PROLOGUE
It was a bright and sunny day when they came to tell her.
Urenya always thought later it was incredibly inappropriate. The sky should have been dark and angry, there should have been a hailstorm or something at least. However, it was a perfectly natural, normal day for everyone but her.
For her, a mere girl at the time, the world was coming off its hinges. Piece by piece, word by word from the mouths of people she found herself hard-pressed to name afterward, she fell apart.
Everyone was really sympathetic and understanding, of course. They were Brions, and while it was true they weren’t known in the galaxy as the most caring and nurturing species, some exceptions still existed, the most definite of these when someone lost their fated at a very young age. No life experience, no thick skin to make it easier. Just searing, mind-numbing pain to live with. Her parents were concerned. They thought it would wound her too deeply, make her incomplete somehow and unfit for life.
Urenya found absolutely no comfort in that. All the people coming by to tell her something terrible had happened, but somehow it would still all be okay – it drove her nuts. First of all, of course it would be okay. She wasn’t the type to give up. Yes, it hurt like nothing else, but… Secondly, she didn’t feel what they all assumed she must be feeling.
Eventually, she ran away. Not for real, but long enough to get some rest from the well-wishers with pity in their eyes who all thought they knew how she should be feeling. Urenya thanked the gods that day for friends who knew what she needed.
“It’s an insult,” were the first words out of Diego’s mouth after Urenya showed up at his door and explained what had happened. “You barely knew him.”
Her heart leapt. Finally, at last someone who understood. She smiled for the first time in weeks, and seeing that, Diego invited her to stay with him and his friends for a while.
Only there, safe in the comfort of people who told her the truth, could Urenya finally give the whole matter any consideration.
“So what happened?” Diego asked.
He was one of her oldest friends, they’d known each other since such a young age they barely remembered. The Brions had their fates settled for them in many ways since showing the first signs of what they were to be. Their future careers were obvious to everyone when they were still children, and their fated, the ones meant for them for all their lives – that was determined too. The thought sent a cold shiver down Urenya’s spine.
Saying that Diego was to be a warrior was the understatement of the ages. He’d been a bright, strong boy when Urenya had seen him last, but in the way boys suddenly jumped in growth he’d turned into a young man so formidable she was sure Diego was going to be nothing short of a Brion general. From the look on his face, he knew it too. She was glad for him, even in her mourning.
“He died,” was all she said.
Diego nodded. That was what Urenya so liked about him. Diego never, ever took pity from anyone. He understood her in that – she didn’t need sympathy. She’d find a way to deal with all of it on her own, and then she’d move on.
When she’d been much younger, Urenya had considered the possibility Diego was her fated. In many ways, they matched. But as they grew older, she started to dread it instead of desiring it. There was no denying Diego was as gorgeous a man as any she’d ever seen. All her friends wanted him, some with a passion bordering on obsessive. For her, Diego had become too much like an older brother. Having him be her fated all of a sudden felt wrong. She hoped she’d be spared of that pain at least, and she was. Although Urenya had never imagined in what way.
“How?” Diego simply asked.
No “if you don’t want to talk about that, that’s okay” or anything condescending like that. It was better she get it all out.
“I’m not even entirely sure,” Urenya said,
It was a bright and sunny day when they came to tell her.
Urenya always thought later it was incredibly inappropriate. The sky should have been dark and angry, there should have been a hailstorm or something at least. However, it was a perfectly natural, normal day for everyone but her.
For her, a mere girl at the time, the world was coming off its hinges. Piece by piece, word by word from the mouths of people she found herself hard-pressed to name afterward, she fell apart.
Everyone was really sympathetic and understanding, of course. They were Brions, and while it was true they weren’t known in the galaxy as the most caring and nurturing species, some exceptions still existed, the most definite of these when someone lost their fated at a very young age. No life experience, no thick skin to make it easier. Just searing, mind-numbing pain to live with. Her parents were concerned. They thought it would wound her too deeply, make her incomplete somehow and unfit for life.
Urenya found absolutely no comfort in that. All the people coming by to tell her something terrible had happened, but somehow it would still all be okay – it drove her nuts. First of all, of course it would be okay. She wasn’t the type to give up. Yes, it hurt like nothing else, but… Secondly, she didn’t feel what they all assumed she must be feeling.
Eventually, she ran away. Not for real, but long enough to get some rest from the well-wishers with pity in their eyes who all thought they knew how she should be feeling. Urenya thanked the gods that day for friends who knew what she needed.
“It’s an insult,” were the first words out of Diego’s mouth after Urenya showed up at his door and explained what had happened. “You barely knew him.”
Her heart leapt. Finally, at last someone who understood. She smiled for the first time in weeks, and seeing that, Diego invited her to stay with him and his friends for a while.
Only there, safe in the comfort of people who told her the truth, could Urenya finally give the whole matter any consideration.
“So what happened?” Diego asked.
He was one of her oldest friends, they’d known each other since such a young age they barely remembered. The Brions had their fates settled for them in many ways since showing the first signs of what they were to be. Their future careers were obvious to everyone when they were still children, and their fated, the ones meant for them for all their lives – that was determined too. The thought sent a cold shiver down Urenya’s spine.
Saying that Diego was to be a warrior was the understatement of the ages. He’d been a bright, strong boy when Urenya had seen him last, but in the way boys suddenly jumped in growth he’d turned into a young man so formidable she was sure Diego was going to be nothing short of a Brion general. From the look on his face, he knew it too. She was glad for him, even in her mourning.
“He died,” was all she said.
Diego nodded. That was what Urenya so liked about him. Diego never, ever took pity from anyone. He understood her in that – she didn’t need sympathy. She’d find a way to deal with all of it on her own, and then she’d move on.
When she’d been much younger, Urenya had considered the possibility Diego was her fated. In many ways, they matched. But as they grew older, she started to dread it instead of desiring it. There was no denying Diego was as gorgeous a man as any she’d ever seen. All her friends wanted him, some with a passion bordering on obsessive. For her, Diego had become too much like an older brother. Having him be her fated all of a sudden felt wrong. She hoped she’d be spared of that pain at least, and she was. Although Urenya had never imagined in what way.
“How?” Diego simply asked.
No “if you don’t want to talk about that, that’s okay” or anything condescending like that. It was better she get it all out.
“I’m not even entirely sure,” Urenya said,
Similar Books
