am denied access to those few I could.
I am sorry. I…"

She shook her head. "It's not your
fault."

"Did he give you riath?" She
nodded. "How much?" When she didn't reply, he set her back and tipped
her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "How much?"

"More than before, I think," she
answered quietly. For some reason, she smiled weakly once more. "More than
enough to…" It was impossible to say the words to him. "I'm
sorry."

Shaking fingers traced along her jaw. She
couldn't look at him.

"By the time I realized what he'd
done, it was too late. I couldn't…" She shook her head. "Even if he
hadn't, he meant to kill me. I don't…I…"

"Aro." He set his forehead
against hers and then gave it a soft kiss before scooping her up into his arms.
"You’re in your nightdress, standing out here in the snow."

"What?" Before he could
answer, the meadow melted away and a new scene appeared. She looked around a
small log cabin. A fire roared at one end. She saw a small table with two
chairs off to one side and a small bed in one corner. Her cheeks burned once
more as he carried her there and carefully set her down. Climbing onto the bed,
he sat back against the wall before pulling her to his side.

"Much better," he said
quietly.

Leaning against him, she nodded, keeping
her gaze down.

"Are you cold?"

"No," she whispered. How long
would she have with him before the rainbows took her away? Or her body gave out
and she died. Why did the thought of dying still not terrify her? She had so
much to live for.

Tilting her head back, she took in his
beautiful face, the firelight flicking across his dark hair and dancing in his
blue eyes. She could look at him forever.

He traced his fingers down her cheek and
smiled sadly. "I did want to see you again."

"I know."

His eyes searched hers. "Not like
this. I just…want you to know, I had not given up. I was–" His voice broke
and he lowered his eyes. "Despite what they said, what I heard, I still
wanted–"

She pressed her fingers over his lips
and closed her eyes against the pain his words caused. If Baelan hadn't shared
memories of her and Roan directly, apparently someone had. "It's not true,
whatever they said or showed you, it's not."

He let out a deep sigh. "Ah,
Arowyn. I would not blame you."

His words cut her to the bone. If she
lived, she would kill Baelan for all he'd done. "You are the only one I
love," she said quietly. She cupped his cheek to make him look at her.
"The only one. Come look in my memories to see the truth, I'll show you
everything. I never–"

His lips cut off her increasingly
panicked words. "I trust you."

"I hadn't given up on you," she
insisted. "And if somehow I survive this, I won't."

He kissed the top of her head. "You
never lose hope, do you?"

"I believe in you. I believe in us."

"Such a foolish girl."

"Don't say such things."

Sighing deeply, he shook his head.
"I apologize. I find it very difficult to see the world as you do. We are
so very different and come from–"

She silenced his stupid words with her
lips. When she finally pulled back, she gently nipped his lower lip. "I
love you. That is all that matters." When he opened his mouth to reply, she
gave him another quick kiss to keep him quiet. "Now you know, without a
doubt, that I do. If I live, then I hope one day you'll understand what I
mean."

"If you live," his voice
wavered again, "send word to me."

"Of course."

"Either way, I will avenge you. I
will do more than blow out the windows of the great hall."

At her perplexed look, he smiled
faintly. "The reason I am having more…trouble at home. When Vesrin sent
the memory of what he did to you, I could not control myself. Mother was quite
furious."

"Be careful, Prince. I might begin
to think you love me, too."

His eyes lowered, and once again, a look
of utter sadness and pain came over his face. Such sad eyes. She regretted her
teasing words, for the most part. It hurt he wouldn't tell her, but she
wouldn't push him. She only hoped one day he would have the courage to tell her
how he felt.

"What were you thinking that
day?" She shook her head. "Why did you kiss me then?"

A wry smile crossed his lips and he
looked away. "I tried not to think at all. But you…all I could think of was
you."

Those words filled her with such hope
her chest hurt. "Fight for me," she whispered after a silent moment,
resting her head against his.

"Aro…"

Sitting up, she slid onto his lap, took
his face in her hands, and gently kissed him. If this was the last time she'd
ever see him, she didn't want to argue.

