𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐍 The Reapers Mate

Twenty-One

Eden

My eyes fly open and I sit up straight, the action causing my head to feel like it's throbbing.

"I see you're finally awake." My head turns slowly in the direction I hear Aries voice coming from.

I glare at her for a moment before glancing around the large room we're in. It's dark, and has a musty feel to it. I'm laying on a decently sized bed though, the sheets smell fresh, and as I glance at the bedside table I see a bowl of fruit sitting beside a glass of water.

"I figured you'd be hungry when you woke up." Aries says softly to me.

"Where's Jericho?" I ask, not wanting to pretend to play nice with her after what she's done.

"That's really all you care about now, isn't it?" She asks as she begins approaching the bed I lay on.

"Considering he's my mate and dying, yes, it's all that's consuming my fucking mind right now." I say angrily to her.

She sits at the end of the bed, not meeting my eyes as she speaks. "He's fine. For now. I have him locked away somewhere until I decide what to do with him."

"But, the wound you gave him with the sword.. you said it would kill him!" I say as tears begin falling from my eyes.

"I couldn't let him die.. for no other reason than he's your stupid mate." She says bitterly. "I saved his life. Though he'll always carry the scar from my blade."

"Then where is he? I need to see him-" I begin saying frantically.

"You truly think I'm evil." Aries says, finally meeting my eyes again.

"I don't know what to think, Aries. You left us, you left our whole Coven. And you never said a word, you left us vulnerable.. you could have confided in me.. I have always been there for you.." I say to her, my heart feeling constricted as I look at the golden haired woman before me.

"And tell you what? That if I don't sacrifice myself the darkness of this world will officially take over the light? Then what? Would you have hidden me away? Would you have encouraged me to fulfill my destiny to save this world? What, Eden? What would you have done if I had told you?" She asks me.

I find myself at a loss for words, because I don't know. I have no idea what I would have done if she would have told me.

"I don't know.. but at least I could have been there for you. At least I could have shown you I cared.." I say quietly.

"I thought you cared for me, but after that night at the moon pools I had to build up walls around me. I couldn't let you close to me again.. Did you even realize how you hurt me?" Aries asks, her voice full of emotion.

"I did care Aries, I still do.. I just couldn't be with you in that way.. I was scared to love again. Though I know that's a sad excuse for my actions towards you." I reply.

"You shared everything with me, and I accepted you wholeheartedly, I had hoped if I gave you time.. you could learn to love me." As she says this she begins making her way towards the head of the bed where I sit propped up against the large headboard.

"Tell me you never loved me, Eden." She says, growing closer still.

"Aries, I-i never had feelings like that towards you. I-i-" My words are cut off as Aries makes her way to my side, lowering herself beside me.