Semua Bab A Queen Among Tempests: Bab 81 - Bab 84

“Thousands of years of protecting the people of this Earth, but I couldn’t even protect myself,” I sigh despondently. “Some guardian I am,” I snort.Aya furiously shakes his head, squeezing my hand as his arm around my shoulders holds me tighter. “Orenda, you survived. So many people would have given up and taken the easy way out, but you didn’t. You stayed strong and survived, and because of that, you’re here right now. I’m so proud of you for not giving up,” he commends, kissing my temple tenderly.I take an uneasy breath and I rub soothing circles against my belly. He’s praising me for not giving up when the truth is I did. It feels like he’s applauding a fraud.“You don’t agree,” Azadou’s deep voice – like rumbling thunder – observes, making my head shoot up.I still can’t comprehend that Azadou helped to save me or that he’s still here. It’s been two days since they brought me home, and he still hasn’t left. Even more shocking is that Aya hasn’t attempted to kick him out once, h

His confession has my mind spinning and my stomach twisted in knots. Even without a bond between us, my essram still aches painfully to hear him confirm what I suspected. To hear him confess that he wanted to hurt me…“Zarseti finally explained it, and maybe it was because I was so broken, but I was finally able to take in what she had to say…which only made the suffering worse,” he admits glumly, his eyes filled with regret, pain and sorrow. “I spent every minute of every day reliving everything I had done to you and hating myself more with each recollection. You showed me nothing but kindness time and time again, and I repaid you with derision and maltreatment. The day we first met, you took a stand against the Gods and your own maker for me,” he recalls with awe. “Despite everything, you stood there defending and shielding me…no one had ever done that for me before,” he utters desolately.My heart clenches to see him so vulnerable, sitting next to me, stripping himself bare for the