“I don’t like it, Nate, no more than you do,” Endreí was surprised to hear a hint of… empathy sneak into her voice. “But until we help them break free of this, they truly do need each other. Endreí has promised me that he’ll limit their interactions as much as possible; I’m sure Kara will do the same.”
Nate paused for a moment, obviously just as surprised by Rissa’s words as Endreí was, but before he could reply, a soft knock came from the front door. Jumping at the apparent reprieve, Kara strode quickly to answer, likely thinking that it was one of their friends returning from their deliberations. The young man who stood on the porch when she opened the door was definitely not who she expected to see, nor was the message that he’d come to deliver.
“There’s a woman named Tási at the gate,” he addressed Endreí once Kara allowed the man inside. “She’s asking to speak with you. She also said to tell you that she promises it’s only to talk; nothing else.”
As much as Endreí wanted to have the man tell her to fuck off, he knew that would have been… unwise. Not only was provoking her a rather stupid idea, but he might also be able to gain some useful information during their discussion—something that might either help them escape or even a key to breaking the spell he was under. It was an opportunity that he might never have again, and one Endreí simply couldn’t pass up.
“Have her wait for me under the oak tree next to the barn,” Endreí replied. “But make sure no one tells her anything—she’s not to find out the slightest detail about this place or the people in it.”
He’d chosen the location because it would screen off Tási’s view of nearly the entire village, allowing her no opportunity to observe any preparations that might be underway while she was there. His instructions to the young man were also similarly intended to deny her any information, most importantly, learning about him and Rissa through some careless comment. With a quick nod, the messenger acknowledged Endreí’s words and left to see them carried out. Then, as soon as the man closed the door behind him, Rissa lit into Endreí with unrestrained fury.
“What the fuck are you thinking? Are you trying to piss me off?” She fumed at him. “Or maybe you just want me dead?”
Endreí was expecting her to object, but the sheer force of Rissa’s response left him off balance. Fortunately, Endreí was saved by an unlikely reply from Nate.
“I’m guessing he thinks it’s a great opportunity to pry loose some information,” Nate mused as he explained Endreí’s intentions precisely. “And that it would be foolish to pass it up, even considering the risks.”
“This is dangerous for all of us,” Kara added. “Tási’s obviously not stable, and if she even gets a hint that you and Rissa are together, there’s no telling how she’ll react.”
Oh yes, there was, Endreí thought to himself. He knew exactly how Tási would respond if she learned about Rissa, and it wasn’t a thought he wanted to spend any time at all contemplating.
“But if you really do want this to be over, it might be the best way to put an end to it,” Nate’s sideways glance at Kara more than hinted at his lingering doubts.
“You three can argue about it all you want,” Endreí let out an exasperated sigh. His conversation with Tási was going to be difficult enough as it was; listening to their continued bickering was only making it worse. “I’ll let you know how things went when I get back.”
Having declared his intentions, he headed straight out the door without looking back, but once outside, Endreí walked slowly towards the old barn. As he drew closer, he could see Tási’s small figure sitting under the shade of the looming tree, completely alone while she patiently waited for him. Bracing himself for the difficult conversation, he sat an arm’s length away—close enough for them to speak easily, yet far enough away to prevent her from reaching out to him.
“Why are you resisting me, Alex?” Tási opened, clearly both troubled and confused by his rejection of her.
“You lied to me,” Endreí looked her dead in the eye as he replied, falling back on that truth to avoid disclosing anything else to her. “Everything I thought we had was an illusion, and when that didn’t work, you cursed me. How could you possibly think I would embrace you after that?”
“I said I was sorry,” Tási managed to sound contrite, although Endreí didn’t quite remember her making any apologies. “We can get past this together, Alex. You don’t have to be miserable anymore.”
Perhaps if his life had been as horrible as she’d believed, Endreí might very well have taken Tási up on her offer. After three years of suffering from the effects of her curse, she might have seemed like an angel descending from heaven to offer him a reprieve. But Endreí wasn’t in the dire straits she imagined he was, and he recognized the truth quite clearly. Tási was more demon than angel, and her offer was a devil’s bargain, at best.
“My unhappiness is all your doing, Tási,” he couldn’t stop the pent-up anger from tinging his words. “How can I possibly trust you ever again?”
“I’m not trying to earn your trust, Alex,” she shifted slightly closer to him as she spoke. “For now, I just want to get you back. The rest will come later.”
“Why?” Endreí stopped himself from retreating further away as he finally asked the one question that had been lurking in his mind the longest. “Why are you so… set on me?”
He wanted to say ‘fixated,’ but that felt a bit harsh, and this wasn’t the time to irritate her. Endreí was looking for information, and angering Tási would only make it more difficult to find anything out.
“Do you remember how many times we talked about your ex-girlfriend—how many times I asked you that very same question?” Tási plucked a small flower from the grass, absently tearing at its petals as she spoke. “That bitch Jen broke your heart, yet you were still fixated on her years later. Why was that, Alex?”
