“I love you.”
My breath caught. My heart stopped.
“I’m sorry. And I love you.”
Rhodes’s storm-gray eyes glossed with emotion, and he smiled—that damn soft, amorous smile.
I channeled a torrent of air and fire to his chest, knocking him back as he let go of my wrists. I shoved him again.
“We are surrounded by death right now, andthisis when you decide to tell me?!”
Rhodes didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“When I’m out here shoving you like a lunatic?!”
“Yes.”
I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I don’t care what I am. As long as I’m yours.”
“Oh, he’s smooth,” Lakota’s deep voice rumbled in my mind.
I bit my lip, fighting the grin pulling at my mouth. Behind Rhodes, Lakota landed on a jagged peak, his talons cracking the stone beneath him. He folded his wings, twisting his neck in a slow, serpentine motion.
Rhodes closed the distance between us. His hands framed my face—calloused thumbs brushing my cheeks. He pressed his forehead to mine.
“I will follow you through every realm. Through every life. Where you go, I go.”
The timbre of Rhodes’s words etched itself into my soul—something I knew I’d never forget. I nuzzled my forehead against his, my palms pressing over his hands, anchoring us both.
“I love you too.”
Chapter 56
We spent the rest of the night tangled in each other, not drifting off until the sun had risen. Rhodes woke first and surprised me with breakfast and coffee in bed. He said Cleo had successfully channeled a coffee plant, and this morning marked the first harvest of the beans. Sweet cream couldn’t be found, so he mixed cow’s milk and sugar to sweeten the roast.
He also stopped by the smithy to retrieve my dagger and the newly forged sword. The longsword mirrored my daggers in every detail, runes etched clean down the center of its dark-steel blade. Balveer had forged it razor-sharp, ready for war. The hilt was bound in sage-dyed leather, crowned with a gemstone of soft green to match the daggers.
I untied the label from the pommel, bound there with simple twine and signed with a solitary “–S” from the smithy. With care, I returned the sword to its freshly forged sheath.
Until early afternoon, we stayed curled up in bed, reading Kiye’s journals. Her fear seeped through the pages as she navigated the changes in her kingdom. Her parents, the king and queen, haddeclared she would marry the son of one of their most trusted advisors. He was one of her closest friends, but that wasn’t why she worried.
Her starlight had become unmanageable, more prominent even when she wore her magically altered silk gloves. Kiye struggled to conceal it, forcing her to spend most of her time locked in her chambers.
She was alone.Forcedto be alone.
Her parents feared her starlight was linked to the Curse—a legend as old as their kingdom, originating from when their people reclaimed the throne from conquerors who had held it for generations. The creation of the Curse had been catastrophic, almost leading to the end of humankind. It was forged with dark magic—duskshadow, she called it—and meticulously curated by the current prince of the conquerors to bring death and ruin upon Kiye’s people during the war. His name was stripped from history, known only to royals. All that endured was his title—a fragile echo of who he once was.
The Broken Crown.
Kiye’s people recovered the throne and restored their kingdom. But whispers of the Curse lingered, threading into cautionary tales for children and the haunting songs of traveling bards.
We were nearly finished with Kiye’s first journal when Lakota and Noemi reminded us it was time to start packing. All airborne units were to depart tonight for the Glade, while the Hollow’s groundborne forces would leave in the morning, meeting us—and the Glade’s troops—at Mageia tomorrow.
After loading up Lakota’s travel pack, I made my way through the grassy hills of the Golden Crest, heading backtoward Rhodes’s hut. In the distance, I spotted Shayde and Drithan tucked into a shaded, secluded spot.
Shayde leapt from Drithan’s back after securing his own pack. When he straightened and saw me approaching, he froze. Drithan’s golden eyes locked on mine, blinking slowly. The brown dragon rose high on his heels, his long neck arching protectively over his rider as he placed his head between us.
