My brother grips my shoulder, and I want more than anything to shrug him off, but he tightens his hold.
“There’s always a price to pay when you disrupt the order of the gods. You know it. We all know it. This was your price and it was one worth paying.”
I snatch my arm back as he slides his grip down to my forearm.
“His room will never do to anyone what it did to us. To her. We’ll make sure the next to fall in line takes care of that. You got us payback. For so many people. You rid the realm of a god who took pleasure in feeding off of people’s fears and traumas.”
My breathing becomes heavy as my hum tries to drown his voice out.
I have chains.
Permanent chains.
They’ll always be there.
He forcefully flips my arms over, palms facing up as he shakes them.
“Look at it, Riven. Not at the chains. At your mark. Our Valtrue mark. Look at how his shadows couldn’t block it out. That’s because we can’t be restrained. We will never restrain you. She won’t restrain you.”
She.
My angel who’s lost her wings.
She’s restrained herself.
She needs me to break her free.
“It was worth it. And as mad as I am at you, I’m so fucking proud of you.”
My gaze flicks up to his.
“Are you only saying that to placate my emotions right now?”
He snorts, giving me one of his big, beautiful smiles.
“No, I’m not. I mean it wholeheartedly.”
I snatch him into a tight hug and laugh as he groans. I don’t know whether it’s from my affection or he’s in pain. Regardless, I soak up his sweet words and allow them to settle inside of me.
“Enough. We’re going to squash your waist bags.”
“Oh fuck, don’t do that. Can you imagine how mad Thayla would be if I blow both our dicks up?”
He chuckles once before his face falls slightly. He attempts to give me a smirk, but I see through his sudden melancholy.
Have no fear, my deadly, gorgeous, sweet brother. I’m going to get our Binder back on track.
“We got to go. I have another plan to execute tonight. How long has it been since you opened your eyes and looked at me in your bed?”
“About an hour and a half.”
“What? There’s no damn way.”
His features grow far more serious than they were a moment ago. He stands, holding his hand out to me, and I graciously allow him to pull me up. The deep sigh he releases as he steps behind me and puts my torch lamp away has a frown pulling my lips down.
“You have no fucking idea how long I had to move around the globe of shadows that covered your whole body. For every one I sliced off you, another two appeared.”
Gods, the way that asshole’s power worked is a mind fuck.
