Merrick swallowed as Kerym spoke again, his eyes throwing their brightness around as they caught each gaze before him. “Trust the pullin your guts. The reflections don’t lie, even if they may twist the truth sometimes.”
With that, the light faded from both Kerym’s eyes and Lessia’s arm, and Merrick knew what he needed to do. His fingers twitched with the pressing need, but he tried to push it away when a smile broke free on Lessia’s face as she faced Thissian, who’d walked up to his brother.
Time. He’d promised her time, Merrick reminded himself as Kerym blinked.
No need to throw her over his shoulder and run this second.
He could give her a few minutes.
Maybe.
“Brother?” Kerym’s voice was hoarse, and it wasn’t only his blue eyes that filled with tears as Thissian smiled and responded, “I’m here.”
A sob wove its way through Lessia’s throat, and Merrick instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders. But it wasn’t enough when more sobs shook her body, so he pulled her entirely against his chest, leaning his chin on her shoulder as they watched the twins stare at each other.
“Are you real?” Kerym asked, swallowing as his voice shook.
“It’s me,” Thissian said. “I’m real and I’m in the right place and I’m so proud of you, brother. You’re so strong—so much stronger than I thought you were.”
Kerym’s face crumpled, and the witches were immediately by his side, Pellie winding an arm around his waist to keep him up.
“I miss you,” Kerym croaked. “I miss you all the time.”
“I’m always here.” Thissian just smiled, pulling his mate closer. “As long as Merrick and Lessia are alive, I will be here. And even when they aren’t”—Thissian shot Merrick an apologetic glance—“I’ll be in your heart. Always.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Merrick didn’t like the sound of that. He actually fucking hated the sound of that.
A world without Lessia?—
“Merrick.” His mother’s voice was low, and Merrick held on to Lessia as if his life depended on it when his parents faced them. “We don’t have time. But we’re so proud of you. Everyone here is. We… we stayed for a reason. We stayed to help you both. And now we’ll stay away until we can’t. Everyone here is rooting for you.”
“We believe in you,” his father added. “You’ve done so well. Both of you.”
Their images started to flicker, and Merrick vaguely heard Thissian tell Kerym he loved him as his parents smiled at him.
“Trust your instincts, my boy. And Lessia…” His mother smiled at his mate. “Trust in your love. Trust that light will break through the darkness. Trust that even in the darkest times, just one ember might light up the entire world.”
Then their faces disappeared, together with all the souls around them, and a crushing silence settled over the group, every person in the room just staring at each other until a soldier strolled into the library and declared that dinner was served.
Chapter 22
Loche
“This is entirely unnecessary,” Iviry snarled as Loche dragged her down into their now shared chambers. “We need to make sure the council is all right.”
“They are fine,” Loche snapped back. “A little bruised and probably in need of a strong drink, but they’re fine. I made sure of it.”
He had made sure of it—had instructed Zaddock and his men, who had come sprinting to his side from their posts after hearing about the turmoil, to take care of them and ensure none of them would be alone tonight.
Iviry, on the other hand, was bleeding from a deep wound in her head, and while she kept her posture straighter than anyone he’d ever met, it was evident that she was in pain from the deepening blue in her eyes and the way she sucked in her bottom lip when she thought he wasn’t watching.
Loche released a breath through his teeth and firmed his grip on her arm when she struggledagainst him, gently shoving her before him down into the space where their sleeping cabins lay.
As soon as the fight had broken out and Iviry began working her way through the rebels, ripping through throats and scratching out eyes as if it were her main occupation, Loche had taken her side, using his sword to cut down the ones Iviry left him.
A few rebels had stood down, their hands lifted into the air as they released the council members and dropped any weapons they might have held on to, but Loche had only needed to share one look with the Fae leader before they were killed as well.
