His heart split as he took in his fierce, beautiful mate. This female he’d loved for decades. This female who’d helped him lead the Cynn Drakan, helped him keep Arran at bay. Arran, who was about to take everything from him.
Everything except Priya.
Aedelmar was strong, but not strong enough to survive that.
He poured all his love into his gaze. “My life is worth nothing without you. You must live.”
Priya remained dry-eyed, even as tears bathed his own cheeks.
“So touching,” Arran sneered. “I assume you’ve made your choice?”
He nodded once, sharply, ignoring Priya’s bellowing protests.
“Muzzle the bitch,” Arran bit out and a soldier clapped a hand over her mouth while the other maintained the dagger at her heart.
Aedelmar did not break his mate’s gaze as Arran leaned down, so close their faces were nearly touching.
Aedelmar considered it for a moment. Smashing his forehead into the asshole’s nose. Giving Arran a little taste of pain before the end.
But he couldn’t muster the strength to do it. His fight was gone. He’d been bested. And now, he would bargain the only treasure he had left.
“Well?” Arran whispered. “The name. Now. Or she dies.”
He blew out a long breath, then whispered into Arran’s ear, to low for anyone else in the room to hear. “Her name is Signys.”
Arran slid his eyes closed, shuddering with pleasure, as Priya wailed. A wicked smile formed beneath his long, copper beard as he stood. “Thank you, my old foe. You made the right decision.”
He tucked the flute back in his pocket, and Aedelmar waited for the dagger to bite into his flesh. He brushed his fingers against Priya’s. A final apology, though he regretted nothing.
Arran stalked to the door, then glanced back over his shoulder. “Unfortunately, you took too long to arrive at your decision. Pity.” Arran nodded to the soldier holding Priya.
And Aedelmar’s chest caved in as the soldier plunged the Typhon steel into Priya’s heart.
His mate didn’t make a sound as she turned toward him. And there was nothing accusatory in her stare, just deep, profound love as the light drained from her eyes.
Aedelmar roared, a volcano of agony erupting in his veins. He flared his wings, straining against the soldiers holding him. He tried to summon the wind, to tear the breath from these bastards’ lungs, but the nessite chain around his neck prevented it.
“You fucking lyingbastard,” he bellowed.
Arran shrugged. “Didn’t lie. Just changed my mind. Also, I’m assuming she knew the dragon’s name as well. Can’t really have that now, can I?” Arran nodded to his soldiers again, and one pried Aedelmar’s jaw open as the other dug fingers into hismouth, pinching his tongue. “You won’t be able to tell anyone either, once they’re done with you.”
Aedelmar bit down on the soldier’s fingers, tried to clamp his jaw shut. But the male was strong, and Aedelmar was fighting the greatest fatigue he’d ever known. Arran Zephyrus had destroyed his entire world in the span of seconds.
Aedelmar slid his gaze to Priya, who lay motionless at the other two soldiers’ feet. Her life’s blood drained away, seeping through the floorboards.
He sagged within the soldiers’ hold, no energy left to do anything other than await his own death in the Eternal Fire to which all souls returned.
Aedelmar kept silent as the soldier gripped his tongue. Barely felt the pain when the other soldier began slicing through the muscle. Blood gushed into his mouth, choking him. It was not a quick, nor a clean, cut.
The soldiers released him and he crashed to the floor, nothing more than a sack of bones.
“The wings, too,” Arran said. “Then throw him in the wagon with the others. Leonin can decide what to do with him.”
Aedelmar wondered why Arran didn’t just kill him. Zephyrus had gotten exactly what he wanted. In the cruelest way possible.
But there was his answer.
It was far crueler for Arran to let Aedelmar live with the choice he’d just made.
