A soft whimper slipped from my throat as I dropped my blade and staggered toward him. Falling to my knees in front of him, I clasped his cheeks, searching his eyes for any sign that he was about to disappear.
Kaden’s bloodless lips parted, and his ragged breath warmed my face. “I . . . don’t feel anything,” he rasped, staring at me in amazement.
My bottom lip quivered, and I broke into a watery grin, not sure whether I wanted to kiss him senseless or knock him on his ass. Maybe both.
“Youbastard,” I choked out, equal parts furious and relieved. “How could you do this to me?”
Tears blurred my vision and trailed down my cheeks, but my heart was swelling with happiness.
“Don’t cry for me, little huntress,” he said, though his own voice was husky as he wiped my tears away with the pads of his thumbs.
“I’m not crying for you, asshole,” I whispered.
Confusion crumpled my mate’s handsome face, and I wanted to deck him.
“I’m crying because I’m so happy.” I gave a demented-sounding chuckle. “I’m going to hold this over your head for the rest of your damned life.”
Kaden’s face crumpled with pity, and his voice was gentle as he said, “I’m afraid that won’t be long, love. But feel free to berate me for however long I’m here. I deserve it.”
I let out another watery chuckle. He didn’t understand — still didn’t know what I’d done.
“You’re not dying today,” I croaked, fisting his shirt with both hands as if to reassure myself that he was still here. “Probably not for a long while — unless I decide to kill you myself.”
A sad smile twisted his beautiful face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about the sire bond.” He swiped a thumb under my wet lashes, his touch heartbreakingly tender. “Perhaps it was conceited of me, but I was afraid you wouldn’t go through with it if I did.”
“Good thing I’m in charge of our bargains with the Three.”
Kaden only looked more confused, so I added, “Morta granted me one favor in exchange for restoring her hands.”
He nodded, though the crease between his brows deepened.
“I didn’t ask her to cut the threads bound to Semphrys,” I murmured. “I asked her to separate your thread from his at the moment of his death.”
Kaden’s mouth fell open, something like awe brightening his stormy gray eyes.
“I figured if killing him once wasn’t enough to end his existence, I would have to kill him twice. Hence the vikkarni venom. His first death severed his ties to those souls . . . and to you. The second one did the trick.”
Kaden broke into a wide grin, stroking my cheek with a look of stunned amazement. “Where on earth did you get your hands on vikkarni venom?”
“From the fang that lodged in Adriel’s boot when we went through the in-between.”
“Clever little huntress,” he purred, pressing a kiss to my lips.
My blood heated at the light contact, but then Adriel cleared his throat, and we broke apart.
“How are you here right now?” I asked the royal guard, irritation swallowing the relief I’d felt at seeing him alive.
“I got him out,” Kaden said with a shrug. “When Xadorsch dropped the apokropos stone, I could feel that it was him. I asked Sorsha to divert his attention while I went to retrieve the real Adriel.”
“And you didn’t think to bring him with you?”
My prince smirked. He actuallysmirked. “I wanted to see what Xadorsch was up to. Should have known he’d stab me in the back.” He winced, rolling his shoulder experimentally, and the movement of the stake still embedded in itmade bile rise in my throat. “I might need you to help me with that.”
“Yes, well . . . as much as I love that you’re not dead,” Adriel said to Kaden, “there’s still the issue of all the rogue demons who just lost their king. And what remains of the Drathen army. They will want to lay their dead to rest.”
Kaden sighed, and my heart sank.
Adriel was right. Though Kaden had never wanted his father’s crown, he was still Semphrys’s heir.
