* * *
That was how I found myself back in the forest clearing half a day’s ride to Panos’s Castle.Again. The last place I ever wanted to be. Sure, I’d almost died every time I’d come here, but apparently I was incapable of avoiding danger.
This time, I was far too on edge for a roll beneath the rough blanket with Yuto. Instead we sat, back to back, watching the forest for any movement. Eryx and Aleka slept together by the fire while Orion was prowling the woods for more firewood.
The warmth of Yuto’s back comforted me in a way that nothing else could, particularly since we were about to launch yet another attack on an impossible-to-kill enemy.
“You never should have come back for me, Aradia,” Yuto finally said, breaking the silence between us.
“Maybe not. But I did it anyway.”
“You almost got yourself killed,” he said quietly. “Your life is not a good price for my freedom.”
“If I’d known that Panos was by the portal waiting for me...” I trailed off, uncertain of how to end that sentence. What would I have done instead? Leave Yuto to rot? No, I never would have done that.
“What would you have done differently, my love?”
I pressed my lips together. “I would have come back through the portal better armed, for one. There are a lot of books in that library. I could have just chucked a hundred of them at his head. At least one of them would have knocked him out.”
Yuto let out a low chuckle. “I would have liked to see that.”
“Keep me around and maybe you will.”
Yuto reached behind him and wrapped his gloved hand around mine. Warmth fluttered in my belly. “You know all of this changes very little. You cannot stay with me, Aradia. It isn’t safe for you.”
My heart thumped in pain. “I knew you’d say that.”
“I just want you to be safe.” A pause. “Your life is so precious.”
And so fleeting, I finished for him. My mortality was like an impenetrable wall between us. It was impossible to ignore. If Yuto returned to his homeland, he would find a court full of enemies desperate to tear him down. They’d target me, if they realized I meant anything to him.
I knew that.
I knew it, and I didn’t care.
Branches crackled, and suddenly Orion reappeared. His face was screwed up into a scowl as he stalked past us. He dumped an armful of branches beside the fire and crossed his arms over his chest.
“What took so long?” Yuto asked. “You were in there for ages.”
“If you two are going to be awake, what’s the point of me wandering around in the dark?” Orion snapped, turning so his back faced us.
I frowned. It wasn’t like him to be so snappy. Had Yuto been right about him? Was he...jealous? I hoped not. One dragonlord was enough for me.
“Alright, go to sleep, Orion.” Yuto waved him toward the sleeping mats before turning back to me. “He gets grumpy before a battle.”
“So I’ve noticed.” I sighed, dropping my head back against Yuto’s shoulder. “To be honest, so do I. Because when the battle is over, we’re done.”
“We will never truly be done, my love.” He nuzzled the side of my forehead with his cheek. “It won’t matter how far apart we are. The bond we have will never disappear. Not completely. And if it’s real, if it’s what I think it is, we will find our way back to each other one day.”
30
Aradia
Our feet were anchored in the one place I’d hoped to never see. Panos’s castle blurred into the thick shadows of the starless night. Not a single lantern lit the windows that dotted the northern side of the castle. Ash and dust swirled through the air, transforming everything into a big, meaningless whirlwind of darkness.
My heart trembled as I stared up at the place. Coming here had been my idea, but every bone in my body ached to flee. We had a plan. We knew what we had to do. And yet, the possibility remained. If we failed, Panos would likely tear me apart, limb by limb. And then he’d move on to Eryx, Aleka, Orion...and then Yuto.
We were doomed if we didn’t defeat him.
