“That’s when it happened,” Kane breathes.
Julien nods slowly. “Inside The Divide, the chaotic realm, when we should’ve died, that was the moment…”
“We bonded,” this time, I say it. And it’s agonising.
All this time, the bond has been buried, because of me.
I’ve lived for centuries, and she’s been out there, without us. For how long? Five years is all she knows, but the memory was before that. What was her lifebefore we bonded—
“You made the right choice.”
I flinch, then stare up at her, stunned, horrified,by how certain she sounds.
“You all made the right choice,” she repeats, strong and sure.
My stomach lurches. “Howcan you say that?”
“Kane was dying,” she says simply. “You all were. My life wasn’t worth the four of yours.” Then her gaze hardens, her tone turning bitter.“I was the enemy.”
I shake my head.
No. She’s mine.Ours.
She stares into the shadows. “You were right to consider putting me in the Pit.”
Sai emits a low, broken sound.
“Or killing me.”
Julien’s hisses through his teeth.
“You can’t deny that.” She looks at us all. “And we can’t deny what we all saw. I was wearing their cloak.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you were wearing,” I snap, shadows bursting from my clenched fists. “You were running. They were chasing you, attacking you. No. You fled for a reason, and instead of helping you, Imarkedyou with a deadly rune.” I feel sick. “We thought about torturing you. Killing you. And then I… I erased your memories.” My voice cracks. “I made you forgeteverything.”
“You gave me mercy.” Her voice is so calm, so resolute. “You made the right choice, Ezekial.”
“Iam the reason you werealonefor five years.”
“Youare the reason Ilivedfor five more.” Her gaze blazes.
I shut my eyes again, refusing to accept her absolution.
Soft fingers thread through mine, and everything stills. I look down at our hands, then up at Jasmine on her knees before me, the woman I almost lost.
An eternity, without her.
My bonded.
And it’s all my fault. I can’t blame anyone else.
“I ordered the rune.” My words are a pitiful whisper. My order. My choice. “I erased all your memories. I erased our memories of you.” All my decisions. “I could have killed you.”
“You saved your brother.” Her voice is sharp, gaze fierce, grip unshakeable. “No matter what you know now, no matter what any of you said or did, saving Kane was the right choice.” Her darkness curls along my arm. “That was always the right choice.”
“I took your life away.”
“No.” Her eyes glow, bright enough to burn. “You gave me a new life. Another chance. You gave me a gift, Ezekial.”
