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June 22 - June 23, 2025
“She does look tasty. But I neither want to eat nor kill her. I just want to learn all her secrets.”
😩🤭🫣
A woman like you wants to be loved, deeply and without constraint, by
someone who knows the true you and adores you all the same.”
😭😭😭😭😭🤏🏽😩 me— folded.
They stayed like that for the next few hours until Lessia rubbed her blurry eyes, a yawn shattering the quiet rustling of pages. Loche immediately shot up to help her put the books back in place and, without a word, followed her back to her room.
😩
“Would you like to join me for dinner?” Stiffening, he made to turn around but appeared to catch himself at the last minute and instead took the final step into the castle’s entrance hall. “I have more business in town I need to see to.”
Merrickkkkk 😭😭😭😭😭
Shaking his head, Zaddock said quietly, “I can see why he’s intrigued by you.” “Who?” A loaded silence followed, and Lessia rolled her eyes. “He’s intrigued because I am not the cold, heartless Fae he expected?” “No. Because you’re up here reading about crops.”
But a few steps away, he hesitated, his eyes sweeping across her features and snagging on her ears. The man took a step back.
The Fae king literally has mentals working with him omg. He’s the one brainwashing Stellia’s guards 🫣 I’m guessing they’re meant to kill anyone who isn’t fae in the castle which makes sense 😭 damn I just pieced this together I hope I’m right.
“Thank you, Lessia.” Zaddock’s voice was low, and there was a hint of surprise in it. “You saved my life.”
Friends 🥹🤏🏽
Loche’s eyes flew to hers, and a current ran over her skin when a half smile overtook his face. Flicking his eyes between her and Zaddock, he inclined his head. Confused, she bowed her own before sidling up beside him, facing Frayson and trying to ignore the electricity that crackled between them when Loche’s hand brushed hers.
🤭😩😭🤏🏽
“How badly are you hurt?” he whispered while Craven demanded more details on what happened last night. “I’m fine.” She shrugged. “I just overdid it a bit when I tried to fight one of them.” The need to avert her gaze when his hardened nearly overwhelmed her. Icy rage burned in his eyes as they swept over her body, then back to her face, and his
😩😩😩😛🤏🏽
hand brushed hers again when his clenched into fists.
“If he hadn’t already taken care of it himself, be sure he would not have lived to draw another breath once I got to him.”
😛😛😛🤏🏽
“I know this isn’t what most of you expected. But in war, friend turns on friend, and you need to understand the implications of not just the physical pain but the emotional one as well.”
Oh this is actual hell I’m convinced.
His kind eyes shifted back to Lessia. “I’m afraid to say it’s ladies first.”
BITCH WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK.
Merrick’s breathing became labored, and the whispers grew louder. “I said now!” “Merrick.” Lessia tried to reach out for him, but she couldn’t move her arms enough, the rattling chains restricting any movement. Shifting so she could look up at him, she tried to make her voice soothing. “Merrick, it’s all right. You know why I am here; you know I want this.” Another growl rumbled in his heaving chest.
He doesn’t wanna do it 😭🤏🏽
“I said get away from her!” “Fuck you,” Merrick snarled as one of his hands cupped her chin, the other squeezing her shoulder. “Lessia. You’re not there. You will never go back there. I won’t allow it,” Merrick urged. Pinching her eyes closed, she focused on his deep voice as he repeated, “You will never go back there.”
Bro I love him. It’s that simple. 😩
With a roar, Merrick spun around. “Give her time to breathe! You’re supposed to be doing this to ask questions, not for the enjoyment of hurting her!”
!!!!! That’s what I’m saying like this is not a damn interrogation they’re just beating the fuck outta her bc she’s half fae like ? What the fuck.
Shifting her gaze up, she realized Merrick’s furious face was inches from hers and that the comfortable place she rested was in his arms.
Merrick sat against the wall, and her body lay atop his lap.
