“No, she also said that my love is the key to conquering all corruption. The Emperor believes it's my love for Xaedren that gave him magic.”
“So you have to be in love with the Wraith Lord to empower him?” He frowned. “Well, shit. That's limiting. I guess, Xaedren's luckier than I thought.”
“Luckier?”
“Well, he got you, didn't he?” He nudged my shoulder again.
I slumped.
“What? Did you break up?”
“No.” I shrugged. “I don't think so.”
“You don't think so?”
“I called him a dickhead and walked out on him.”
Finn hooted. “Shit. He probably deserved it.”
“I don't know if he did. Xae was trying to be . . . I don't know what he was trying to be. Pious maybe? Self-sacrificing.”
“Hold on. What did Xaedren do?”
“The Emperor believes that the Goddess wants—”
“The Emperor believes the Goddess wants.” Finn rolled his eyes. “Just say it, Ember.”
“I guess the Goddess doesn't want it so much as she predicted that I would love several Wraith Lords. The Emperor said I need to follow my heart and take additional lovers. I have to fall in love with someone else so I can empower them too.”
“Holy shit,” Finn whispered. “What the fuck?”
“Yes. Obviously, that's not something I want to do. I could never betray Xaedren like that. I argued with them both and—”
“Wait,” he cut me off again. “You argued with themboth? Are you saying that Xaedren is siding with the Emperor?”
“Yes, exactly. He told me he would share me.”
“Ugh!” Finn made a face. “Fucking idiot.”
“Thank you!” I waved a hand at him. “I mean, so what if this is the key to ending the war? Xae shouldn't want to share me. And I guess, he really doesn't want to share me. But he shouldn't be urging me to do this. He shouldn't bewillingto share me.”
“You taking more lovers is the key to ending the war?” Finn asked, suddenly grim.
“Yes. At least, that's what the Emperor thinks. He says without me uniting multiple Wraith Lords and empowering them, we won't be able to stop the Corrupter. Evidently, the fate of the world rests on my dick.” I grimaced and added, “And my heart. It's so stupid.”
“Great fuck,” he whispered. “I'm sorry, Ember, but I agree with them.”
“What?”
“This is about more than your relationship with Xaedren. Millions of lives are at stake. All of us, every Lord here, have made sacrifices for the war. We make them every day. This is your sacrifice. Yours and whoever falls in love with you. They will have to share you, and you will have to share yourself.”
“I can't.”
“You must,” Xaedren's voice came from the shadows before he stepped into the moonlight. “I don't want to share you, Ember. Just thinking about it makes my wolf claw at my chest in fury. But this is the will of the Goddess. You are her gift to us. Not just me.”
“What?” I jumped to my feet. “Now you want me to fuck every Wraith Lord in the citadel? Should Sern and Quenle betray their commitment to each other to be with me? And the Wraith Lords who aren't into men, should they just close their eyes and do it for the Goddess?”
“That's not at all what I'm saying,” Xae said sternly. “You're angry and scared. I understand. And I don't want this for us, Ember. But we have to deal with this. I told you to go to Rath because I know you already have feelings for him. The Emperor said to follow your heart, and all I'm saying is I'll support that. Do I want to see you two together? No. But I won't tear him to pieces or hold it against you.”
