Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
“Your doctor told me you won’t be able to hear the nuance of the music, but you can follow the soundwaves.”
And then I knew what it felt like to have your heart burst, because mine did, and warmth poured into my chest.
Tiernan reached for my ears and put the small device in each of them. He flicked the back of one of the devices. A static screech filled my ears, making my head hurt. I stumbled back, wincing.
He reached to grab my hands and steady me. I stared at him, shocked. Was I going to hear now?
“I love you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
I heard him.
His voice was rough. Husky. Beautiful.
“I wanted it to be the first thing you’ll ever hear,” he explained. “So I’ll say it again—I. Love. You.”
I wanted to fall down on my knees and scream in triumph. Listen to my own voice. Bask in my laughter.
But before I could do any of that, Tiernan pushed the doors open and in front of me stood a lush, huge ballroom.
A live orchestra sat on a stage, musicians poised and swathed in formalwear.
Violinists, cellists, clarinet and flute players, trombones and trumpets. Bass and snare drums.
“May I humbly ask for the pleasure of a dance with you, Lila?” He bowed his head, and I realized I heard him because he spoke, not because I could read his lips.
That voice. This man. God help me.
Tiernan offered me his open palm.
I took it.
We stepped inside.
The band began to play on cue.
The music filled my ears.
The harmony, the sound, the emotions it stirred in me…
I couldn’t breathe; I was so overwhelmed. It was pleasant and happy, but I got choked up on my own emotions.
I started shaking in his arms as he swept me elegantly across the dance floor in a waltz. Tears leaked from my eyes, and this time I let them fall. I didn’t feel weak. On the contrary, I’d never felt more powerful in my life.
“You waltz?” I heard my voice. It sounded slurred in comparison to my husband’s. But it was pretty. I liked it. It was…kind.
“For you, I do,” he confirmed. “We’re not talking about the dance classes I took last week, though.”
I listened to the edge of his voice.
To the playful lilt of his sarcasm.
To that low, soothing, manly baritone that I always fantasized about.
Whoa.
“What are they playing?” I asked.
I doubted whatever version of this song entered my ears was the complete product, but it was enough.
“‘The Blue Danube’ waltz by Johann Strauss.” He smiled down at me, happy because I was. “We’re going to go through all of the classics, darlin’. And then we are going to attend every ball in greater New York and flaunt your moves,” he continued, just as I stomped on his foot, my huge belly poking between us. “Well, we have a few months to practice.”
I tried to laugh, but the thrill of it all finally took its toll on my body. I fell to my knees in the middle of the ballroom and started sobbing uncontrollably.
Music.
Sound.
Love.
This man had given me so many things. And we almost never happened. It took a terrorizing tragedy to put us in each other’s paths.
Tiernan sank down to the floor, wrapping his arms around me. His fingers disappeared in my hair. He kissed my tears while I hiccuped, clutching him desperately, never wanting to let go.
Was it terrible that I was glad I had been raped and brutalized? I marveled at the stunning realization that my rape—the lowest point of my life, of my existence—carved my path to this beautiful life I had today.
If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t have ended up here. With this man. Who had given me all I’d ever wanted, and things I didn’t even know I could dream of having. I’d always dreamed about a dashing prince. Heavily lashed, with pouty lips and big, beautiful eyes.
As it turned out, I fell in love with the complete opposite of it. With a Nephilim, a fallen giant, hands scarred from murder.
No, he wasn’t just my lover.
He was my god.
It was only when the music died, when the final note was struck by the orchestra, that I took in the room I was standing in fully. Beforehand, I was too overwhelmed to examine it.
It was filled with roses.
In every color and shape.
Every corner. Every crook. The heavy scent of them in my nose, sweet and pleasant.
White. Yellow. Lavender. Peach. Green. Orange. Red.
He made me face my fear of roses.
In a safe space. Erasing my last memory of the flower and replacing it with something I never wanted to forget.
Tiernan cupped my cheeks, staring down at me. “Hey, Moon.”
“Hey, Sun.” I put my hands on his, keeping them on my face. I leaned into his palm.
“Thank you for this dance.”
I closed my eyes, breathing him in. “Thank you for this life.”