Beloved in the Realms 2: Changes of Heart
Penulis
M. L. Knight
Jumlah dibaca
262K
Bab
40
“She reminded him of someone he’d once been, but she couldn’t remedy what he’d become.” Two years change everything. Azlyn survives in the human realm, growing stronger, softer, and surer of who she is. Reve remains in the demon realm, hardened by loss and shaped by the belief that she is gone forever. When fate pulls them back into the same orbit, sparks flicker with familiarity and ache. He is not the demon she remembers, and she is no longer the girl he lost. Power hums beneath old affection, and tenderness clashes with scars left by time. Love still recognizes love, but distance has rewritten the rules. Can hearts find their way back when both have been forever altered?
The Human Realm
Book 2: Changes of Heart
Azlyn crouched among the bushes, her body as hidden as possible. She had ducked out of sight just in time before several demons came through the portal. She could only pray they hadn’t seen her.
She visited the portal almost every night since she’d fallen through it. Despite the risk, she went anyway, always holding out hope that tonight would be the night Reve finally followed her.
It had been two years since she’d been unceremoniously dumped in the human realm. Despite her initial conviction that Reve would eventually come through, he had yet to show himself. Her hope had begun to drastically wane.
She didn’t know how long she could keep pretending. If Reve was still coming, wouldn’t he have arrived by now?
Yet that knowledge did nothing to stop her from waiting.
Normally, the portal was quiet, and she could sit there undisturbed as she mourned for a mate and husband who would never come. Yet, on nights like this, her resolve to spend every possible free moment near a portal to the demon realm proved to be a dangerous endeavor.
She watched as a small group of demons gathered in the clearing and began discussing their plans for the evening. It was clear they intended to hunt down vulnerable humans to kidnap and take back to their realm to be sold into slavery—the same fate that had befallen so many others.
Azlyn was more grateful than ever to Dalair for showing her how to hide her scent while she was exposed like this. Using mud, moss, and other plant life around her, she had smeared a concoction over her skin.
She smelled so much like the nature she was hidden among that it would be nearly impossible for the demons to discover her.
At least, where her scent was concerned. If they spotted her or heard her, there would be little she could do to stop them. Her heart pounded in her chest at how closely they stood to where she hid, and she had to will it to settle.
She kept a keen eye on the group. She watched them joke and laugh, reveling in their dastardly plans to ruin the lives of unwitting humans.
Such typical demons. They cared little for anyone but themselves.
She wished there was something she could do for the other unfortunate humans who wouldn’t be as lucky as she was. She had escaped, but so many others wouldn’t.
But she knew there was nothing she could do.
She was only one tiny human. And there was simply too much at stake.
She could not risk them discovering her. She couldn’t go back to that life—not after everything she and Reve had sacrificed to get her to the human realm.
And certainly not now, with so much depending on her here.
As much as she wanted to rescue the poor souls who would meet their fate at the hands of these demons in the next few days, it would simply be too much of a risk for her to interfere. And she was no hero.
She hadn’t even been the hero of her own story. She certainly couldn’t be the hero of someone else’s.
She sighed dejectedly at the thought. What good was it to know what humans were going through in the other realm, the suffering they endured, if she could do nothing to stop it?
She heard rustling to her right and held her breath in fear. She was a sitting duck out here.
She could curse herself for her carelessness.
Was she about to be discovered? Had she not done a good enough job covering her scent?
Was this another demon stomping through the woods on his way home? Had everything Dalair had warned her about come to fruition?
“Azlyn,” a harsh voice whispered, though fortunately it was one she knew well.
She breathed a sigh of relief as a mud-encrusted Dalair popped his head through the bushes and met her with an annoyed glare. He didn’t like her going to the portal by herself, and he had made that clear on more than one occasion.
However, Azlyn felt guilty for pulling him away from his family every night to simply sit in an empty clearing with her. So, she’d taken to sneaking out without him whenever the opportunity arose.
This way, he got to spend the evening with his family, and she got to sit at the portal waiting for Reve. She felt it was best for everyone involved.