Her reply stung him pretty hard. Not only because of the words she’d chosen, but the bitter tone she’d spoken in had answered his own question quite clearly. Jen had lingered in his heart for so long because what he felt for her was true love beyond anything like simple infatuation. Yet Tási’s response did far more than explain her reasons—Endreí sensed a new danger there as well. There was more than a little acid in her tone when Tási spoke Rissa’s former name, hinting at just how much she’d truly resented Jen’s place in his heart. If she ever learned that he’d not only found Jen again but married her as well, the simmering jealousy Tási felt would certainly boil over—violently.
Despite her confession, however, Endreí realized two things almost simultaneously. The first was that whatever Tási might have felt for him, it wasn’t love. As hurt and angry as he’d been with Jen at one time, Endreí could never have brought himself to wish that kind of misery on her. That alone told him enough about the sort of ‘love’ Tási had for him.
Yet it was one more thing that truly brought it all into focus for him. It had been so subtle that he hadn’t noticed at first, but the way she’d spoken his name just then had finally pulled it all together. She knew she was no longer Kimberly; she’d made a point of telling him that when they first met. But even though he’d obviously been transformed just as she’d been, Tási had never bothered to ask him what his new name was, referring to him only as ‘Alex.’ Either she was so consumed with regaining what they once had that she refused to acknowledge the changes in him, or she didn’t care enough to inquire about his life since they’d last seen each other—neither of which indicated any sort of real interest in him as a person.
Since the moment she’d revealed everything to him, Endreí had wondered what had made him so special in her eyes. Now he finally understood. He had to force himself to remain still, fighting the urge to get as far away from her as he could when he realized that Tási’s obsession wasn’t about him at all. It was only about herself. Whether she simply wanted him back because he’d left her, or if there was something else that had spurred her on, it didn’t really matter. What was t
ruly important was that her goals were selfish, and even if she got what she wanted from him, it would likely never be enough. He’d known that Tási’s desire to get him back was a dangerous thing, but considering her incredible power, it was a disquieting realization.
“Despite how much she wounded me, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jen because I cared about her, Tási,” Endreí’s bitterness got the better of him. “But I never tried to cause her pain like you did to me.”
“It was for your own good, Alex,” although she spoke in a soothing tone, hearing Tási utter his former name again sent a shiver down his spine. “I had to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid before I found you.”
“You hurt me, Tási,” Endreí had only one chance to escape her, and he had to play his cards very carefully if he had any chance of succeeding. “I need some time to think about things; will you give that to me?”
“Of course, I will,” Tási shifted closer and grasped his hands as she took encouragement from his words, just as Endreí had hoped.
He wanted to recoil from her touch, but instead, Endreí gripped Tási gently in return. He regretted leading her on this way, mostly because he knew that Rissa was probably watching them, very likely completely misinterpreting what she was seeing.
“My people are afraid of your Empress,” he confessed to her, hoping to string Tási along with as much truth as he needed. “Nothing’s been decided yet, but I think we’re going to leave and settle somewhere else beyond your borders. I’ll be going with them, but I know where to find you now. When I’m ready, I’ll come back for you.”
“I knew you’d understand eventually, Alex,” Tási smiled broadly as she sensed her victory. “I’ll make it all up to you, I promise.”
He rose from the ground and was about to head back home when Tási pulled him into a tight hug, letting out a contented purr as she nestled her face against his chest. Endreí shuddered at the sensation of her body pressing against him but recovered quickly, embracing her in return. He knew better than to give away his near revulsion at her closeness, understanding that this was the role he had to play for a time if he wanted to escape her forever.
“When you’ve made up your minds, I’ll let Dreya know what you’ve decided,” she pulled away just slightly, staring into Endreí’s eyes with her arms still wrapped around his waist. “She won’t be happy, but I’ll make her understand.”
“Thank you,” Endreí didn’t have to fake his sense of relief. Had the ‘Empress’ objected to their departure, there wasn’t anything they could have done about it.
“Go,” she smiled again as she finally let her arms fall away, freeing him from her grasp. “I’m sure there’s a lot you need to do to get ready.”
“Just,” she paused for a moment as she took hold of his hand again, seeming to choose her next words carefully before continuing.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Although there was an almost playful note to her tone, Endreí didn’t miss the subtle hint of a threat she laced there as well. She may have given him a bit of a lead, but he was certainly on a leash—one Tási would yank back forcefully should he disappoint her again.
“I won’t,” Endreí forced a smile in return before heading back towards Nate’s cabin. As difficult as his… performance with Tási had been, he wasn’t looking forward to what came next. Despite the necessity of his actions, Rissa wasn’t going to be pleased with what he’d done. She was likely already fuming, and Endreí’s steps grew heavy as he dreaded the confrontation looming ahead of him.
Chapter 8
“What the fuck was that?”
The greeting Endreí received when he stepped inside Nate’s home was exactly what he’d anticipated.
“I got her on our side,” he replied, not bothering to hide his annoyance at Rissa’s lack of faith in him. “She promised to back off for a while and also help convince Dreya to let us go peacefully.”
“And what did you have to offer her in return?” Rissa’s tone left no doubt about her implication.
