Forbidden Darkness (Whispers Prequel #1)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

“Why did you leave the celebration?” Tanoan asked her once she stepped out from behind the oak.

“I just couldn’t stand being in there a moment longer. Everything felt fake and forced.” Thya tried to explain to him, but couldn’t seem to find the right words. “Those people, my family and friends, I don’t know which of them have lied to me and which have been just as naïve as myself.” Shaking his head at her, Tanoan walked over so he was standing in front of her.

“Most of them are scared of me, Thya. It’s not their faults for being riddled with fear. You can’t blame every person in the kingdom for the treatment of my kind.” Tanoan looked into her eyes as he said the words.

 Logically, Thyatira knew that what Tanoan had told her made sense, but she did know that her father, and most likely Nadir, had lied to her. King Andric had known about Tanoan’s ability and how kind he really is and yet he treated him like a slave and scared Thya away from Tanoan ever since she was just a child. Even if Nadir didn’t know about Tanoan’s healing gift, he still treated him terribly. Nobody should be treated like a slave.

“You’re the only person that’s been completely honest with me.” Thyatira held his gaze for a few more moments before looking away.

“I have no reason to lie to you.” Tanoan shrugged. “I have nothing to gain or lose either way.” A peculiar look crossed his expression then as he stared down at her wrist.

“What is it?” She asked him, lifting up her wrist. Little flashes of gold and silver from her bracelet glimmered off the moonlight.

“That bracelet,” Tanoan began, nodding at her wrist, “I picked it out that day you confronted me in the markets. Your fiancé had ordered me to find you something.”

Heat blazed in her stomach at Tanoan’s words. ‘Nadir couldn’t even take the time to pick out a piece of jewellery?’ Thyatira had never expected Nadir to cast her off as a second thought. To order Tanoan to go down to the markets for him felt like a double blow to her. Not only did Nadir show how little she mattered to him, but he also made Tanoan do his work for him. ‘Maybe he really is only after the power that marrying me offers.’

Examining the delicate designs and intricate patterns of the bracelet, Thyatira felt an overwhelming hatred for it. No longer did she want to have it on her wrist, it only represented more lies and disloyalties. She just wanted to tear it off her wrist and throw it into the darkness.

“Don’t.” Tanoan whispered.

“What?” Thyatira asked, snapping suddenly out of her thoughts.                 

“I can see your intentions in your beautiful eyes. Don’t take it off.” Tanoan pleaded with her. ‘Did he just call me eyes beautiful?’ Thya thought, shocked. A warm, fuzzy feeling flooded through her, overriding the anger.

“Why not?” She asked him curiously.

“Because I picked it out for you. From the moment that I saw it, I knew it had to be yours. The gold flowers are linked to nature just like the fox half of you and it’s beautiful and unique just like the girl half of you.” Tanoan explained, almost shyly.

The warm, fuzzy feeling spread from her chest to encompass the rest of her body. It seemed as if Thyatira’s limbs acted without her control. One moment she was standing in front of him, the next she was in his arms without even knowing how she got there.

Surprisingly, Thya had always thought that the Whisper would have cold skin, but the shadows seemed to add to his warmth. At that moment there was no place she’d rather be. Being in Tanoan’s arms made her feel safe and protected.

Tanoan’s hand glided up her arm, leaving tingles in its wake. Caressing her neck, Tanoan placed his thumb under her chin and tilted her head up. Bending down Tanoan pressed his lips against hers. She tasted like roses and sunshine on a summers evening.

Suddenly, Tanoan was ripped brutally out of her arms. Opening her eyelids, Thyatira looked right into the blazing hazel eyes of Nadir. The anger that resonated off the Kitsune was palpable. Thyatira could actually feel the waves of anger rolling off of him.

“Nadi –” Thyatira began but was instantly cut off.

“How dare you touch her!” Nadir screamed at Tanoan. The Whisper inched himself in front of Thyatira, as if he was afraid that Nadir would strike at her.

“I’m in love with her.” Tanoan stated simply, as if he was just having a casual conversation with the Kitsune. ‘He loves me?’ Thyatira felt a burst of elation at Tanoan’s statement. Right now she would’ve done anything to kiss him, but she knew now wasn’t the time.

“You aren’t capable of love, Whisper!” Nadir spat the word Whisper as if it were something vile. “She’s my fiancée. I will be king one day, not you.”

That’s when Thyatira realised that Tanoan had been right about everything, Nadir did have a dark side that she hadn’t seen before. She could barely believe that the Kitsune if front of her was the same man that she’d grown up with. His anger had taken over him, changed him into someone else.

His words reverberated in her head. ‘I will be king one day, not you.’ It was true, Nadir was just after the power that marrying her would bring. Although Thya couldn’t believe that the power was the only reason. They’d been close for years, before being king was even an option for him. Looking at him now though, Thya wandered if the Nadir that she knew was still in there somewhere.

“I love you too.” Thyatira whispered, closing the gap between her and the Whisper.

Taking his hand, Thyatira threaded her fingers with his and looked up at Nadir, begging him to understand. The action seemed to only enrage Nadir even more, his expression darkened and his hand twitched towards his belt where a long dagger was strapped.