Though Dalair was less than enthusiastic about her efforts.
He felt a responsibility toward Azlyn. Both his sister, Umay, and his best friend, Reve, had entrusted her to his care.
Not to mention, he had come to think of her as family during the time they had spent together.
He was very protective of her and did not like that she put herself in reckless situations. If anything were to happen to her, he’d never forgive himself—and he doubted that Penelope would either.
So, despite his reluctance to keep waiting for Reve, as he had long suspected the prince was not coming, he followed her anyway, knowing she was going to go and someone had to be there for her.
Someone who could protect her if the worst occurred.
Any demon would be happy to take Azlyn as a prize back to the slave traders, even if they didn’t know who she was. She would fetch them a pretty penny.
And any demon who did recognize her would be far more dangerous, as they would be all too eager to hand her over to the royals, who would likely have her killed or maimed for the trouble she had brought them two years ago.
“What are you doing out here?” he hissed, keeping his voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I told you never to come here without letting me know first.”
“I’m sorry, Dalair, but you and Penelope were helping Barin and I didn’t want to interrupt,” she explained, knowing full well that he wouldn’t accept her excuse.
He never did. Penelope was likely at home, coming up with a lecture for her as well.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the thought. She knew they were simply trying to look out for her, but she couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed. She was an adult, after all.
“You can’t keep doing this, Azlyn. It’s far too dangerous for you to be out here alone, and this is exactly why.” He carefully gestured toward the clearing where the demons were still discussing their kidnapping plans.
“I’m sorry. I just…I can’t leave well enough alone,” she admitted. “I’m too afraid that the very night I decide not to come, Reve finally will, and I won’t be here to meet him.”
“Azlyn,” he sighed.
Dalair knew she needed to understand his point, but he was aware he needed to be delicate with how he handled this. She hadn’t given up on Reve during the last two years, and while he too wanted to believe that his friend would eventually come for his wife and mate—
The more time that passed, the less confident he had become. And the less patience he had for the danger she was putting herself in with her stubbornness.
“Why isn’t he here, Dalair? Why has he abandoned me?” she quietly whimpered.
He shook his head sadly. This wasn’t the first time she’d asked these sorts of questions, and he doubted it would be the last.
“I don’t know. I wish I had an answer, but I don’t.”
The truth was that as close as Dalair and Reve had been, Dalair often had trouble understanding Reve’s motives and behavior. They may have been the best of friends, but they were two very different demons.
Reve was the traditional alpha male type—quick to anger and used to violence. More than likely the kind of demon one would imagine when they heard the word.
Dalair, on the other hand, had a much gentler, softer side. He abhorred violence and avoided it unless absolutely necessary. Much like Kane, he had a head for business.
Reve had a mind built for war. It was one of the many reasons why Dalair had been so surprised to learn that Reve had taken a human as his mate.
Not only did it go against all of his family’s long-held beliefs, it didn’t seem in keeping with Reve’s personality. Though admittedly, once he’d met Azlyn, he understood.
She may not have been the strong demoness Dalair had expected, but she was the light to Reve’s dark. She was the calm to his chaos.
Where he was aggressive, she was loving. An ideal match. Two opposites that came together to form a perfect whole.
They sat in silence as they waited for the group of demons to finally clear the area. Once they were sure they were gone, they stood from their hiding spots. Dalair waited patiently while Azlyn took one final look around.
She huffed in disappointment. He knew that meant she was finally done for the night, accepting that Reve wouldn’t be making his appearance.
“Come on, Azlyn. Let’s get you home. It’s getting late, and it’s cold out here. Hunter is probably waiting for you,” he said.
She scanned the clearing one more time, as she always did. She took in a deep breath before nodding her head in agreement.
Just as every night before this one, Reve would not come.
“You’re right. I should get back to Hunter,” she said.
With that, they left the clearing and began the long trek home.
The glimmer of hope that had remained burning in Azlyn’s heart dimmed a little more, as it did every night she spent without Reve.
