Thawing His Heart

Richella sat in the library reading a book and enjoying the silence. Nuada had left shortly after their confrontation in the hall. At first she was mad he had left again without an explanation but she was glad for the silence.

Things at the BPRD got back to normal fairly quickly. The same day Nuada left, there was a call to a building infested with Pixies. Richella was thankful to have something routine to do with the team.

No one had pushed the subject any further but when Nuala entered the room with two glasses and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc Richella’s stomach lurched. She had become very good at pushing bad memories out of her head. She coped with things through escapism. It was easier to forget than to cope directly with the feelings of rejection, besides she figured she would never see Nuada again.

“Reading anything interesting?” Nuala asked obviously trying to sound casual.

“Yes, and I would like to keep reading” Richella hinted.

“You have been sulking for two days, how about some wine?” Nuala said starting to pour the glasses.

“Please I don’t want to do this” Richella pleaded.

“No, you’ve lived your entire life avoiding……well… your life. You now have a friend who will sit and listen to you. So talk” Nuala said pushing a glass into her friend’s hand.

“I really don’t have anything to say.” Richella said.

But Richella wasn’t one to turn down good wine, and the liquid now running down her throat was very good wine.

“Where did you get this?” Richella asked.

“Venice. I know the Nymphs who tend an orchard there. This is the only label they make without immense amounts of aphrodisiacs” Nuala laughed.

“Did you get any of the other labels too?” Richella asked snickering.

“Like you need any help on that front.” Nuala pointed out.

Richella’s smile fell from her face; she had stepped right into that trap. Now they were on the subject of Richella’s seducing ability. Richella gulped down the rest of her wine and held out the empty glass for more. If they were going to do this she wanted to be as intoxicated as possible.

“Darling, I don’t know where to start unless you tell me what’s going on with you” Nuala said softly.

“I don’t know where to start.” Richella admitted.

“How about why you were mad the morning after the party.” Nuala pushed.

“Cuz he left. I woke up alone after the best sex of my life….err…sorry that must be weird for you to hear about your brother” Richella said.

“You don’t know weird till you feel every surge of emotion your brother has during sex” Nuala said shivering slightly.

“Oh…err….right” Richella fumbled with her words.

“I understand now why he has been so upset about Abe and I” Nuala tried to hide her blush behind her glass.

“I just thought it might be different.” Richella admitted.

Nuala’s heart was breaking seeing her friend like this. Especially since she knew her brother was feeling a lot of the same things. They both saw themselves a uniquely independent. They felt they didn’t need other people to be themselves or accomplish anything. But Nuala knew both their hearts and she knew they would be happier with a companion.

“It still could be different. He’s a willful man, and he thinks he has made a good life for himself…alone. But I have no doubt he’ll be back” Nuala reassured her friend.

“No he can’t!!” Richella said suddenly.

“Ella you have to let down the walls, it isn’t healthy to live a life without love. I have tried, it’s so much better…” Nuala said softly but was interrupted.

“You’ll DIE!!!” Richella blurted out.

Nuala had heard some pretty lame and desperate excuses in the past but this one took the cake.

“Ella?” Nuala placed her hand on her arm.

“I’m a Veela” Richella took a deep breath and prepared herself for the explanation.

“Being a Veela is more of a curse than anything. From birth Veela’s are taught to shun love, that it only leads to death and pain. Most grow up perfectly fine with living a loveless life, the ones who don’t take the message to heart wind up miserable and kill themselves after….” Richella trailed off as she realized she had told the story backwards.

“After what” Nuala couldn’t stand the look on her friends face.

“The legend that dooms every human man who sees me to fall in love with me also dooms me to never find true love. It says that there is one singular man who is my TRUE love but every man I fall in love with who isn’t my one true love will die a horrible death. I’ve already murdered one man with my love, and I barely lived through it. I can’t do it again.” Richella began to cry for her lost lover.

“Darling I am SO so sorry” Nuala moved to put her arm around Richella.

Nuala was shocked at how much she didn’t know about the Veela species. There was so much heart ache and agony involved with trying to balance a normal life. Even in the magical realm love was a scary thing.

“For most Veela by the time they’re of age they’ve hardened their hearts, but for me I grew up with humans. I saw love all around me and it was expected of me, but by the time I found out what I was it was too late. It’s a constant struggle to remind myself of the consequences of my feelings.” Richella said through her tears.

“Maybe you were kept from having your heart hardened for a reason. Maybe you are meant to find your love.” Nuala smiled.

“It’s not worth the risk.” Richella sobbed.

“Why have you not let me see this before?” Nuala asked.

“It’s not your burden to bear.” Richella answered.

“I want to know” Nuala said and held out her hand.

Richella shook her head but she was so far into her sorrow she couldn’t fend off Nuala. She felt her hand align with hers and then she heard Nuala weep next to her.

~~~~~~~~

Nuada stood next to a table in the royal archives with a large book open in front of him. His finger followed the words on the page as he read them. Richella had been telling the truth, Veela’s only have an effect on human men, but he had to admit he did feel a pull towards her. Which left an even more disturbing dilemma, did he have human blood in him or did he genuinely have feelings for her.

He glanced up at a painting on the wall. It was a depiction of the day his father broke apart the golden crown. The artist had taken a few royalties with the painting since the prince had a huge grin on his face. He scoffed at the painting; he knew he was doing nothing close to smiling that day. In fact he couldn’t remember the last time he had smiled before this week.

He walked back to the table and re-read the Veela legend. He flipped the page hoping to distract his mind with another legend, but a picture of a man plunging a dagger into his heart was on the next page instead. He read the caption underneath ‘they will die a horrible death’. He let his eyes wander to the source of the quote and read the story of a Veela’s one true love.

He became even more upset that Richella was so reckless with her affection. The legend made it clear the Veela had to fall in love with a man before it doomed him to death, but how could she even risk it?

He paced the floor fuming over the risk she had taken with him. He knew not to play with the ancient legends; time had proven them to be true, they were weaved into the very fabric of existence. He spun his weapon at his side letting the aggressive movement release some of his frustrations.

Suddenly he felt like tar had filled his chest and a stream of tears fell over his cheek. He doubled over from the grief. He knew something was terribly wrong to make Nuala feel this way. Had Abe died? Or someone else in the BPRD?

He felt a twinge of dread of his own as he realized Richella could be the one in trouble. His first reaction was to head back to the BPRD, but he caught himself. He couldn’t go back there. If she fell in love with him he wouldn’t be able to avoid his fate.

Another surge of emotion from his sister overtook him and he couldn’t help himself. There was obviously something terribly wrong. He vowed to go help Nuala and steer clear of Richella.


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Kayla~ Thanks for the encouragement!

Wolfsoul~ Glad to see you are still reading, I really enjoy your input. Thanks again!!

The Book ~ Nothing’s hotter than a stubborn bonehead. Well at least that seems to be the type of man I keep ending up with LOL