I exhale slowly, forcing my shoulders back, chin lifted. I can't let Darius see even a flicker of fear.
We stop just shy of the rune-marked perimeter, the faint shimmer of the ward glinting green-gold. It's defensive magic, and I pray to whatever forces still care that it's enough.
From across the field, his team exits the vehicles with military precision, using the cars as shields. Darlene and Johnny come forth, eyes scanning everything. I can tell when theyclock the weapons in the windows and the barrier line. They're communicating with gestures.
Then Darius steps out. Immaculate as usual, his shirt unbuttoned low enough to saycasual, but not too far frompower lunch with a hedge fund.
His gaze lands on me instantly and stays there. He doesn't react when Darlene points toward the weapons. Doesn't blink when Johnny murmurs something in his ear. It's like none of it matters. Only I do.
"My nymph," he says, voice deep and warm like aged red wine, curling down my spine. "It's time to come back to me."
Gods, even now, a part of me reacts. My stomach flips, my skin prickles. That pull is ancient and instinctual, but I crush it down and step forward.
"I'm not going with you, Darius," I say clearly. "You're wasting your time. I don't want to be yours. Not to work beside you and definitely not to marry you."
His smile doesn't break, but I see something shift behind his eyes. He's calculating like a chess player deciding whether to checkmate or if he has time to play around.
"You've been misled," he says softly. "You're confused and you've wandered so far, my dearest. Let me help you find your way back to where you belong."
"Oh for fuck's sake," Kayden growls. "How many times does she have to say 'hit the road, Jack'before it sinks through that smug, goat-brained head of yours?"
Darius doesn't even glance at him. His focus is absolute.
He steps close enough that I feel the weight of his presence like an invisible tide rolling toward us. Darlene and Johnny follow, flanking him in silence. Darlene's sharp eyes scan the house. Johnny meets my gaze for a moment with the same soft regret as before, but he looks away instantly, like he can't afford the distraction.
The others stay by the cars, adjusting stances, ready for anything.
"There's a protective barrier, Satyr. You cannot pass," Maeve says from behind me.
Darius stops just before the ward without sparing her a glance. He lifts a hand and touches it. His fingers brush the shimmering edge, and his skin withers instantly. Gray, drying and then crackling.
He pulls back, and it restores itself within seconds.
Darius finally looks at the druid.
"Maeve O'Cairn," he says smoothly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
There's no real pleasure in his voice, just weaponized civility.
"I've heard plenty about you, Darius Hawthorn," Maeve says, tone clipped.
His eyes cut back to me, moss-green and burning. "Do you think this can keep you from me?"
I step forward, more assured by the hum of the ward between us. "Not just this, Darius. I won't marry you. I can't, because I'm already married."
I lift my hand. The two rings catch the pale light.
For the first time, his composure cracks, like I've done something he wasn't prepared for.
"Yeah, goat man," Kayden drawls, stepping beside me, flashing his own band. "Turns out Sage has a type—powerful immortals with a dark side. She just picked the upgrade. My brother and me."
Asher's voice is calmer, but colder. "Maybe your feelings are real, Darius, but she doesn't return them. That should be proof enough."
The air shifts. Wind curls wild through the clearing, stirring the dead leaves. The whole forest feels like it's leaning in and waiting for something to break.
Darius doesn't speak. Instead, it's Darlene, her eyes filled with betrayal and rage. "You married vampires? Creatures of death?"
"I love them," I respond, the words spilling before I can second-guess them. It's the first time saying it out loud.
