I swallowed, the thick knot of emotion threatening to choke me. I gestured with a nod before following him to our bags and rummaging for a clean pair of clothes and soap. We wrapped towels around our bodies, then walked to the small pond created by the water and earth Elementals for all of us to bathe in.
Slate smiled, but not in the same way he had earlier. “I’m sure Valik knows of a way to save Chrome. Or at least, has a lead to it. Don’t lose hope on him, okay?”
The towel slid down my waist, and I set my spare clothes on the ground in a neat pile before I dipped my toes into the water, surprised by the tepidness. I submerged my body and allowed the water to wash away the remnants of Slate’s touch and kisses. The final door had closed on our story, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Were we really over now, given everything that had happened?
“I won’t. I can’t. The world…or worlds…need him to live. I need him to live,” I confessed as I rubbed the soap over my body, suddenly feeling guilty.
I swallowed it down, allowing myself this one night of peace. Slate waded into the water, moving closer until we were only inches apart. “Let me.” Taking the bar of soap from my hand, he began to slide it over my skin slowly. “If tonight is the last time between us, I want to end it right.”
I smiled, although it didn’t fully reach its potential as I averted my eyes to stare at the water. “The bond between Chrome and me fades more and more every day. I hardly feel him at all anymore. That scares me. What if it’s too late and the bond can’t be salvaged? What does that mean?”
The front pieces of hair fell over my face, and Slate softly tucked them behind my ear. I desperately needed a trim, but that was the least of my problems. “I wish I had the answers for you, Gray. I do. But I know that you two will find a way. At least the bond is still there—that’s a positive to focus on.”
I slipped the bar of soap from his hand and began to mindlessly trail it over his shoulders, removing the smudged dirt from his neck and torso. My thoughts began to drift, honing in on the memory from earlier that day when I nearly killed Aella. The profound urge to deplete and kill went deeper than ever before, a vehement and ancient sensation that was all-consuming. I’d been scared before when it happened with Orion, but this time, it had multiplied tenfold, like I was completely under someone else’s thrall. Surely that was just an indication of how diminished my magic reserves had been.
I hadn’t been able to subdue the lingering fear that it might have had something to do with Chrome’s state. Maybe I was feelinghiscraving to deplete through our bond. And because it was so powerful now that he’d changed, I was confusing it for my own. But with the bond between us weakened and unpredictable, the cravings were few and far between. Until earlier, the intense hunger to deplete and be violent had eased recently, whereas in the beginning, I had been full of rage and easily losing myself in bloodlust.
“Yeah,” I sighed, snapping out of my thoughts. “Just gotta stay focused on the positives.” I dipped my head backward, sinking it beneath the water so I could wash it.
Slate shifted, moving to stand beside me as he began to gently massage my scalp. I smiled, closing my eyes as I felt my body relax. I used to fall asleep on him quite a lot when he’d do that.
Relief coursed through my shoulders as I allowed Slate to wash my hair, letting go of the necessity to appear strong for everyone by falling back into what once was my safe space.
Once he finished, I felt refreshed. Between the orgasm and then Slate’s familiar and tender touch, I could breathe once again without the constant urge to gasp for air. Drowsiness began to set in, pushing me to want to lie down and finally get some decent rest, even if it would be short-lived at this point.
Slate washed his hair, his movements slow and languid. When he emerged from the water, his body glistening in the moonlight, I watched, admiring the corded muscles that the last few years had added to him.
Once we finished up, we dried off and dressed to prepare for our short walk back to our makeshift beds. My eyes burned, and my mind and chest felt lighter now. I knew the guilt from what happened would continue to batter me tomorrow, but I needed this time with Slate tonight. I needed the closure, and I felt that Slate deserved the chance at it as well.
Slate patted the spot next to him, gesturing for me to lie against him. I hesitated, but I realized if I lay awayfrom him, the floodgates of anxiety would consume my mind, and then I’d lose out on more sleep. Conceding, I curled up beside him, letting this be my final act of intimacy with Slate. All I craved was a slice of peace and normalcy. And Slate had always been that for me.
His arm instinctively wrapped around my waist, pulling me in to be his little spoon. I relaxed at his touch. Regardless of what had happened, I still knew I would always be safe and protected in Slate’s arms. Despite everything I’d learned, I trusted that he’d protect me with his life, just as I knew Chrome—the old Chrome—would. A large piece of me would always belong to Slate. Gods only knew who I’d be if it hadn’t been for him. He had been everything I needed when I needed it. He saved me from myself time and time again and empowered me during a time when I thought death was my only option to freedom. Nothing could change the history we shared.
But as for Chrome, we were intrinsically tied together, cut from the same cloth, and shared a primordial love that seemed to span lifetimes.
Slate nestled his chin into the crook of my neck, resting his cheek on my shoulder. His warmth slowed my spinning thoughts, offering me the comfort I’d been needing since everything had turned to shit. For the first time, I felt safe enough to share my secret with him.
“There’s something I haven’t been honest about,” I started. When I felt Slate tense against me, I rushed on. “The morning I came back from the battle in the Perry town square, Chrome came to me at the Hollow. At first, I’d thought it was a dream, but he left something behind proving there is still good left in him.”
Slate sat up, eyes wide with concern. “Gray, why haven’t you said anything? What did he leave?”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but was abruptly cut off.
“Well, isn’t this a blast from the past?” A female voice shattered the hard-fought moment of peace, plunging the air around us into a stagnant void.
Bolting upright, we spun around to face the intruder. Slate already gripped a Kinetic knife in his fist, the sigils glowingorange. Swiftly, I leaned over to my pallet, snatching the Elemental blade I’d stored there earlier. A soft, pale white light began to illuminate around Slate’s body, allowing us to spot the perpetrator in the dark.
Royal Okrafor smirked at us as she propped her shoulder against a tree. She stood unbothered and as if she had all the time in the world. “Must be the season of ghosts lately. Welcome back to the land of living, Slate.”
“Why are you here?” he demanded.
“The king has sent for you. So you’re coming with me.” Refusing to break my stare, she reached into the breast pocket of her leather jacket, pulling out a rolled cigarette and a small box of matches. Striking the match, she held it to the tip of the cigarette until it glowed orange. A wispy cloud of smoke pooled from the gap in her lips.
“You can tell my father that?—”
“You can tell him yourself.”
From behind Royal, a shadow moved, making its way closer to Slate and me. I tensed, squeezing the hilt of my dagger tighter in my fist.
