“Now you’re just showing off,” Eira muttered.
I chuckled. “So were you. Don’t deny it.”
“What, you weren’t impressed even alittlebit?”
I looked at her, this stunning rebel princess who had risen above every challenge she ever faced. “Everything about you impresses me, Eira.”
She ducked her head, but not before I noticed the smile curving along her lips or the reddening of her cheeks. “Be careful. I was young when I carved these holes; they were meant to hold much smaller feet.”
“Youcarved these?” I asked in surprise. The wall was made of hard concrete; it would’ve taken a great amount of strength to dig into it.
“It took me months. And I had some help.”
“You are certainly full of surprises, princess.”
“I have to keep you on your toes. Literally, in this case.”
I laughed at that.
We were silent as we climbed. My muscles still ached from the intensity of using my necromancy, but I was able to lift myself up without too much difficulty. Eira’s breaths turned ragged, and her face shone with sweat. I paused often, letting her set the pace. She likely hadn’t made this climb in a long time.
When Eira reached the top, her fingers curled around the edge of the wall, and she slowly raised herself up. I shot a quick glance below to ensure no soldiers haddiscovered us climbing the wall. Thankfully, the area was clear.
Eira settled in a sitting position on top of the wall, hunched over and panting. I pulled myself up beside her, and we sat there, gazing at the trees as we caught our breath. I glanced behind us at the castle that rested a few yards away from the wall. We were so close to getting inside. To facing Calista and fulfilling Eira’s plan.
And yet, I wanted to put it off as long as possible.
“Why did you feel the need to escape as a child?” I asked. “Calista only became queen a few years before you were exiled. That means you must have done this before your father remarried.”
She nodded, her gaze turning distant. “My whole life, I’ve had a difficult time feeling content with where I am. It was something I didn’t realize until Frisk pointed it out. I’m always making plans for another place, another home…” She shook her head, then turned to look at me. “But this is the last time. The last plan. This will either work… or it won’t.”
Her expression turned grim, and my stomach sank. I knew we were thinking the same thing.
Even if the plan worked, we were both still doomed.
“Theron, I want you to live,” she said softly, her voice tight with emotion. “I want you to survive this.”
I sighed, looking at her with a tenderness I didn’t know I could feel. “I want you to live, too, Eira.”
Her eyes darkened, as if she could read the hidden meaning in my words.
I want you to live. But you won’t. And maybe I won’t, either.
The hard truth of it all was, no matter how much I begged for her to live, the poison was still spreading through her body.
And I was still bound to Calista.
Neither of us could change our circumstances.
We didn’t rest for long before we climbed down the other side of the wall, the descent much easier on my strained muscles. When we were a few feet from the ground, I jumped, and Eira followed suit. My arms caught her, wrapping firmly around her. The delicious smell of her sweat mingled with that familiar snow and pine scent. My hands tightened around her waist, drawing her back to my chest.
“Careful, princess,” I murmured in her ear. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.”
She shivered slightly and leaned into my touch, her head resting against my shoulder. I had the insane urge to touch her again, to elicit more sounds of pleasure—to finish what we started in the woods.
Blood and ice, this was foolishness. We had already wasted enough time.
And yet, I couldn’t pull away from her.