“I told her I’d come back for her. Other than that, only a few kind words and a hug,” Endreí shot back. “Nothing more.”
“She’s going to expect far more than that from you, Endreí,” Kara’s pointed words broke him and Rissa from their silent staring match.
Tearing himself from Rissa’s intense glare, Endreí hesitated as he turned towards Kara. Although her assessment was likely an accurate one, something about Kara’s tone bothered him. The minute his eyes met hers, he knew why—his wife wasn’t the only jealous woman in the room.
“W-we’re leaving in the morning,” Endreí recovered from his shock and answered her thinly veiled accusation. “I don’t plan on seeing her again unless it’s to wave goodbye… Forever.”
“If you’re right, convincing this woman that you really do intend to come back for her may be the key to making your plan work,” Nate added, most unhelpfully. “You may have to do more than just talk to her if she comes looking for you again.”
“He won’t be seeing her at all before we leave,” Endreí was relieved to have Rissa’s ire directed at someone else for a change. “If she shows up, we’ll just have to tell her he’s too busy to see her.”
“And if she insists?” Nate countered. “We can’t afford to upset her. Endreí’s made her far too critical to our success.”
“I can put her off,” Endreí answered before his wife’s temper could erupt again. “Even if she wants to see me one more time before we go, I can handle it.”
“I don’t want you ‘handling’ it, Endreí,” Rissa spat at him. “I want you as far away from that monster as possible. She’s already hurt both of us for too long, I...”
Rissa’s voice trailed off as she looked away, shaking her head slowly while staring down at the floor beneath her feet. Rissa’s pain was clear enough for Endreí to see without needing to hear her final words. She’d already been deeply wounded by the thought of him being unfaithful to her; Endreí didn’t want to even consider the damage that would be done if those fears became reality.
“Let us know when it’s time to come back for the vote,” Endreí took hold of Rissa’s hand as he guided her towards the door. There was much more that needed to be said, but the rest of that conversation needed to take place just between the two of them. Rissa obviously understood this as well, and she walked along beside him silently until they made it back to their home and sat down next to each other at their dining room table. Once she settled into her chair, Endreí told her everything, including his observations about Tási’s selfish motives. Yet even when he was finished, she was still unconvinced.
“You can’t do this to me,” Rissa’s voice cracked as she pled with him. “The thought of it alone was torture; I don’t know if I can take knowing that it happened for certain.”
“It won’t,” he tried to reassure her. “I told her I needed time to sort things out before I came back to her, and she promised to let me go. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“You can’t know that, Endreí, she’s fucking insane,” Rissa replied. “Tási’s been chasing after you for three years. She’s not going to let you go that easily.”
He knew that Tási might very well change her mind. Three years was a long time to wait, and she may not let him slip away quite so easily. In addition to her obsession with him and obviously unbalanced state, Tási was apparently a prominent member of an army that was clearly capable of committing heinous acts with little to no provocation. Yet he saw no other choice but to play the cards he’d been dealt. Any chance of escape he and Rissa had relied on Tási’s willingness to let him go. Despite the pain it might cause Rissa, Endreí would do whatever it took to make that happen, and he understood that recovering from the wounds he might inflict on Rissa began with being completely honest with her from the start.
“Even if Tási wants to see me before we go, I think I can manage her,” Endreí let out a slow breath, forcing himself to unclench
his fists before continuing. “If I can’t, I’ll do whatever it takes to get us both away from her. We only have one chance to break free, and I’m going to make it work.”
Endreí held her gaze as he spoke, not daring to look away. As Rissa absorbed his words, he saw the mixture of her pain, anger, and frustration staring back at him. As much as it hurt her to admit it, she knew as well as he did that their situation was a precarious one. The slightest mistake could cause Tási to turn against them. Should that happen, Rissa’s life would likely be forfeit, and Endreí would be Tási’s forever. Although her blood boiled at the mere suggestion, balancing that possibility against a brief period of feigned affection from her husband left Rissa with no real choice.
“Do what you have to do,” Rissa nearly choked on the words. “But she dies, do you understand me? Whatever else happens, that fucking bitch dies.”
“If things go as we plan, you’ll be able to spit on her grave.”
“I’ll do more than just spit on it, Endreí,” she fired back.
He had absolutely no trouble believing that, but with the difficult conversation at an end, Endreí wanted to avoid any further discussion and sought out a diversion instead. Filling a pair of mugs with the ale Khael and Runil had brewed, he passed one to Rissa and took his seat once more as he drank deeply from his own. The heady concoction served its purpose admirably, and they sat in silence together for a few moments before Rissa spoke again.
“This is perfect,” Rissa evaluated the mug with a strange expression on her face.
“It’s good, but they’ve had better batches,” Endreí responded, allowing himself to relax just a little as he savored the lingering flavor of the brew.
The brothers’ ale was the only alcohol in their village; even the northern settlement paid handsomely for the few barrels they could spare. It was one of the few real luxuries they had, and as a result, was in high demand.
Echoes: A Second Skin Novel (Second Skin Book 6) Page 9
