I let out a slow breath and nodded. “Yeah.”
We stepped outside, where it was still warm with the sun hanging overhead. The dragons stretched out by the tree line with Luana curled up close, fast asleep until she caught my scent. Her head popped up, ears perked, and within a few beats, she was circling me, her tail wagging in a blur.
“Is this Luana?” Finley crouched, and just like that, I was forgotten. Luana flopped onto her back at Finley’s feet, belly bared in absolute trust.
I sat in front of them, grabbing Luana’s tail so she’d pay attention to me, and she hopped up only to prop herself on mylap, her wet nose brushing against my cheek. Laughing, I pushed her head down.
Finley watched us, a quiet, tentative smile on her lips as she shifted to sit. She crossed her arms, her fingers touching the bare skin of her wrist. Silence hummed between us with everything we’d yet to say.
Finally, she drew in a breath. “About the cave . . .”
My chest tightened.
She looked down at her bare feet, pushing the hem of her pants to play with the anklet I’d made her. It was still there. “I know I hurt you. Hurt us. I’m not asking you to forgive me, but I need you to understand why.”
“Finley—”
“Let me say it.” She shook her head, pausing. “Please let me explain.”
I shut my mouth.
“I wasn’t thinking about you or our bond. All I could think about was Zaicha using me to destroy everything. And if the only way to stop her was to burn myself out, then”—her voice cracked—“I was ready to do it. I didn’t think about you, our tied magic, or what burning your magic out would do to you. And when I told you I regretted binding our magic to our bond, I didn’t mean it. I was hurt and angry and lashing out.”
“It felt real.”
“I know.” Her eyes glistened as her face softened. “I know it did.”
I stared at the ground between us. “You were willing to die,” I said quietly. “To leave me. I couldn’t—” My throat tightened. “I couldn’t. Not you, Lolli. I couldn’t.”
Her breath caught.
“I stopped you because I couldn’t lose you. Because the cost of saving that boy wasyou.You can hate me for it, but I’d do it again.”
“I know.” She blinked fast, the tears she held back making her eyes glassy. “Etienne said the same thing. That he would’ve stopped me, too.” Her hand slipped into the pocket of her pants, fingers curling around something small. When she pulled it out, she kept it tight in her fist. “If it had been you,” she whispered, “I would’ve stopped you the same way. I would’ve ripped the world apart before letting you die.”
Slowly, she opened her hand.
Crystal beads were in her palm, catching in the sunlight.
My throat went dry. The bracelet.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she looked down at them. “My bracelet broke,” she said quietly. Then she met my eyes, fragile yet fierce. “But that doesn’t mean we’re broken. Right?”
The air punched out of my lungs. “No, Lolli. We’ve hurt each other. But we’ve also bled for this, for us. We’re still here. I’m still here.” I swallowed hard, the words scraping against my dry throat. “We’re not broken. Bruised. Maybe bleeding in places that only ever belonged to us. But I’ll keep choosing you. Every single damn time.”
“I’ll keep choosing you too,” she whispered. “Every single damn time. I love you, Brenton.”
Her words, her declaration . . .
Before I could think, I moved, lunging for her. My hands came up to frame her face, my fingers sliding into her hair to pull her closer.
I didn’t ease into it. I claimed, crashing my lips against hers in a rough, desperate kiss. It was all teeth and breath and an aching heart that mended with each swipe of our tongues.
She surged right back, one hand gripping my shirt, the other holding the back of my head, pulling me closer like she’d needed this as much as I did.
The bond between us burned hot. A pulse beneath my skin that was both alive and vibrant.
When we finally tore apart, we were both breathing hard with our foreheads pressed together. Her fingers were still tangled in my hair, mine still cradling her jaw.
