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"I have been looking for you everywhere." His face is turned away from her, his gaze falling out of the window in the direction of Dawn's cottage. He shows no signs of having heard her. She steps further into the room, wondering if she should call out to him again or not. "Egan." His shoulders tighten under the fine blue cloth jacket he wears. "This is petty and childish. Are you really going to ignore me?"
No answer comes, not even in the form of a shrug. Zara resist the urge to stamp her feet.
"As you wish. I thought we could have this conversation as mature adults but now I can see that we cannot. Our engagement is terminated." Still he ignores her and her eyes flash. "I wish you a good day Egan." She spins on her heels, prepared to storm out of there.
His voice stops her and has her coming back. "You clearly did not look everywhere for me, do try not to exaggerate darling."
"Is that all you have to say? It is an expression and I did not expect you to take it so literally." She speaks with her hand on her hip, attitude peeling off of her in waves.
Egan rotates slowly and his dark brown eyes regard her with barely hidden contempt. "You accuse me of being petty and childish? Yet you are such a child in how you flit around and make your decisions. I once respected you. You turned me down when you were in mourning and that was the right decision, I respected it." He takes a step towards her, his long legs covering a fair amount of distance between them. "Then when Logan escaped you asked me to propose. I respected that you were ready to move on."
Zara lifts her chin, her mouth pressed tightly shut. He takes another stride closer to her. She has to raise her head further to continue looking him in the eye.
"Since then you have made foolish decision after foolish decision. I do not see why your father would choose you as his heir. Perhaps that is why we became engaged, he saw me as someone who could direct you."
"You are wrong." She says as calmly as she can. "I have done what has been necessary. I thought I needed someone by my side but you were the wrong choice."
Instead of her words offending him, they just seem to amuse him. He tilts his head to the side and gently brushes her cheek with his long slim fingers. "Now you believe that that man who you so vehemently refused to discuss is the right choice. A foolish childish idea." His fingers brush down to her throat and she quickly stumbles back a little way. His lips tweak up.
"I love him." She proclaims. "I never stopped."
"Sounds like you are still trying to convince yourself sweetheart." He uses the endearment as a weapon and she glares up at him. He closes the distance between them and leans down, his breath hot on her ear. She does not squirm. "I am giving you one last chance. Consider your next words very carefully love." He moves to her other ear and she fights to stay still. She will not let him intimidate her. "Who do you want by your side as Leader to Ricell? Me or Logan?"
He waits and she turns her head so she can whisper directly into his ear. "I want Logan." She emphasises each word, her eyes bright and focused. "We are over." A choked sound leaves her throat as he strikes as quick as a coiled snake and lifts her off the ground by her neck. She tries to scream but not much is able to leave her mouth. His eyes darken considerably. For the first time ever she is terrified of him. She never knew he was capable of this. She scratches at his hands.
"Wrong choice." He growls and throws her across the room. She hits her head on the wall and the room moves before her eyes. Two, or perhaps three, of a very angry Egan stride away from her. Relief fills her until she sees him pick up a vase. He weighs it in his hands. He looks mad, his black hair falling down over his enlarged pupils. His breathing is fast and uneven. She screams and the sound pierces through the air. He shakes his head and tuts as he strides towards her. He stops before he gets too close. He scoffs at her small figure curling up against the wall. Her head spins and she cannot tell which one he is. The other two look far too real. She squeezes her eyes shut. "Your pathetic little heart has ruined everything." He lifts up the vase.
The door opens. He throws the vase with a roar of anger. Zara waits for it to shatter over her. The sound of porcelain shattering to the floor makes her flinch. It never hit her. She warily opens her eyes. They widen and she reaches out. Her palm touches his arm, her fingers wrap around it, his is real and he is here. She cannot quite believe it. He shakes his head and some fragments fall down. He pats her hand before rising to his feet, the rest of the broken vase dropping from his body. He blocks her view of Egan.
She does not see that Egan has taken a step back and his eyes are wide with the realisation of what he has just done. The anger has drained away and only panic remains. He glances down at his hands, alarmed at what he has just happened. He remembers trying so hard to be calm; he remembers keeping his tongue still when she first entered. But then it all went downhill and his emotions got the best of him. He could have really hurt her, which was never his intention. His eyes flick up to meet Logan's. "I did not... I am..." Each of his sentences he is unable to finish. Logan watches him warily.
