smiled down at her and raised an eyebrow. “You were not like this when I first came here either.”
“Oh!” What must he think of her? She recalled where she was and with whom and tried to pull completely out of his arms, but he held her fast. “Please let me go.”
“Shh…I will if you really want me to. But I feel you need just a minute more. You are not well enough to leave quite yet.” His green eyes gazed intently into hers, reading the worry and sorrow that lay hidden within their depths. “You can still hear the screaming, can you not?”
She looked away and nodded.
“It will be well, I promise.”
Her eyes glanced back at his before looking down at his chest. “Do you truly believe so?”
“Yes.” His mouth nuzzled the top of her head again, before trailing down to her forehead. “Aleyna?”
“Hmm…?” Her lids closed as she raised her head a bit to allow him to kiss her there.
“First of all, has any man ever told you how truly beautiful you are?”
Her cheeks flushed and her lashes fluttered, but she did not pull away. “I do not remember any male saying such things to me.”
“Well, my dear, you are remarkably beautiful. Now—“ he hurried on before she could protest or become too embarrassed again, “Can you tell me what you hear and what is happening to you? What is wrong?”
Her brow furrowed and she snuggled back into his shoulder again, this time bringing her arms in and curling them against his chest. “I do not know what is happening. I just hear shouting and crying and screaming—so much terror. This is not typical crying; this is pain and suffering, so very much pain and suffering.” She shuddered against him.
“Does it hurt you as well?”
“Yes.”
“What do you feel? Can you describe it?”
“I am not certain. I t would seem as though a large stick has lodged itself in my stomach and is now twisting and stirring it about.”
Darién pulled back and captured her face with his hands, his eyes intensely searching hers. “Is it causing you pain right this moment?”
“Yes.”
He felt so very helpless and frustrated. “What can I do to ease your suffering?”
“You already are. Just this—as much as I am positive I will regret staying here with you upon the floor once my wits return—I know of no one who would have done this for me. No one who would have cared as you do. This helps more than you will ever know.”
“I feel I was born to help you somehow, in some way.” No one but him would release the spell that was holding her captive—he could not bear the thought of some other prince doing what he was destined to accomplish. If only he could understand just what was happening to her.
Aleyna looked up. “But you do not even know who I am. Why would you help a stranger? Someone you have only just met?”
He searched her features trying to explain what he was feeling, trying to give voice to the pounding of his heart. There was significance in this moment, more than he could fully understand, but he knew—deep down he knew—she was someone he had known forever. Someone he had promised to protect and care for long before this earth life. He was only just now remembering, each moment—each fraction of a second—determined a new memory of her he had forgotten. Taking a deep breath he attempted to explain. “Have you ever met someone and recognized that you have always known them? They were more familiar to you than any person you have ever met before?”
He felt it too! Her blood soared, her breathing increased—and so did the screams, louder than before. “Darién!” She winced, her head dropping to his legs, her hands holding her ears—trying desperately to muffle the sounds that were within her. Then the smells came. Horrid, putrid smells of burning, ashes, blood…. She began to sob—racking sobs shattered through her whole body—she felt as though she would die. Her sobs became wails of their own as she began to terrifyingly relive
“Oh!” What must he think of her? She recalled where she was and with whom and tried to pull completely out of his arms, but he held her fast. “Please let me go.”
“Shh…I will if you really want me to. But I feel you need just a minute more. You are not well enough to leave quite yet.” His green eyes gazed intently into hers, reading the worry and sorrow that lay hidden within their depths. “You can still hear the screaming, can you not?”
She looked away and nodded.
“It will be well, I promise.”
Her eyes glanced back at his before looking down at his chest. “Do you truly believe so?”
“Yes.” His mouth nuzzled the top of her head again, before trailing down to her forehead. “Aleyna?”
“Hmm…?” Her lids closed as she raised her head a bit to allow him to kiss her there.
“First of all, has any man ever told you how truly beautiful you are?”
Her cheeks flushed and her lashes fluttered, but she did not pull away. “I do not remember any male saying such things to me.”
“Well, my dear, you are remarkably beautiful. Now—“ he hurried on before she could protest or become too embarrassed again, “Can you tell me what you hear and what is happening to you? What is wrong?”
Her brow furrowed and she snuggled back into his shoulder again, this time bringing her arms in and curling them against his chest. “I do not know what is happening. I just hear shouting and crying and screaming—so much terror. This is not typical crying; this is pain and suffering, so very much pain and suffering.” She shuddered against him.
“Does it hurt you as well?”
“Yes.”
“What do you feel? Can you describe it?”
“I am not certain. I t would seem as though a large stick has lodged itself in my stomach and is now twisting and stirring it about.”
Darién pulled back and captured her face with his hands, his eyes intensely searching hers. “Is it causing you pain right this moment?”
“Yes.”
He felt so very helpless and frustrated. “What can I do to ease your suffering?”
“You already are. Just this—as much as I am positive I will regret staying here with you upon the floor once my wits return—I know of no one who would have done this for me. No one who would have cared as you do. This helps more than you will ever know.”
“I feel I was born to help you somehow, in some way.” No one but him would release the spell that was holding her captive—he could not bear the thought of some other prince doing what he was destined to accomplish. If only he could understand just what was happening to her.
Aleyna looked up. “But you do not even know who I am. Why would you help a stranger? Someone you have only just met?”
He searched her features trying to explain what he was feeling, trying to give voice to the pounding of his heart. There was significance in this moment, more than he could fully understand, but he knew—deep down he knew—she was someone he had known forever. Someone he had promised to protect and care for long before this earth life. He was only just now remembering, each moment—each fraction of a second—determined a new memory of her he had forgotten. Taking a deep breath he attempted to explain. “Have you ever met someone and recognized that you have always known them? They were more familiar to you than any person you have ever met before?”
He felt it too! Her blood soared, her breathing increased—and so did the screams, louder than before. “Darién!” She winced, her head dropping to his legs, her hands holding her ears—trying desperately to muffle the sounds that were within her. Then the smells came. Horrid, putrid smells of burning, ashes, blood…. She began to sob—racking sobs shattered through her whole body—she felt as though she would die. Her sobs became wails of their own as she began to terrifyingly relive
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