“And Kell survived.”
“Barely.” Dalir’s square jaw ticked. “When he stood before my father and the high council he had no remorse. He gloated about killing Tali. I went for his throat with my blade. Bloodshed in the presence of the council was a crime. I didn’t care. All I could think of was Tali suffering and that he needed to pay.” His shoulders fell with a deep breath. “Kell survived and was banished to an abyss of isolation. I had also broken the law, and my father couldn’t show favoritism. I was sentenced to physically exist only in this dimension. The name and location of our homeland was stripped from our memories.”
Reid massaged the dull ache growing in his temples. “So, basically Kell escaped prison and now he’s on some kind of a revenge rampage?”
“Yes.” Dalir’s hard gaze met his. “What you’ve witnessed so far is him in his weakest state. He couldn’t beat me, so he ran. My guess, he’s gone into hiding to get stronger.”
“You should have gone after him.”
“I couldn’t let you die. I won’t give him the victory of taking away anyone else important to me. The safest place for all of you is here until I come up with a plan.”
“Until we come up with a plan. I don’t care who or how powerful he is, I want payback.”
“The price of payback is steep. Sometimes it’s best to settle for justice.”
Reid flexed his hand. Kell had smiled when he’d snapped each finger one by one. Kell didn’t deserve justice, only retribution. The kind that could get messy. Costly. “What about Lauren? She has to go back, but how do we keep Kell away from her?”
“Are you sure you want her to leave? Celine has decided to remain with Thane.”
Lauren might stay for the sake of her friend, or worse guilt. She felt responsible for Kell torturing him. In her mind, she owed him. That’s what she said. One day, all that obligation would become a weight she couldn’t carry. She’d try to talk herself into it, but it wouldn’t work. By then, she would have given up friends, career, and parts of her life she couldn’t get back.
Reid rubbed his finger over a groove in the table. Too much shit had happened. They couldn’t overcome it. The price of letting her stay to please him was too high. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Moonlight lit the front lawn and the path through the maze. Lauren and Celine sat down on the bench.
Lauren closed her eyes. Instead of the falling water, she replayed Reid snapping at everyone. “It scares me to think about what Kell must have done to him.”
“Then don’t. You’ll never fully understand. Tearing yourself up about it doesn’t help Reid.” Celine wrapped an arm around her. “Just be there for him.”
“I’m not sure how or what he needs. We didn’t really talk. It was just about the physical.” As compatible as they were in bed, sex wasn’t the solution. She’d hate for the intimacy they shared to become a crutch to avoid facing reality.
“In all fairness, purely physical relationships with women are what they’re used to. It’s the only thing they’ve been allowed to have.” Sincerity shone in Celine’s gaze. “If you want Reid to open up, he has to know he can rely on you. That you want to be with him through the long haul. That you’re willing to face the unexpected with him.”
Somehow, during their days at the cabin together they’d developed a bond. Something more real than she’d ever experienced with anyone. “I am and I would, but how? As nice as Dalir’s place is, you and I can’t stay here forever.”
Celine averted her gaze.
“What is it?”
“I’ve been struggling with when to tell you.” Celine dug into her front pocket. She slipped on an engagement ring.
“Oh, honey, congratulations!” She grasped Celine’s hand for a closer look at the sparkling solitaire. “This is great news. Why would you struggle to tell me this? Didn’t you think I’d be happy for you?”
“I knew you’d be happy, but I couldn’t find the right moment. You were so preoccupied over your dad and the cabin. Then the whole thing with Reid showing up kind of complicated things, and now this. So much is changing. Thane’s back on the team. Long time jumps and everything. The present also isn’t their home base anymore. This is, since here is the only place I won’t forget him.” She looked down and fiddled with the ring. “I’m staying.” Celine’s smile wobbled and her eyes grew bright. “It’s not an easy decision. I’ll miss you and Ari so much, but I can’t imagine not having Thane in my life.”
“So when I go back, you won’t be there, ever?”
“That’s not the plan. Once he and the team have taken care of Kell, we should be able to go back.”
A protest hovered on Lauren’s lips. Celine had a kind heart, but she wasn’t na?ve. She wouldn’t have accepted Thane’s ring unless she’d thought it through.