Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
The thought eased his worry that Shade’s involvement in Amara’s death was unintentional. She was an innocent in it all, Amara seeking her help of her own accord.
Shade gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and kept a firm hold of it. “She talked with me, asking me if I thought a child could be born evil. I told her that to me a child is born unblemished, untouched, and when born he is touched by life. It is life, this world, the people in it who stains a child and contributes to his fate. I told her that it was a difficult choice to make to purge a child from the womb. That either way had consequences and sometimes those consequences come fast and sometimes they took years to arrive. Right now, she had only so much time to decide before it became far too dangerous.”
“So, she purged the bairn and set a chain of events to fall.”
“Nay, Quint. Amara decided not to purge herself of the child. She believed she had more than enough love in her heart to keep evil from touching the bairn.”
He released her hand and stood to pace in front of her. “So, she searched for a man she could trick into believing the child was his.” He stopped pacing. “And do not tell me she did no such thing. She told me the night before I left that she believed she was with child. I was thrilled with the news, though I made no mention of it to anyone since she was not certain. It forever tormented me that I never knew for sure. Never knew if I lost not only her but our bairn. Now I know and it matters not.”
“You are wrong.”
He firmly disagreed. “I think not.”
“This news makes you think that Amara never loved you.”
“Of course it does,” he snapped angrily. “Any sane man would feel the same.”
“Think about it, Quint. You told me that after being with you for a while Amara told you she was leaving and you knew by then you loved her, so you asked her to wed you. She had no intentions of staying with you and passing the child off as yours, and she probably had no intentions of falling in love with you. No doubt, she was drawn to your strength and courage, which was what she needed, and you were drawn to her tenderness, something you needed.”
“You don’t know that,” he argued. “She used me. She never loved me.”
“You’re wrong. She didn’t stay with you because she was with child. She stayed because she had finally found love and didn’t want to lose it. With that strength of love you had for her, and she for you, it probably convinced her that evil could never touch the bairn. No doubt to her, the bairn became yours that day.”
“You cannot know that,” he said, continuing to disagree but wishing it was the truth and that Amara did love him since even with this news, it didn’t change his love for her.
“You’re wrong again. In the end, with death near, Amara was wise enough to know that you would find out the truth and she wanted you to know how much it meant to her that you loved her, and she loved you and that your love would not only avenge her death, but you would also avenge whatever evil had touched her. She believed in you. She was grateful for you. She loved you. Do not let evil rob you of the time and love you shared with her. See that the man who caused her such harm pays for her and your suffering.”
He crouched down in front of her. “How is it I got so lucky to have found you?”
Shade rested her hand to his cheek. “I believe fate had a hand in us finding each other along with Amara and Brother Emmett, in a strange sort of way. And now that we have found each other, I never want to lose you.”
Quint’s hand went to the back of her neck as he leaned forward and kissed her.
That was all either of them needed. It was a quick joining and soon after sleep for Shade but not for Quint.
Memories kept him awake, along with what Shade had said to him. Amara had been adamant about leaving him, saying their time together was over and she needed to move on. He also remembered how she told him that she was no good for him and that had angered him. She was a good woman with a good soul. He knew, saw for himself, how evil could touch the best of souls and he intended to find out the evil that had gotten hold of Amara and crush it for good.
CHAPTER 20
“Ican do it. I want to do it,” Dru said.