Having lost the man she loved to the cold clutches of suicide, Amara's impulsive decision to join him leads her to accept the marriage proposal of a mysterious stranger she shares a drink with at a bar.
Xelan's weddings were an awful affair, with ea...
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The sudden change in Ivina was worrying, although Amara was a little relieving that she was no longer poking into subjects that were none of her concern. She stepped into of her uncertainly, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Hey, Ivina. Are you okay?" she asked. At the lack of a response, she shook her a little, her mind going to wonder how she was going to be able to reach Xelan or her husband to inform them. But before her worry could shift into panic, she felt her vision blur.
When everything came back into focus again, she was back in the room again. Only this time, Xelan and Fraser were there as well, with Dale sitting uncomfortably in front of them. The relaxed airhead look he had in the crystal reflection was long gone. Replaced by shrewd eyes that stared between both threats in front of him, waiting for an opening.
"Forgive us for the rude interruption, Gervai."
The man snorted in annoyance. "The name's Dale."
Xelan and Fraser gave each other a look.
"Don't you dare hurt him," a voice hissed besides her. She looked besides her to see Ivina, fully awake and watching the scene intently. It took a minute for her to realize what was going on.
"Did you transport me here?!" she whispered. Ivina placed a finger to her red lips, asking for silence.
"Not you, you are in my mind. It was the best choice at the moment. If I hadn't, your misplaced care would have disrupted my connection."
It seemed as though every conversation with this woman would only yield condescension. Amara left it at that, not interested in prodding more and getting the response that would be the last straw.
"There is no need for further pretence here. You and I both know if I believed you were Dale, we would not be having this conversation," Fraser spoke, sitting down. Dale/Gervai eyed him warily, as if he had been expecting a sudden attack from the simple motion. Amara couldn't clearly see what it was that he had done next, but Xelan was by his side within a flash.
"It would be over before you even tried," he said, brushing off something from his shoulder. His demeanour was absolutely different from the one she was familiar with. His detached politeness bled ice into his tone, making the threat behind the words even more sinister. The man looked up at him, his face shrouded by a mix between fear and indignation.
"I've heard of you. The Black Widower. Here for another one of your errands?"
Not even his thoroughly despised alias could draw a response from him. If anything, he looked downright bored. For the first time in months, Amara couldn't get read on his emotions, no matter how hard she tried. It must be because she was in Ivina's mind. It was strange how the absence of their connection left her feeling bereft.
