If the Vitalis is in that room, it means I’m about to lose all aspects of my brother truly. His magic will flee soon. This is not the final farewell I wanted.
Hector’s finger twitches, and Titus’s chest recoils as a buckle starts to melt. “Enter. Now.” Hector warns him. “If not, I will sink this into your heart, and your mate can watch you die.”
Titus and I share a lover's panicked glance. If Everett’s magic vanishes, we lose the shock of a surprise. Fate cannot be that cruel—my brother can’t. Everett’s magic will wait until Titus has the book in hand, surely.
“I’ll,” I try to offer myself, but Titus steps forward, chest wide, ready to be my shield.
I follow his steps, but Hector grabs me, “Not so fast.”
The heartbeat quickens, and the room glows with a grayish-blue light that exhales over Titus, illuminating him. Titus’s eyes widen, his jaw slackens, and his chest caves in as a father’s does when he cradles something precious.
I sense his wonder, relief, and worry. I know what he sees before anyone else does.
The book Everett gave his life for. The Vitalis.
“You were right,” Titus’s whisper echoes into the tunnel. Memories of my brother pull tears from my eyes. We did it! We found it! But what cruelty has been bestowed upon us, to see, yet not touch.
Titus starts to turn his head, searching for my eyes.
“Titus!” I scream when his back arches. He yells in pain, falling forward, knees and palms smacking against the hard stone, the mage cuffs digging into his wrists.
Sable and Sofia scramble back. I dive forward, hands reaching like ropes, feet springing forward—an undying insect that fears nothing, no human boot squashing me, no lethal poison sprayed upon me, only the loss of her mate.
Hector jerks me back, curving his body over me… shielding me. Why is he doing that?
I twist around his torso and spot my mate. Titus’s black hair hangs wet over his forehead; his nails dig into the stone. His lungs hammer louder than the eerie heartbeat. Light bursts from his spine, jumping out like a predator, but instead of attacking us, it disintegrates.
I’m a deadweight, watching as Everett’s magic tears itself free from my mate, just as Everett ordered it to do. The air smells like a floral candle has been blown out.
Drip, drip, drip.A few lone tears fall from Titus’s eyes. He peers at me, on his hands and knees; he resembles fire that was smothered by water. Smoking, hissing, exhausted. He flattens his palms awkwardly with the cuffs binding him, preparing to stand.
“I’m fine,” he gasps out lies.
“Is there a creature?” Hector pushes me into the wall, covering my back. He swings his sword out, blocking Sofia and Sable from venturing further.
“No,” Titus replies truthfully. No creature inside hurt him. He stumbled because Everett’s promise had come true. Time-weaving departs when Titusfindsthe Vitalis.
Why, Everett? Why not allow him time-weaving forever? What future is so terrible that you did not give foresight to Titus? What tragedy is so horrendous that it would have made Titus stop his search, allowing Sable to get the Vitalis?
“What is the cause of the heartbeat?” Hector hisses, and Sable shoves closer, her eyes sour at Hector’s hold of me.
“Come and see for yourself.” Titus stands, locking his knees so he doesn’t sway.
“I’ll go,” Sable replies. She glances at Hector, and he doesn’t stop her. That pains Sable.She pushes his sword down and enters the room, stepping a few feet above Titus.
“What do you see?” Hector shouts.
Sable covers her smile with her hand, speechless for the first time. Her eyes widen in wonder; her black hair taking on the same grayish-blue shine that covers the room. “Marvelous. It’s… real.” She waves her hand. “Hector! Come!” She giggles.
He looks at Sofia before pressing his sword to my back, steering me into the room first.
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.
My chin enters first. The sight makes me stumble into Titus’s side. Hector is so awestruck that he strides ahead with Sable. He doesn’t see what’s happened—that I’ve touched my mate.Titus slowly grabs my wrist, guiding it to his fangs.
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum!
Is that my heart or the one the room possesses?