“I don’t take orders from you, Merrick. You’re the one who did this!” Loche’s eyes were black as he dropped down on the other side of the healer and cupped her chin with his hand. Her eyes followed his fingers as they shifted a strand of wet hair away from her face, then traced her aching jaw, a shiver running through her when his finger trembled. A warning growl vibrated in Merrick’s chest, and Lessia winced when it shifted her body and jolts of pain shot from her ribs.
This is too much 😩 they both can’t be fretting over her in the same room at the same time like this. 😩😩😩😭🤭
Roughly shifting some of the firewood, he lit the fire faster than she’d ever seen anyone do, and her eyes widened as the hot flames licked the sooty stone. “It was you,” she whispered. Merrick froze, crouched down by the white fireplace. “You lit the fire in the cabin.” “You don’t seem to do so well in the dark,”
I HAD A FEELING IT WAS HIM. I FUCKING KNEEEEW
“You don’t scare me, Merrick. At least not anymore.” She pressed on a sore spot on her cheek. “I know you tried not to hurt me today. You could have done much worse. And you’ve helped me as well. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” “Why are you defending me!” Merrick raised his voice, and she jerked, holding back a groan when pain spiked from her ribs.
Ard merrick ease up on my girl
“I am evil, Lessia. I’m the Death Whisperer, for gods’ sake.” He lifted his head and gestured to her chest. “I did that!” “Merrick…” Lessia’s brows rose when he hid his face in his hands again, his shoulders slumping.
Yeah I love him.
She drew a shaky breath, her voice barely a whisper as she continued. “I… I told her to jump off a roof or something, and her eyes glazed over. I didn’t think much of it then, but when I returned that evening, my parents were distraught. She’d jumped off the roof of our house.”
I knew it was gonna be something like this 😭 a complete freak accident that made her resent her powers fr
“I couldn’t bear the look on their faces when they realized it was my fault. I was terrified, and I didn’t know what to do. So, I told them to forget about me, forget I’d ever been their daughter. And then I left for Vastala. I suppressed my magic for years. Until that night…”
😭😭😭😭 aw lessia
“Don’t tell me anything else. Please.” Merrick rose and walked over to her, cautiously sitting down on the bed.
He doesn’t want Rioner to be able to use it against her bc he can’t lie to him if he asks 😭😭😭😭😭 merrickkkkkkk pls
“I guess that makes two of us.” She peeked at him through her lashes. “Was… was that a joke?” Her heart nearly stopped when a crooked smile spread across his bent-down face. “You must have rubbed off on me.”
😭😭😭🤏🏽
Her brows snapped together. “I thought you wanted me to stay away from you?” The question came out softer than she’d meant, but she didn’t know what to do with all this buzzing energy or the unsettling intensity of his gaze as his gray eyes burned into hers. Loche’s jaw clenched, and his eyes darted to the door for a moment before he sighed. “I never said I wanted you to. I said that you should stay away from me.” “Why?” she whispered.
\😩/
|
/ \
I CANNOT KEEP DOING THIS.
Familiar waves of warmth began rolling through her when Loche released her wrists. Muscles tensing, she sucked in a breath when his hands cupped her face instead, and he forced her eyes to his. “I won’t tell a soul.”
😭
“I won’t tell a soul because what you’re doing is not wrong, Lessia. It’s admirable. It’s right. If you don’t win, I will make sure you and all your friends, and anyone else who comes from Vastala, are taken care of.
😭😭😭😭🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽😩😩😩😩😩🥺
“Perhaps you should get up if your ribs are still sore? Unless you plan on lying on me all day. Although thinking of it, I might not mind that too much.” Loche’s eyes twinkled when she met them, and her breath caught in her throat when she realized she was still lying on top of him, his chest moving with hers as they filled their lungs with air.
Omgggggg
Loche’s hand gently cupped her chin, shifting her gaze to his again. “What thought just crossed your mind?” Holding his stare, she asked, “Do you know what it’s like wanting something so badly, believing you can never have it? And suddenly, it might be within reach?” Loche’s eyes flared as they traced over her. “More than you can imagine.”
