The corridor lay in ruins around them. Ice and broken glass, cracked stone and twisted metal. Evidence of what he became when his nature was unleashed.
But her pulse didn’t race. Her eyes held his.
"Brynn," he said.
"All those times you pushed me away." Her voice cracked. "All those times you said you'd hurt me. That there couldn't be anything between us."
He closed his eyes against the truth of it.
"I believed it," he managed.
"I know." Her voice softened slightly. "I know you believed it."
He pressed his forehead against hers, hardly believing the contact was possible. No death. No destruction. Just this. Her skin against his, her breath mingling with his own.
"I thought I'd lose myself," he whispered. "Thought you'd be caught in it?—"
"I'm right here." Her grip tightened. "I'm not going anywhere."
I won't stop you,he'd told her minutes ago. Had been ready to let her go to Caelum's paradise because he'd believed his nature made him too dangerous.
Footsteps echoed through the ruined corridors.
Reality crashed back in.
"My lord." Aldric's form flickered into view. "Vex and Seraphina. They felt your power. They're coming."
Dante stepped back from Brynn. Her hands fell away.
Cold rushed in where warmth had been.
But if the other Death Lords saw her touching him. Saw that she'd survived direct contact with his unleashed power?—
"How long?" he demanded.
"Minutes."
Not enough time.
He scanned the destruction: frost-cracked stone, broken glass—evidence of what he became when anyone threatened what was his.
"You were behind shadow-barriers," he said, voice rough. "The entire time. You never saw me lose restraint."
"But I wasn't?—"
"You were." His eyes met hers. "Or they'll dissect you to find out how you survived. They'll want to know why a mortal can touch The Reaper and live."
Her face went pale. "Understood."
He forced himself to step further away, establishing distance between a Death Lord and his tribute.
Vex appeared first, gold eyes sweeping over the wreckage. "Impressive work. Though perhaps excessive?"
Lady Seraphina followed, blood-red hair catching the dim light. "Your power shook the Violent Court's war-stones. What required such enthusiasm?"
"A coordinated assault on my domain." Dante kept his voice cold. "Multiple infiltrators using ward-chaos as cover."
"All eliminated?" Vex's smile showed too many teeth. "No survivors for questioning?"
