Her eyes begin to glow faintly, recognition flickering. For the first time since her return, her breath evens. Her energy aligns with mine.
The flower unfurls in full bloom, pale and perfect.
A small smile ghosts across her lips. Hope. Fragile, but real.
And then—
It breaks.
The power collapses. I feel the shift before I see it—the cold pulse in my gut, the wave of her darkness rising, devouring.
The flower blackens, withers, and dies in seconds.
Sage gasps. "No, no…" Tears streak down her face, her whole body trembling. "No…"
Kayden mutters under his breath, "Well, that was a bust."
I hand the pot to Asher. "Leave us," I say quietly.
The brothers exchange a glance. A shared, silent agreement.
Kayden lingers just long enough to say, "We trust you. Don't betray that."
I nod once. No promise follows. My loyalty to them begins and ends with Sage. She is the axis on which every decision turns.
When they leave, silence settles around us. The air carries the scent of earth and decay.
I crouch beside her again and take her hands in mine. "Sage," I ask quietly, "do you want to leave?"
She nods slowly. "Yes."
"I can take you away," I say. "But I need to know if you're certain. Do you want to leave them—Kayden and Asher?"
A pause. Then a slow shake of her head. "No, I don't."
I expected as much. I study her face, the exhaustion etched deep. Then I ask the harder question.
"Do you want me to leave you with them? To disappear from your life for good?"
Her eyes lift to mine, green, luminous even through tears. There is so much pain in them that it cuts through me.
"No," she whispers.
Relief floods me like air after drowning.
"All right," I say, brushing my lips against her temple. "We'll find a way. I'll be back."
Then I rise and go to find the brothers.
"That was short," Kayden remarks when I reach them in the dead garden.
Asher turns, his brow furrowed with concern.
I waste no time. "She's tethered to you both, and she's a dark nymph. Her entire being is unbalanced. Death dominates, and she cannot fight it back. The guilt only deepens the fracture. She's breaking apart from within."
Kayden's expression tightens, fury flashing through. "So what's your genius suggestion? We break the bond? Our marriage?"
Predictable reaction.
