He rotated his body toward her, the glint of his rings flickering as he unfolded his arms. “You may come off as emotionless as I, but it is our family curse to feel deeply. Whatever guilt you feel for that horrible goddess, absolve yourself and move on. She will waste her days away in that prison, blaming everyone else for the way her life ended up, never taking responsibility for her own actions.” He looked at her with intensity. “Best to move on and live your own life, let her walk in the suffering of her own design.”
Marina studied her little brother. His dark curls were still cut short, their ends grown over the tips of his ears, and his eyes were the same from his boyhood, low-lidded and lethal. Sheadmired his strong-willed mind, the times he fought Mira head on, refusing to bow down to her ways.
“She is our mother.” Marina scoured his face, tracking it for any flits of emotion. “Did you ever want her love?”
The steel in his gaze softened. “Of course, but what she had to offer was not love, and I deserved more. We all did. Well, aside from the triplets.”
Allow him to grow up and experience the love neither I nor your mother were ever able to fully give you.
Marina’s nose burned as Father’s words returned to her.
Love was not something that Marina could teach their mother. Finnian was right. Mira would spend eternity in her cell, harboring more animosity toward those around her, if just to avoid the hatred she held for herself.
Marina cleared her throat, and the corner of her mouth lifted. “I told Mother that her fate was in the triplets’ hands now.”
Finnian breathed out a chuckle. “Last I heard, they were in Isolde with their tails tucked between their legs. I haven’t seen Malik once since we fought after Freya won her title.”
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about our duel.” Marina tapped him on the arm, her brows raised in a sly manner. “You owe me another. I won’t lose this time.”
Finnian scoffed. “It would be a pleasure to kick your ass again, Sister.”
Marina’s cheeks warmed, the joy of hearing him refer to her as a sister vastly consuming her chest.
Finnian’s attention shifted over her head.
She looked back as Acacius and Cassian approached. Walking side by side, their similar appearances were uncanny—ivory blond hair, golden eyes, pale skin, tall and broad builds. Their ancient power radiated like rays of sunlight, humming off one another’s energy.
Acacius wrapped an arm around Marina’s neck, kissing the side of her head. The rush of his scent, pine needles and smoky black pepper, eased the tension in her muscles. The rigidity had been there since she’d resurrected—something she wouldn’t dare inform her brother, knowing he would dedicate another five minutes to inspecting her.
Cassian kept his hands in his pockets as he stood close to Finnian, their arms touching. He looked at his partner, his gaze puddling like magma. “Ready?”
Finnian fished out the shiny watch from his pocket and lifted Cassian’s hand, clasping it back onto his wrist. “More than ever.”
Marina interlaced her fingers with Acacius’s as they made the journey down the cliffside. Traveling into the cusp of death had rattled her nerves, and now more than ever, she wanted to feel him beside her, bridging the distance that her end had carried her.
Cassian and Finnian strolled down the rocky pathway a little way ahead of them.
Her eyes jumped to the figures in the clearing, and she inhaled a deep breath, bracing herself for Ronin and Naia’s lecture. It had been wrong of her to make the call of taking Ash. In the end, her decision nearly killed him.
Acacius lightly tugged on a piece of her hair. “Whatever you’re thinking so hard about can wait. Have you noticed your hair?”
She glanced over at him, running her fingers through her waves to assess the pieces. Strokes of cosmic white contrasted the intense darkness. “A side effect of the afterlife, I guess.”
Light always finds a way through. She reminisced on her father’s wisdom.
“There are now flecks of starlight in the brown of your irises as well.” Acacius pecked the tip of her nose, sending her pulse into a messy stride. “You are stunning.”
Her bloodstream kindled, heating her cheeks.
She resumed looking straight to hide her blush. Apparently, coming back from the dead was turning her into a sappy fool. An obsessive, sappy fool that couldn’t wait to return home with him.
When she did not reply, Acacius’s lips grazed her ear. “I love you too, Rina.”
Warmth overflowed in her heart, flooding her chest, like she’d swallowed a cup of fresh tea.
She didn’t think he would remember her confession. It was shortly after he came to, and he’d been so worked up after realizing the damage he’d caused.
Marina turned her head and pressed her mouth into his forearm, grinning in embarrassing euphoria.