When she finally pulled away, her heart
hammered in her chest. Or did it? "Is this just a dream? Just mine, I
mean."

"We are sharing it," he
answered.

"But, how would I know? I might be
just dreaming you said that."

"This is true." Dipping his
head, he placed gentle kisses down the side of her face.

"If you send word to me–"

"When," he interrupted.

"When you do, let me know this was
real."

"Hmm." He leaned back, seeing
the serious look on her face. "Very well. Yet to speak of the dreams may
not be the wisest course of action." He paused a moment, thinking.
"Tell me something, something I can share again with you."

Her brows drew together as she frowned,
and he kissed between them. What could she say? "There is a tree
growing," she whispered.

He shook his head in bewilderment.
"I do not understand."

She tapped her temple. "Outside my
fortress. A little tree is growing. I don't know what kind it is though."

He stared at her for a very long time
before wrapping her even tighter in his arms. "Yes, I will ask about your
tree. Good?"

She nodded. "I don't know how long
I have," she said, resting her forehead against his.

"Then I will hold you until you
go."

"And kiss me, don't forget that
part."

He chuckled softly. "As my lady
wishes."

∞ ∞ ∞

A pounding sound caused her to pull back
from him. Hoof beats? Looking around in confusion, she tried to place the
sound.

"What is it? Aro?"

"I…" She placed a hand on her
chest. Her heart. It pounded so furiously a small gasp escaped her. How could Prince
not hear it?

Pain lanced through her chest and she
cried out. Arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to a firm chest. She
couldn't hear his heartbeat, only the frenzied beating of her own.

"No, no! Aro, stay with me. Please,
I beg of you. Stay with me…"

She couldn't answer him. She couldn't
breathe through the tightness in her chest. The wild thumping stopped abruptly.
Instead of the rainbows tearing her away, she fell into the dark.

∞ ∞ ∞

Darkness is peaceful. Silent.

Flashes of light erupted through the never
ending black. Power arched through her, again and again.

From far away, a muted, angry voice
teased her ears.

"Breathe! Come back, Arowyn."

So commanding. Power flared through her
again like lightening in an evening thunderstorm. Her heart shuttered, beat
once, stopped, and began again.

"Breathe!"

Perhaps she did. Did she know that angry
voice? Rainbows swirled into the darkness, wrapping them in their bright glory
and taking her away to a place of memory.

Opening her eyes, she found herself in
dark woods surrounded by leering, filthy slavers. Where had the happy memories
gone? As the men closed in on her…she screamed.

∞ ∞ ∞

Someone was singing. The words were
unfamiliar, yet the voice wasn't. She'd heard him before, though she couldn't
remember when. Who sang so beautifully? Kei? Prince? She latched onto the voice
as terror after terror played over and over again around her.

The rainbows eventually faded away, the
memories becoming more muted. She had a brief respite before they disappeared
altogether…then the nightmares began.

She ran through a moonlit forest. Heart
pounding, she gasped through a throat dry with terror and panic. He wouldn't
stop. He'd never stop chasing her.

Dodging trees, her lungs burned. Every
limb ached with fatigue. Behind her the wolf howled, startling her so much in
its closeness she stumbled and almost tripped. Catching her balance, she put on
a last burst of speed, eyes searching for…something, anything, anyone to help
her.

Only trees loomed around her, branches
all too high for her to reach. Over the sound of her frantic heart and gasping
breath, she suddenly heard him. The quiet pats of his paws upon the forest
floor, the louder pants of his breaths.

Time had run out, along with her energy.
Her steps slowed and she stumbled again as muscles protested her constant push
to keep going.

A paw swiped against her back, claws catching
her shirt and sending her flying to the side. She landed hard, but rolled,
struggling to stand. All she saw was snapping teeth and claws. Her screams
drowned out his terrifying growls.

Her bloody death jolted her awake.
Though her body trembled and her breath came in quiet rapid gasps, she couldn't
move and barely felt her body. Blinking rapidly eventually cleared her blurry
vision. As feeling began to return, she wished it hadn't.

Strong arms wrapped around her, a hand
cradled her head against a muscled bare chest. She struggled to even out her
breathing as she continued to shake.