To hear your destiny and to embrace your fate. Be ready, Daphne. Dare to break the laws of stone.
The presence is swept away, lost to the shadows watching my every move.
The dark-winged beast in the sky breaks through the clouds. He dives, aiming straight for me. I swallow as my stomach tightens, my breath caught in the knot forming in my throat. My limbs twitch with the need to run from the danger heading for me. Theo would never hurt me. I cling to that belief as his jaws open wide and the embers of fire swirl in the cavern of his mouth, glowing brighter as he gathers a blazing ball.
I lock my knees.Trust him.I force my eyes to remain open.Show no fear.A roar of despair rumbles from him, like he’s urging me to run. I shake my head. If this is my fate, I will meet it the way I have lived my life, with the force of my heart on my sleeve.
My eyes water as the heat scorches the air between us. Fire erupts and my chest rises as I stand fast and true in the face of my heart’s destruction. My fingers tremble.
“Daphne, run,” Hart roars from the dark forest. His figure dives out of the dark, and he throws himself at me. His shoulder jams into my stomach, not losing stride as he lifts me and runs into the safety of the trees. My head lifts in time to see Theo scorch the ground where I was standing.
My heart flip flops. He would have killed me? No, I refuse to believe it.
I wriggle from Hart’s hold. “Put me down,” I demand.
“No,” he growls as the smoky scene disappears from view. He runs like our lives depend on it. Several tempos later, he slows. I lift my head and blink at the massive frozen lake before us.
“Can you swim?” Hart snaps.
“Yes.”
He drops my feet to the ground and urges me forward. I step onto the ice carefully. It creaks under my weight but doesn’t break.
“Go,” he snarls as he whips around to face the roar of the beast.
“Not without you,” I answer, my fingers grazing his arm.
He turns and slams his lips against mine in a feral kiss before pushing me toward the lake. “I’ll be right behind you.” Our eyes meet.Trust me,he begs without words.
I nod and begin walking across the terrifying icy surface. My limbs shake with the effort of remaining upright. I’m not a quarter of the way across when I realize there’s no footfall behind me. I spin, lose my footing, and collapse to my knees.
Hart remains on the edge as the trees shift to the side, flattening against the ground. Theo emerges from the darkness like a vengeful beast looking for his next feast.
Hart is weaponless, but he holds steady.
“You cannot have her until you get control of yourself.”
Theo roars like his heart is torn from his chest, and my heart beats faster in response.
His eyes zero in on me. I scramble to my feet as he knocks Hart to the side. His body bangs against a thick tree, and he crumples to the ground. A sob leaves my throat as I slip and fall again in my haste to reach him.
“What have you done?” I cry.
Theo’s heavy clawed feet hit the ice and a crack forms under them, widening to reveal the icy dark water underneath. Ittraces a path to me. I close my eyes and whisper a prayer to whatever Idol might be listening, that my loss won’t make their hearts bitter. That they will recover and find someone worthy to give their love to once more.
My feet hit the water, and I suck in a breath before I’m submerged in darkness. My limbs jerk, and my head breaches the surface, once, twice, three times. I’m so tired. Maybe I can rest here for a tempo and restore some of my energy. Hart will be okay. He has to be. No other outcome is acceptable.
I let my limbs go limp and sink lower beneath the deep water. How apt that my fate is still being claimed by a lake. Sometimes, you can’t change what must pass.
“Daphne, open your eyes,” Hart whispers.
He can’t be here. He can’t rest—he has so much to live for and to achieve. I twist away, resisting the temptation to cling to him and bring him down with me. It’s a lonely future, but it will break my heart if I’ve condemned Hart to join me.
“Calamity, please,” he begs.
Lips, soft but insistent, press against mine. His tongue swipes across them, begging for entry. I part them. Water rushes in, suffocating me with soft promises. Hart’s kiss is a blessing, as I accept this will be the last time any of them touch me. Arms wrap around me, cocooning me in warmth. They always have the ability to chase away the chill.
His tongue tangles with mine, his taste sinking into my being like a prize. Hands tangle in my hair, and he tilts my head back to angle my mouth so he can go deeper. Claim me, Hart, I am yours.
