All this time, she’d fought facing the reality of bearing Rue’s baby, unable to separate the tiny life growing inside her from the man with whom she’d become so disillusioned. She’d just needed a little more time to accept things…to deal with the knowledge that he’d been controlling her, using her ability as a conduit for psychic energy.
Lona wrenched her hand away from Rafi to touch her belly. Her skin felt smooth and soft, the taut swell that had been beginning to emerge gone.
Oh, God, the baby.
She’d never uttered a single word to her unborn child. She hadn’t sung any lullabies or offered up any prayers for her baby.
My baby.
Lona struggled to breathe as more tears slipped into her ears.
Despite my feelings towards Rue, the baby was innocent.
“You’re going to be fine, Lona.”
So why did she feel like she was hyperventilating?
Rafi’s hand covered hers, on top of her stomach, and she let out a low sob, overwhelmed by everything—even his tenderness. All she wanted to do was slip back into the peaceful slumber Niri had awoken her from.
Maybe if she closed her heavy eyelids she could escape.
Niri touched her forehead. “Sleep now. Tomorrow you’ll feel like yourself. Our magic will have healed your body completely.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Rafi said, gently squeezing her fingers.
Lona nodded, averting her eyes from his. She didn’t believe him as her eyelids fluttered closed.
Chapter Eight
Rafi continued to pace Niri’s living room floor, unable to relax. The look on Lona’s face had twisted his heart in a million different directions. He knew that…that look of quiet resignation, the acceptance of dreams destroyed and hope lost. It killed him to know she was in that dark place now.
“Rafi, she’s going to be out for hours. You should get some rest. You look like hell.” “I’m fine.”
“You’re not—”
“Damn it, Niri!”
Rafi held up his hands. “I’m sorry.”
Niri shook her head, her voice gentle and understanding. “Don’t be.”
Rafi released a tight breath. “How did this happen?”
“I don’t know for sure. Pregnancies can be tricky in the best of circumstances. Lona’s
certainly wasn’t textbook.”
Rafi swallowed hard, hating the question he was about to ask, but needing to know the answer. “Before all of this happened we were…together.”
Niri stared at him, her face devoid of any expression. The lack of judgement in her eyes made it easier to speak.
“We didn’t have sex, but we were—”
“I understand. Don’t think for one second this miscarriage had anything to do with that.”
Rafi searched the elf’s face, wanting to believe her words as his attention shifted to the closed door leading to where Lona lay sleeping. He couldn’t stop thinking he’d caused this somehow, by wanting to be with her. His mind was filled with erotic images of the two of them on his bed. Being with Lona had awoken something in him he’d thought lost forever. He had wanted to show her how special and beautiful he thought she was. But if he’d been the cause of any of this…
“Rafi, look at me.”
He turned his head to meet Niri’s eyes.
“Nothing you did caused this.”
“Are you sure?”
She lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Absolutely.”
Relief coursed through him as he released a deep breath, even though his heart still felt heavy knowing the pain and loss Lona was going through.
“What do you think happened?”
“We believe Rue was somehow able to establish a stronger connection with Lona. That surge of psychic energy between them caused this.”
“She looks so weak.”
“But she’s strong. You’ll help remind her of that…hmm?”
Rafi nodded, having no idea how he’d be able to convince Lona of her inner strength when the light in her eyes had all but faded.
“Can I at least make you some tea?” Niri asked with a small smile.
“Tea would be great.”
“Sugar?”
“Sugar’s fine.” He watched her turn. “Niri?”
The blonde elf
Lona wrenched her hand away from Rafi to touch her belly. Her skin felt smooth and soft, the taut swell that had been beginning to emerge gone.
Oh, God, the baby.
She’d never uttered a single word to her unborn child. She hadn’t sung any lullabies or offered up any prayers for her baby.
My baby.
Lona struggled to breathe as more tears slipped into her ears.
Despite my feelings towards Rue, the baby was innocent.
“You’re going to be fine, Lona.”
So why did she feel like she was hyperventilating?
Rafi’s hand covered hers, on top of her stomach, and she let out a low sob, overwhelmed by everything—even his tenderness. All she wanted to do was slip back into the peaceful slumber Niri had awoken her from.
Maybe if she closed her heavy eyelids she could escape.
Niri touched her forehead. “Sleep now. Tomorrow you’ll feel like yourself. Our magic will have healed your body completely.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Rafi said, gently squeezing her fingers.
Lona nodded, averting her eyes from his. She didn’t believe him as her eyelids fluttered closed.
Chapter Eight
Rafi continued to pace Niri’s living room floor, unable to relax. The look on Lona’s face had twisted his heart in a million different directions. He knew that…that look of quiet resignation, the acceptance of dreams destroyed and hope lost. It killed him to know she was in that dark place now.
“Rafi, she’s going to be out for hours. You should get some rest. You look like hell.” “I’m fine.”
“You’re not—”
“Damn it, Niri!”
Rafi held up his hands. “I’m sorry.”
Niri shook her head, her voice gentle and understanding. “Don’t be.”
Rafi released a tight breath. “How did this happen?”
“I don’t know for sure. Pregnancies can be tricky in the best of circumstances. Lona’s
certainly wasn’t textbook.”
Rafi swallowed hard, hating the question he was about to ask, but needing to know the answer. “Before all of this happened we were…together.”
Niri stared at him, her face devoid of any expression. The lack of judgement in her eyes made it easier to speak.
“We didn’t have sex, but we were—”
“I understand. Don’t think for one second this miscarriage had anything to do with that.”
Rafi searched the elf’s face, wanting to believe her words as his attention shifted to the closed door leading to where Lona lay sleeping. He couldn’t stop thinking he’d caused this somehow, by wanting to be with her. His mind was filled with erotic images of the two of them on his bed. Being with Lona had awoken something in him he’d thought lost forever. He had wanted to show her how special and beautiful he thought she was. But if he’d been the cause of any of this…
“Rafi, look at me.”
He turned his head to meet Niri’s eyes.
“Nothing you did caused this.”
“Are you sure?”
She lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow. “Absolutely.”
Relief coursed through him as he released a deep breath, even though his heart still felt heavy knowing the pain and loss Lona was going through.
“What do you think happened?”
“We believe Rue was somehow able to establish a stronger connection with Lona. That surge of psychic energy between them caused this.”
“She looks so weak.”
“But she’s strong. You’ll help remind her of that…hmm?”
Rafi nodded, having no idea how he’d be able to convince Lona of her inner strength when the light in her eyes had all but faded.
“Can I at least make you some tea?” Niri asked with a small smile.
“Tea would be great.”
“Sugar?”
“Sugar’s fine.” He watched her turn. “Niri?”
The blonde elf
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