"You should go, now." Logan finally says. Egan nods once, twice, and then quickly hightails it from the room. The door slams at his exit.
Logan twists round and kneels down before her. He gently feels her neck and she winces. Egan had not held on long enough for bruises to form but it would certainly be tender for some time. His eyes dart over the rest of her looking for any other injuries that may have happened. She reaches out and touches his hand. His eyes come up to meet hers. "I am mostly unharmed thanks to you."
Logan exhales softly and places his hand over the top of her much smaller one. "I do not know how I held back from killing him when I came in and saw you on the floor and him..." Logan stops himself as anger rushes up and colours his vision red.
"Egan and I, we are no longer engaged." She says gently.
"I should think not." His words produce a smile on both of their faces. He lightly caresses her face, his eyes softening. She leans in to his touch. Unable to stop himself he lowers his head and presses his forehead against hers. "This does not mean I have forgiven you yet." She licks her lips not daring to move. His eyes flicker down to her lips and back up to meet her eyes.
"I know." She whispers. Tenderly he presses his lips to hers and warmth blossoms between them. She smiles against his lips. His free hand lies against her waist. She pulls back and Logan sighs, his head dropping down to rest on her neck, his breath hot against her skin. "We cannot do this." She hates herself for saying it and Logan's groan tells her he clearly feels the same. He leaves a light kiss on her shoulder. She laughs and pushes him back. "You said it yourself; you have not forgiven me yet."
"I forgive you." He quickly replies and she rolls her eyes, a smile pushing its way onto her face.
"No, you have not."
"No, I have not." He agrees a moment later and unwillingly pulls away and settles back on his heels. "So how do you suggest we proceed?" He asks even though his gaze keeps dropping to her lips.
"Meet me tonight outside the servants' entrance." She gets to her feet and offers her hand to him with a pleasing smile on her face. Logan stands up and takes her hand. He does not seem to want to let it go. She gives him a pointed look and he laughs as her face colours to match her hair. He drops her hand. "I am truly sorry for everything Logan."
His eyes meet hers dead on and he solemnly nods. "Tonight." He simply replies. She swiftly leaves before anything can ruin the moment.
○ ○ ○
Never had the hours in the same day seemed so long. The sun steadfastly refused to move any faster through the sky despite Logan's constant looks upward. Eventually the light drains away and the darkness slowly creeps in and takes its place. Then Logan rises to his feet and strides to the door. He pauses and glances back into the empty cottage. Hunter still has not returned and Logan has no idea where he is. With great irritation Logan quickly writes out a short note telling his brother, should he return, that he is safe and will be back. He then hurries out and quickly makes his way to the back of the manor and situates himself by the servants' entrance to the kitchen.
Time continues to pass slowly and Logan wonders if he is too early, or if she has simply changed her mind. Then the door slowly edges open and a familiar wild bush of dark red curls appears. Her shoulders relax when she sees him there and she slips out and closes the door to the warm and lit kitchen.
"Good evening." He says softly as the air feels thick around them. Her lips twitch up. "So tell me why we are meeting when everyone else goes to sleep."
"You do not remember? It was not long ago." She states softly before holding out her hand. Butterflies tumble around in her stomach; they kick up into a frenzy when his warm palm encloses around hers. She swallows, her mouth suddenly going dry.
She tugs on his hand and with his willing following footsteps she leads the way, taking them further and further away from the manor and its lights gradually being dimmed within. Logan watches the back of her head, his tongue mute as he cannot decide exactly how he feels about her. Her presence intoxicates him but Hunter made his thoughts clear that he should not so easily forgive. He shakes his head. He knows exactly how he feels about her. He loves her. Nothing had managed to change that.
Zara stops and turns to him, her eyes roam over his face. She tries to convince herself that he is just as he was before this whole mess. However she knows she cannot lie to herself. There is something hard in his face now. There is something that was not there before. Her free hand hovers by his neck but she holds herself back. It drops and awkwardly hangs by her side. Logan reaches out and takes it, pressing a light kiss to her palm. The gentleness mirrors in his expression and for a moment, he is exactly who he was before. He looks up and his forehead creases a little.
"Tell me, Siren, why are we out here?" He whispers, careful not to disturb the peacefulness of the night.
I have a feeling that some of you may have mixed feelings about this chapter, please bear with me...
Did anyone expect that of Egan?