A long moment passes.
Then, he exhales, shaking his head. His tone is dry, but the weight of his words is heavy. “Stars save you.”
I let the silence stretch between us, thick and unyielding. Therion prays to the Stars, but I already know?—
“They won’t.”
Therion drags a hand down his face. “You're really fucking doing this, aren’t you?”
I don’t even hesitate, “I am.”
He swears under his breath, his whole body going slack as he shakes his head again. Another long silence.
“Fuck,” Therion mutters, dragging a hand down his face. “You really are lost to this, brother?”
He stares at the fire for a long moment, jaw clenched, shaking his head like he’s trying to find another argument—another way to change my mind.
But there isn’t one.
“Fine,” he finally exhales, voice gruff. Begrudging. Defeated.
“We’ll figure something else out. But if we die because of this, I’m haunting you in the afterlife.”
I smirk, the first ghost of amusement in this entire conversation. “I’d expect nothing less.”
Therion groans, tipping his head back to the Stars. “Stars save me, I fucking hate you.”
“You don’t.”
“No, I don’t,” he mutters. Then, cutting me a glare, “But if you ever tell her how soft you’ve gone, I will personally slit your throat.”
I laugh. A real fucking laugh.
The tension shifts. The decision is made.
We are not using Elyssara.
We will find another way.
And no matter what’s already been written in the Stars—I’ll have her. I’ll keep her.
And I’ll win my godsdamned war.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
ELYSSARA
“Good morning, Duskae,”Kael’s tender words reach me behind closed eyes and the heaviness of sleep.
I pry them open to see his ruggedly beautiful face—which is still infuriatingly symmetrical—staring at me from the tent’s entrance. “Good morning,” I say heavily, voice thick with sleep and memories of last night.
He huffs a laugh at my sleep-addled demeanor, “As much as I would love to crawl back under those furs with you, we have to go.”
I pull the blankets up and bury a groan along with my face, but still, he continues, “We need to get back to Jax and Merrik.” Reality comes crashing down at his reminder, “We need access to those books and maps to plan the next part of the journey, before the Royal Guard hit Galreth.”Fuck. “Oh,” he adds flippantly, “and everyone is already waiting for you, including the entire tribe of Vaythari.”
I leap out of bed, instantly alert at the thought of everyone awaiting me—their Zhari—before realizing that I am completely and utterly bare. I move to cover myself, when Kael interjects, “Darling, you could cover yourself for the next one hundred years, but I will never forget the shape of that beautiful body.” He bites his lipthen, “And I regret having to say this, but, if you don’t get dressed quickly, I will make everyone listen while I lick your sweet?—”
“Okay! Okay!” I cut in. “Gods, Kael,” I laugh at his terribly effective strategy at getting me up and dressed, and begin moving for my leathers.
