My lips parted with wonder. I was not sure how a raven could have poisoned me, but Riyan still knew how toheal me.
I looked up at Riyan, who held no amazement in his sad, wide eyes. Although his face was despondent, his arms were still strong as they guarded me against every threat Nordingaard hadto offer.
“You saved me,” Isaid softly.
Riyan’s sad eyes hardened. “I’m the reason you’re here to begin with. This is all my fault. I should have just looked for Daigen myself. I should have kept you safe at the fortress. All of this ismy fault.”
“Riyan, no.” The water pulled me toward him like it was alive. I gave in and rolled into the pull. “None of this isyour fault.”
“Yes it is!” Riyan snapped. The surface of the water rippled like it cowered from the power of his wrath. “You said so yourself back at Hyton Palace. Had I not ruined the Duke’s plan and just married Brietta, you would be living in luxury at Lord Hyton’s side right now. You wouldn’t be stuck with someone three times your size, or forced to kill me to save our families, or starving in the wilderness,or poisoned!”
I felt the pull again, but I realized it was not the magic of the water, but the glow of our blood bond wrapping around my heart and tugging me toward him. The water carried my fingertips to his chest. His stomach muscles tensed undermy touch.
“Riyan—”
“I have hurt you so many times, Sera,” he interjected, “and every time you have come closer to your death. Everything bad that’s ever happened to you happened becauseof me!”
The golden bond crushed the shards of granite still clinging tomy heart.
“Endre’s death was notyour fault!”
Riyan looked down at me again, his face frozen with shock and his eyes glistening with sadness. His hands trembled underneath me and thewater rippled.
The magical water lapped in my ears and brought Endre’s bright laughter with it. The stars above me were freckles on his cheeks. The steam above the spring carried his scent of mint andfresh smoke.
“You made the last days of his life happy.” Hot tears rimmed my eyes. “You trained him. You gave him confidence. You were with him untilthe end.”
Riyan softly shook his head. A single tear fell from his eye. “I still should have been faster. I still lethim die.”
My nose andthroat burned.
“Riyan, the magic took me to your memory,” I croaked through the pain in my throat. “I saw the whole battle. You did everythingyou could.”
“Like that matters,” Riyan said. His lip trembled, but his jaw was hard and tight. “Ravenwood is going to shit because its last heir died on my watch. I brokemy promise.”
Erik’s voice was low in my ears. “Someone has to look after ourlittle sister.”
My eyes stung and my voice shook. “You did not breakyour promise.”
Riyan’s shoulders slumped forward. I pictured hands steepling in front of a serious, pensive brow. I looked up, the midnight clouds were as black as Erik’s eyes. My hands curled into fists under the water and I gripped my big brother’s cape again. I smelled tea leavesand charcoal.
“All Erik wanted you to do was protect his family.” I struggled to get each word out, fighting the magical mist building up around my eyes. “He would be so happy to see you taking care of me because…because he loved me. Theyboth did.”
My throat seized. My chest shook. I blinked once and then a bead of water like a warm diamond rolled from my eye. Then another.Then another.
Pieces of the crumbling granite around my heart fell and disappeared in the chasm of my bare soul. Each one of my tears filled the chasm, giving it the gift of raw emotion, of love,of life.
Sobs cracked off my tongue. Tears dripped off my chin into the water. Riyan cradled my head inhis palm.
“And I miss them so damn much,” I sobbed, “because Iloved them.But you made me remember them. You made me feel them again, even after I had shut out their memories and their love forseven years.”
The golden bond burned brighter. Riyan must have felt it too, because he pulled me into his chest. Skin against skin. My wounded body against his wounded soul. Our blood bond forged from ancient magic glowed so brightly it engulfed my heart and shone inRiyan’s eyes.
The golden glow warmed my heart and took away the pain of my sobs. My voice was soft, clear, and strong as I spoke. “Yousaved me.”
I blinked through my gentle tears and calmed my sobbing chest. I smiled, warm and true, as I took in Riyan’s handsome face that glowed in the light of the spring. His face was soft, his damp blonde hair curled at his collarbone, and he looked down at me with tenderness. As we sat in the magical hot spring, my raw heart surrounded by the illumination of our bond, I finally saw Riyan Bloodstone for who hetruly was.
He was a stone fortress—pretending to be the valiant champion and the perfect killer. When the tides of his gentle passion beat down the stone walls of his prison, he freed himself to his true nature. He was both kind and fiercely protective. He was both humble and a show-off. He was both strong as a mountain and weak as acrumbling bridge.
