Cassian had listened to Finnian rant hundreds of times over the matter, and yet, he never quite knew the words to say to help him understand.
Night had fallenin the Mortal Land when Cassian appeared outside of Finnian’s home, frantic and trying to process everything Acacius had said. Too occupied to think clearly, he hadn’t realized he’d shown up in his divine form—not as Everett. The thought followed him as he raced down the alleyway and through the backdoor of the townhouse, hoping no mortals had spotted him.
Finnian was hunched over his workbench when Cassian swung the door open. The gust rustled the flickering candlelight scattered around the room. The knob hit the brick, alarming Finnian to snap around.
“Wh—” His words fell short as he took in Cassian’s frazzled demeanor. He quickly rose from his stool and crossed the room to get to him. “What’s wrong?”
“I do not know where to begin.” Cassian was surprised to hear the quaking in his voice. He ran an anxious hand through his hair, his breath quick and shallow. “I must tell you everything.”
Finnian swiped his hand up and the door behind them shut. “Okay.” He studied Cassian carefully, worry pulling at the corners of his eyes.
“A long time ago, Ruelle fell in love with a mortal.” Cassian gripped his strands at the roots, attempting to steady the pace of his words against the invisible clock of his mind.
Why hadn’t he told Finnian of his past with Ruelle sooner?
“His name was Klaus, and he was murdered by a group of bandits,” he continued. “He was at the wrong place at the wrongtime—a fate Ruelle could not change because she was merely a middle goddess.”
Finnian listened quietly, his expression unreadable. It sparked a jolt of uneasiness through Cassian’s already knotting insides.
“She came to me and begged that I bring Klaus back to life, but I refused. To do such a thing would be a steep price that Iwould have to pay for allowing the laws of the Universe to bend.” Cassian shook his head, rubbing his hand down his face. He dug his grip into the sides of his cheeks, peering down at the floor as he relived the ancient memory.
“That day she told me:Heed my warning.Whoever yearns in your soul will be just in reach, but never able to fully grasp. One day, when you know the kiss of love, all you will have left is regret.”
He’d stood over her back then, watching her tear-stained face twist in rage. Once she finished her threat, he told her to leave his Land. She would not be getting through his gates. Looking back, he expressed such an apathetic disposition towards her grief, but he sensed that if he had given her an inch, she would’ve clung to it with false hope.
Tension pulled at Finnian’s features. “Did Klaus not choose to reincarnate?”
Cassian let his hand fall back down to his side. “He chose to enter the Paradise of Rest.”
He reached for Finnian, desperate to hang onto him, as if that alone was enough to turn their threads of Fate into granite. “Acacius came to warn me.” A lump swelled in his throat. “Ruelle is going to begin unraveling the threads of our Fate. She will go after your city, after everyone within it, anything she can do to separate us from one another. And she will not stop until your thread no longer desires to reach out for mine.”
Finnian’s face paled. He shifted his body, pulling his hand away from Cassian as he looked down, eyes flitting around the floor. The tendons in his neck went rigid, and his pulse flickered visibly underneath the skin of his throat.
“Finny,” Cassian said. “Talk to me.”
“You should have told me the situation’s entirety long ago.” Finnian’s voice rose as he snapped around to Cassian, his expression hard.
“I know.” Cassian’s voice cracked. He grabbed Finnian’s hand again.
“Weaving mortals’ fates for her own gain must go against the Council.” Finnian seemed lost in thought as he spoke.
Cassian shook his head. “I do not have proof, and my word against hers would only create division among the Council. Ruelle is meticulous and others do not know the side of her that I do.”
His demeanor shifted sharply, withering the shock in his gaze and setting it ablaze. “I told you once before. She can do her worst, but it will not make a difference.”
“You do not understand what she will bring upon you. Do you honestly think I can stand back and allow your life to fall apart because of me?”
Finnian studied Cassian for a beat before letting out a clipped breath. “What is your plan, then? I assume you accounted for a worst-case scenario, and I know you. You wouldn’t have let time go on without crafting up something.”
Cassian frowned and looked down at Finnian’s hand in his own. “It is something you would not approve of.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Minutes had passedsince Cassian had told him everything—how he intended to curse Naia, take her child, and kill Ruelle with its blood—and not a word had left him. Afterwards, he’d grimaced, turned away, and stalked over to his workbench, palms on its surface, shoulders taut, staring down at the clutter.
Cassian took a step towards him. “Finny, it was the only way I knew to?—”
“If our threads of Fate are to be unbound…” His voice was set, trembling with chilled fury. “I will be the one to do it. Not Ruelle. It will be doneourway.”
