“Oh, Dray,” I whisper. “What did you do?”
But I know, don’t I? Iknowthe bargains he must have made, the pieces of himself he traded away. The Huntsman is Kasaros’s servant.
I fumble for another of his weapons—a thin blade inside his jacket. Drayven stirs beneath me, lashes fluttering, lips shaping words lost to the rattle of his breath.
“Shh,” I soothe, pressing a kiss to his brow. “It’s alright. I’m here.”
The hilt is cool against my palm. Though the weapon is slight, its blade’s edge is honed to a wicked sharpness. I take a deep breath, steadying myself for what needs to be done. To heal a wound like this, I must sacrifice a wound like this. I point the tip to my stomach.
A sluggish hand knocks mine away. “No, Flori.”
“Dray, please,” I plead. “Let me help you.”
I try to aim the dagger again. His eyes flutter open, hazy with pain but determined. He latches onto my grip with more force than I thought him capable of. It gives me hope.
“No,” he pants. “You can’t… waste your power on me. Need it… for what’s coming.”
I shake my head. “There won’t be anything coming if you die, you stubborn fool!”
A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Always… so dramatic.”
Sweat beads on his upper lip from the effort it takes to hold my wrist at bay. His free hand reaches up, trembling, to cup my cheek. I lean into his touch, savoring the warmth of his skin against mine.
“I know what you’re trying to do,” he murmurs. “But you can’t save me, Flori. Not this time.”
“Watch me,” I growl, but he tightens his grip on my wrist.
“Please. The things I’ve done… the lives I’ve ruined. Lives I’ve taken. All because I’m a selfish bastard. I’m not… worth it.”
“You’re worth everything,” I whisper. “Now, let me save you.”
He shakes his head. “Can’t. Made a vow… to a boy once. Said I’d… be your thorns. So you could bloom.” He pauses. Licks his bloodied lips. “He can’t have you. You’re made for something big. Free the brides. End the Hunt for good.”
I gasp. “How do you know about my deal with Kasaros?”
But his eyes are growing unfocused. “Let me die… you can’t… be with me. Have to get to the end… unclaimed. It’s the only way.”
“The only way for what?” I demand, frustration and fear making my voice sharp.
“For you to fulfill your destiny,” he mumbles. “To become a queen without equal.”
I try to wrestle my wrist from his grip, but it’s already weakening.
“Dray, stay with me.” Panic claws at my throat. “Fight, you bastard. Fight like hell!”
“I’m sorry… Flori …” His hand falls away, eyes sliding shut.
“No!” I howl, shaking him with my free hand. “Dray! Wake up!”
But he’s limp. Unresponsive.
I aim the blade at my stomach and push hard, piercing flesh and muscle—right through the golden base of the rosebud’s stem. Pain wrenches a cry from my lips, but I turn it into something else, something beautiful. Something he made sure I never lost. My voice.
“My destiny is with you, you idiot. It always has been.”
This is what my blood is for—giving, not taking. I lie down, face buried in the crook of Drayven’s neck, pressing my wound against his. My magic pours into him, soaking between us. As darkness crowds my vision, a smile tugs at my lips. I feel his flesh knitting beneath mine, warming.
While mine goes cold.
