But what use was it, when the magic tearing through his body made him a danger to everyone?
What if it hurt Alena?
The thought of standing beside her—not as a burden, not as a prince struggling with a Gift he should have mastered, but as a man who had earned his strength—felt impossibly distant.
Still, hope clung to him like a bruise: if he could master this power, if he could be something more than a liability, then maybe…
Maybe he hadn’t lost everything. Not yet.
“I’m happy for Charis,” Leukos admitted, glancing towards the Great Hall. “Danaos’ feelings seem genuine, and as her soulmate, he’ll always protect her.”
Theo mulled this over before speaking. “They are blessed indeed. Alena had no idea what she set in motion when she blasted that gate open. She forced the gods’ hand and gave us all hope. The Twelve aren’t gone. The Sea God might have been angry, but he’s still with us. And he confirmed not just one bond, but two.”
Leukos stilled, tension coiling inside his chest. “It didn’t mean anything.”
Theo’s brows shot up. “Didn’t mean anything? Leukos, the Sea God declared another pair of soulmates, and?—”
“There were dozens of guests in the courtyard,” he snapped, fists tightening at his sides. “He could have meant anyone.”
Theo stared, incredulous. “If you want Nik to stop calling you ‘the idiot prince,’ then stop behaving like one.” His words were sharp, concern softened his gaze. “You told me you once glimpsed Alena in your mind, training with sword and shield. That she appeared in your dreams?—”
Leukos clenched his fists, the visions resurfacing with painful clarity. All winter Alena had haunted his mind—dreams that felt too real to dismiss. Soulmates were said to meet in dreams, to find each other across any distance. Still, he refused to believe it.
Because accepting Alena as his soulmate meant more than acknowledging the bond. It meant confronting the fear that hisGift would forever keep them apart—and that the bond itself might drive them to madness if they couldn’t touch.
“She has more important things to worry about,” Leukos muttered, more to himself than to Theo. “I can’t—won’t—be another burden for her.”
A servant had already been injured because of him. Every time he lost control, Nik suffered the consequences. The thought of Alena enduring the same pain filled his stomach with a deep, gnawing dread.
Theo leaned in, voice low but firm. “You’re not a burden, Leukos. If she truly is your soulmate, that’s not something you can just push aside. The bond isn’t a myth. The pull to be near her, to touch her, will only grow stronger the more you resist it.” He paused. “Besides, she’s probably had similar dreams. Unlike us, she won’t have realised their significance?—”
“I’ll talk to her,” Leukos cut in, eager to end the subject.
“When?” Theo pressed.
Leukos ground his teeth. “When my Gift is under control.”
Alena was focused on her sister and still grieving San’s death. Whatever the Sea God had declared, it seemed insignificant compared to the chaos surrounding them.
Theo shook his head, moonlight catching the concern etched in his features. “With the amount of power you’ve been given, that could take years. But she could help you control it, she?—”
“No,” Leukos snapped, the word echoing through the quiet courtyard, then added more softly, “I won’t risk her life.”
Theo sighed and gestured towards the frozen fountain. Crystals of ice glinted in the dim light, creeping like invasive frost over the cracked stone. “You might not have a choice. The Emperor is preparing for war in the Western Lands, and we’ll need to return soon. If you haven’t gained control of your Gift by then, the tribes might turn us away. They won’t risk an alliance with someone who can’t control his own Gift.”
Leukos glanced back at the fountain, the memory of the servant’s frozen hand surging up. A single misstep like that among the tribes could cost them everything.
“If you worked with Alena,” Theo said, stepping closer, “if you told her the truth, then she could help you. You might even be able to share magic. Together, you’d be a formidable force—powerful enough to defeat Tarquinius.”
“The Omega will defeat Tarquinius,” Leukos corrected, his tone resolute. “And I’ll help her however I can.Always.Whatever she needs from me, I’ll give freely.”
Theo’s brow lifted—a silent acknowledgement that Leukos had made his point. Then his features softened, and he placed a firm hand on Leukos’ cloaked shoulder. “Don’t forget to rest. Your magic will thank you for it.”
He didn’t reply, his jaw tight as Theo’s hand fell away. Without another word, Theo left, his figure soon fading into flickering torchlight and gathering shadows.
Leukos lingered, the silence of the courtyard pressing in. All winter he’d hoped for Alena’s return, imagined her stepping through the gates and everything feeling whole again.
But now that she was here, fear consumed him. Fear of his Gift turning into a threat to her. Without control, his touch could kill her. And the bond they might share only made the danger more acute.
