“There he is,” Merrik smiles at me with what looks like pride. “Our King.”
“Yes, yes. Very fucking lovely,” Jax bites. “What’s the plan now?”
I stifle an agitated groan. Fucking Jax and her constant bitterness. Not that I don’t understand why—she’s lived with the guilt of all of this for a decade.
“We need to figure out who we’re waking and how, Jax,” Therion huffs in annoyance.
“I already know,” Seren states matter-of-factly.
I can’t help but notice the way Therion’s mouth stretches into an almost-smile at Seren’s brilliance and my heart fucking splits in two at the sight. Because my mind goes to Elyssara. Likely in a dungeon. If he hasn’t already got her in his bed. I can’t stand it. I can’t fucking stand the thought of my Starbound being anywhere near him, out of my protection. My breathcomes in sharp, ragged pants, and my knuckles crack under the pressure of my clenched fist. Culling Maldrak from these lands—my lands—will be a fucking honor.
“Woah. Woah. Easy, lad,” Merrik soothes. “No one to kill here. We’re family.” He raises his arms in surrender, and that’s when I realize.
My shadows have drenched us in darkness. The heat vanishes. The light blinks out. The air shifts—heavier, colder, as if my rage has weight. My onyx smoke is everywhere, all-encompassing, suffocating, but I feel right at home. Because here, in the darkness, is where I’ll live until she’s back in my arms.
I harness my control, training my breath to slow, my heart to calm, my nerves to still. Light splices through my darkness, and I see the group visibly relax.
But that’s why we’re different—I don’t fear the dark, I fucking savor it.
“You were saying, Seren,” I say smoothly with a flourish of my hand.
She clears her throat, composing herself, “We need to wake Morrathys from the Temple of Endings.”
“Keep going. Remember I’m just a regular man and I need you to spell itallthe way out for me,” Ronyn banters.
Seren brushes her wild golden curls from her face, suppressing a laugh. “El said Morrathys was entombed there, remember? In the visions with the Obsidian Crown? She made it sound like he was in an in-between state—not dead, not living…sleeping. We need to wake him.”
Therion steps forward, all blunt strategy. “That confirms what Nalya said. We wake him, then.”
Ronyn leans in a little closer and I already know that whatever he’s about to say will be ridiculous. “Okay, let me get this straight: we are going to a temple where endingsliterallyoccur, to wake up the God offuckingDeath,” he enunciates every word. “To what? Enter into some sort of deal to help us on the word of a madwoman?” Ronyn pauses for a moment, then turns toward me, “No offense, Kael.”
“That about sums it up, yeah,” Merrik confirms without fanfare.
Ronyn pauses, then waves off Merrik. “No, no. That’s fine. I was just checking. When do we head off for the adventure? Sounds lovely.”
This levity, this laughter, it only echoes through the cavern of my heart—because she should be here. With her family.
But I shove the hurt down so far it can’t breathe.
“We need to talk to Rowan about what he knows of the temple—location, traps, enchantments. Then we head off immediately,” I confirm.
“It’s almost as if you allwantto die or something,” Daelen grumbles. “But if Ronyn’s going, I’ve gotta fuckin’ go, don’t I? He’s trying to take my place, you know.”
“That’s the spirit—good old-fashioned rivalry between brothers,” Ronyn says cheerfully, wrapping his arm around Daelen.
“You two might just have the biggest balls of any lads I know,” Merrik says before adding, “or the smallest brains.”
“I think what you mean to say is that I have a very optimistic disposition, Merrik,” Ronyn corrects.
“Sure. Let’s go with that,” Merrik slaps him on the shoulder.
“Prepare to leave. I’m finding Rowan,” Therion states curtly, bypassing the camaraderie.
I don’t know what awaits, but whatever stands between me and my Starbound, I’ll end it without a second thought.
The tether may be silent, but I’ll follow its echo all the way to the Final Gate.
CHAPTER NINE
