could he make her feel like everything would be okay with just a single touch?
“We are only what are fate decrees, Cara,” Nico said. “If I could spare you from this, I would, but I can’t. I prayed for a son; I did simply because I knew what it would it be like for you if you had to take this on. Your mother and I both knew that you would be Queen one day. From the moment you were born your power was so visible, and so strong. It’s only grown. Nobody ever tried to teach you how to use it because nobody knew how. Nobody tried to help you hold it because there’s no way to hold something so natural and so wild. The power more immense than anyone has ever seen. None of us know how to help you.
“That’s my biggest failing as a father, and I hope one day you’ll forgive me. I will completely understand if you don’t. I’m so sorry, but I can’t release you from your destiny. Nobody can do that. You are to be Queen, unless there is one who is more powerful than you. But we all know that there isn’t.”
Tears leaked down Cara’s face. “I don’t want it.”
Nico said, “I know.”
“I don’t even know how to use my power. Like you said nobody ever taught me. I don’t know what I can do, and I don’t how to stop doing what I do. I set Ion on fire, for God’s sake!”
One of the icicles broke from the ceiling fan and hit her right in the middle of her own head. Cara yelped in pain and rubbed the crown of her head. More icicles started to fall, and everybody began to duck and cover. By the time the last of those dangerous little spikes had hit the floor, Cara was sobbing.
Sebastian didn’t even think about it. He went to her and held her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder wrapped her arms around him. He’d been going to tell her earlier that she smelled of toasted almonds and sugar. That was her natural smell. He didn’t think he’d ever met a woman who smelled so incredibly good.
He looked over her head and caught sight of her father’s face. Nico was frowning heavily and there was concern and fear written deeply in his expression. Sebastian knew that was more to all of this, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
How many legends had been lost? How much of the past had been hidden and forgotten? People often distorted history for their own purpose. Maybe the Fallen and the Tribe had long since forgotten the truth behind their animosity toward each other.
Cara continued to sob. Her slender body was wracked by her cries and Sebastian’s heart was breaking for her.
Her father said it was her destiny and there was no way to avoid it. Perhaps that was true. Destiny was said to be a wheel that spun continuously and without care for the people caught in its cogs. Nobody had ever called destiny kind.
He understood exactly how she felt. He’d never wanted to hunt rogues. He’d never wanted to kill people that he’d known, loved and cared for. He’d never wanted to be the one who brought death. When his uncle had come to him and bestowed the silver knife upon him, he’d known there was no way to fight it. His uncle had told him that night that killing rogues was his destiny.
Cara broke away from him and ran up the stairs. Her feet pounded on those steps and he stared after her. None of the men in the room spoke. All of them knew that she was not the kind of woman to give in to tears often or easily.
The other women in the house had left earlier to go and meet the families that were trickling in slowly but surely. Nico knew that they were out preparing a site for tonight’s dance.
He looked over at Sebastian. “Don’t just stand there — go up there and see if you can’t quiet her down.”
Sebastian knew that Nico had just given him a blessing. It wasn’t a blessing that would last forever; it couldn’t be. A Wolf and a member of the Tribe could never be together. There were laws and rules, and no matter how or