“Fucking feels like it,” Loche muttered before taking another swig.
Up until today Kerym had believed the gods were responsible for the mate bonds, but after what Soria had said, he wasn’t so certain anymore. Even so—even if the gods were responsible, and he should despise them for everything they’d done… this was hilarious.
“Iviry?” he got out as he continued fighting for air, glad to hear Pellie giggle behind his bent back.
He didn’t need the regent to respond to know it was. Of course whatever or whoever was responsible would find a way for him and her to be together. That’s how it was with mates. And how it was with love in general.
Love always found a way.
Through hurt and pain and fear and death, love always remained.
He knew Thissian and Merrick hated all the things war brought, but for Kerym… he also saw the love—the damn adoration—that drove people to protect each other, to fight for what they believed in, to just get up again after being slammed down, again and again.
With a final slap of his knees, Kerym straightened and gently pulled Pellie to his side.
Shooting her a look, he said, “I have always wanted to get married.”
And despite her shaking her head, her cheeks furiously red, Kerym decided at that moment that he’d make this beautiful little witch his wife.
He’d fight for his fucking life to make sure the day he dropped to a knee, there would be no hesitation in her eyes as she said yes.
Chapter 8
Merrick
Merrick’s jaw ached from Raine’s strikes, but his friend hadn’t broken anything—a sign he wasn’t too furious.
Letting Lessia drag him down the slippery steps, although he kept an eye on her to ensure they didn’t fall right into the dark sea that roared beneath them, his eyes trailed the spots of color that started rising up across the surface.
The wyverns had swum around their ship on the way here, and while he’d gotten used to having them around, Merrick still had to battle his irritation when a golden head popped up by the large stone jutting out a few steps beneath them, swiftly followed by Ydren’s violet one breaking through the swirling fog wrapping around the entire island.
Merrick had always known Lessia was worthy of their loyalty. Fuck, she deserved every last bit of loyalty that existed in this damned realm. But it had taken herdying, her soul leaving her cold body behind, for Auphore and the rest to see it.
And Ydren… He knew he shouldn’t be angry with the young wyvern—she’d been as brave as Lessia—but he still struggled to let go of that horrible icy grip Lessia’s death had on his heart, and Ydren had been the one to bring her to it. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the image of Lessia atop the wyvern’s back, hair flying behind her as she screamed at Rioner, and that fucking dagger clutched in her hand.
The shadow of a smile that had tugged at his lips after he let Raine take out his frustrations—and, truth be told, relieve Merrick of the ember of guilt that somehow had burrowed itself into his chest—slipped off his face when Auphore’s honey-colored eyes demanded his, and it appeared as if the wyvern knew what Merrick had been thinking as the beast moved closer to Ydren.
Keeping the elder wyvern’s eyes, Merrick scoffed. He was as much a danger to Ydren as Auphore was. Merrick might be pissed with the entire world for what it was doing to Lessia, but if she loved the purple creature, he’d make himself love her too.
At least he’d make himself tolerate her.
“Are the waters around here treating you well?” Lessia laced her fingers with Merrick’s as they took the final steps onto the dark rock, keeping a few feet’s distance from the edge as waves splashed over it, making it slick.
“It still tastes of iron and dust from the war,” Auphore muttered, but when Merrick slitted his eyes, the wyvern continued. “But it’s fine for now. I suppose you don’t know when we get to leave?”
“I don’t,” Lessia admitted, casting Merrick a glancewhen he squeezed her hand at the apologetic tone. “But… I wanted to ask you something.”
A wave of curiosity—of confusion and hope—swept through Lessia and into Merrick, and he wondered for the hundredth time today how many things Lessia had been hiding from him.
The surge of power going through her when she used her new gift hadn’t seemed to surprise her. Neither had the discussion about why Merrick had been allowed to drag her back to life. And then Solana…
Merrick clenched his teeth, telling himself that she’d tell him what was on her mind when she was ready. He didn’t need to argue it out of her.
He really didn’t, he repeated silently when Lessia’s lips twitched, her eyes touching his with such tenderness that he knew she could see his frustrations as clearly as if he were still only a Faeling unable to control his emotions.
As she stepped closer to him and released his hand to wind her arm around his waist, she melted his frustration so quickly he was about to be pissed about that, too, but Merrick pushed the emotion aside when Lessia laughed softly before addressing Auphore again.
“When I see our bond—and your bond to the other wyverns—in my mind… I… they’re all connected. And now”—Lessia gave Merrick such an intense stare that his muscles flexed beneath his damp jacket—“Merrick’s is also linked. Do… do you know why?”
