In her closing moments, Marina allowed herself to dream of such fantasies.
Acacius came to her mind: on his altar as he tucked her white hair behind her ear; the intricacies of his realm and his creatures and the zealous light in his eyes as he spoke of it all; the secret smiles he wore during their bantering; how he gave her sweet touches and gentle looks during their dips in his hot spring, always aware of her, like a planet orbiting its sun.
Greed gripped at her heart, wishing she could’ve had more time with him.
She thought of the rose pendant, and how she’d heard it jingling around in his pocket as he walked. Marina wondered when he would give in and give it to her after finding it by accident in his bedchamber while picking up their clothes off the floor.
He’d been a blacksmith in his mortal days, enjoying the craft of forming things with his hands. He’d told her once, at a feast for the High Goddess of Autumn. Though, she doubted that he even recalled the conversation.
She knew what her death would do to him. After losing Ruelle, it was a primal fear of his, and here she was, delivering the same wound to him once more.
Could you ever?
She should’ve told him the truth then, the truth of her oceanic love for him.
“Aunt Marina?” Ash’s tearful call lulled her back.
“I am here.” Her voice strained against the viscous liquid clogging the back of her throat. “Stay with me. Don’t leave… no matter… what. Until he…finds you, okay? Your… bastard… uncle.”
Ash nodded against her sternum, sobbing against her.
The structure of the shield around them began to thin, its surface cracking like broken tiles. In the center, the view of the sky poured in.
A sudden loud caw echoed in the pale gray clouds, and an indigo plume flashed overhead, disappearing into the treetops.
Ash gasped, lifting his chin with restored hope. “Alke! Uncle Finny w-will f-find us!”
Marina watched the calm of the snowfall. Her little brother would protect Ash when she could no longer.
Her consciousness faded in and out.
This really was the end for her.
Garnet tears leaked down her temples.
She closed her eyes.
I want to see him one last time.
“Acacius.” She smiled as her heart took its final breath. “Come to me.”
32
AUGUSTUS
Acacius
Acacius stoodin the tree line of the wooded acres surrounding his brother’s cottage. Icicles glistened from the rooftop and frost carpeted the lawn, glimmering under the midday sunlight, like a meadow of small diamonds. Woodsmoke drifted from the chimney, filling his nose.
Because of you.Iliana’s words rang in his ears, unforgiving.
He’d come here in spite of his sister, out of anger, to drag Cassius back to the Council and shove him at their feet.There, happy now?
But as his gaze swept over the bones of a garden off to the side of the cottage, over the dog prints in the snow that led up the stairs of their porch, to the flashes of silhouettes traveling in front of the window to their living room, Acacius couldn’t bring his feet to move.
Small frames of the passing years surfaced in his thoughts—Cassius staring off into the nothingness when he thought no one was looking, or the private moments when Acacius found him loosening his tie, hair mussed from his hand, downing a glass ofwhiskey. Cassius never truly held a light in his eyes until Finnian appeared. He’d willingly handed over his title to Mavros to live the life he desired.
Acacius had no intention of sucking Cassius back into the endless hell of their duty.