😭😭
As she took a step back, she slammed right into a hard chest, and a strong arm snaked around her to steady her when she stumbled.
😛🤏🏽
Whoever Venko was working with had known of her, and had known of her abilities. They must have known she’d get the information.
You know what Ardow been acting kind of funny 🫢 he’s the only one I can think of that’s been shady and knows all about Lessia fr. I think he might be up to something 😭
Beside her stood a tired-looking Ardow. Even from a distance, Lessia could make out the deep circles under his eyes, the slump of his usually straight shoulders, and how the smile gracing his face did not brighten his dark eyes.
See like this is shady. Tf going on with him.
Leaning in until his warm breath fanned over her, blowing a piece of hair across her face, he whispered, “I would say I don’t bite—but I’m not a liar. Although I prefer to do it in private.”
O M G ?!?!? (Promise?) 🤏🏽🤏🏽😛
When she dared a look at Loche, pride glittered in his eyes, and he leaned back in his chair, waving for her to continue as another man stepped forward.
🤏🏽🥹
“I don’t know what you have against him, Ardow. But he’s a good man. He might be frustrating and annoying and impossible to figure out, but he’s good.” “I’m going to take that as a compliment.” Her heart stopped, and she spun around, finding her face one inch from Loche’s amused one.
😭😭 idk man idk. He kinda 😩😛 but even HE said she should stay away from him 😭
“Remember your place. I have it under control. She means nothing to me, and everyone knows it. I have been vocal about the need to collaborate with the Fae, and I need to show leadership in accepting them. She is just the means to that end.”
Hmmmmmmmm
But it did little to soothe the betrayal.
Giiiirl you betraying him too no tea no shade. 😭
“Darling, come to me.” Loche’s voice was soft, beckoning, and it was all she could do to take a faltering step toward him when something glimmered in his eyes. He was scared. And that made her terrified.
Bro wtfffffff
“Take off that hood and tell me to my face,” she growled.
TYPE SHIT!!!!!!1!!1!11!!1!1!!!!
A silver snake tattoo twisted around Merrick’s forearm, coiling its way up his large bicep, the dark eyes of the snake glaring right at her. “You’re—you’re—” she stuttered. His head fell to his chest. Merrick was blood-sworn to the king.
BITCH WTFFFFF
“Oh, Merrick,” she whispered as she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. He stiffened at first but then leaned into her embrace, his heart hammering in sync with hers as the air turned thick with grief.
I am HEARTBROKEN.
She tiptoed to the closet, pulled out a thick blanket, and covered him with it. Lingering by the side of the bed, she gently stroked his face, letting her finger travel from his high cheekbones to his strong jaw, pushing a strand of hair behind his pointed ear. “What happened to you?” she whispered as he shifted in his sleep.
Oh I love him.
“But it is. Everyone who comes close to me risks their lives. And now I’ve risked yours too. I’ve been so stupid, but I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
😩💔
“I don’t want to stay away from you,” he whispered again. A tremble seized her body when his hot breath hit her mouth as he continued. “Tell me. Tell me you burn for me like I burn for you. Tell me your heart stops when I walk into a room like mine does for you. Tell me you can’t stop thinking about me like I can’t go a waking second without thinking about you. Tell me you don’t want me to stay away.”
😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩 PLEASEEEEEEE
“Loche, I need to tell…” She let out a huff at the agony searing through her arm, gripping Loche’s biceps to restrain herself from reaching down to rub it. “I…” she tried again. “I’m not good.”
This is so Ella Enchanted coded 😩
“I’m not the begging type, Lessia. But if you need me to, I’ll get on my knees. I’m already risking everything. I don’t mind throwing my pride into the ring as well.”
🤏🏽😛 oh i love a man who ain’t too proud to beg 🤭
Loche winked at her. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do. Besides, I can think of some very good reasons to get on my knees before you. And I promise you won’t be laughing then.”
My jaw —-> the floor
