The wavesof the Andronicus crashed against the shore. Daimon stood at its edge, hands in his pockets, as he watched a bird fly over the cresting waves. If the ceremony was to start at first light, it was likely almost over.
Evelina would know what he had done when he didn’t report on the border as commander. Zephyr would return to the palace without him, and Evelina would know.
But it would be too late by then. He would already be bound to the Shadow Realm.
He turned around, facing Zephyr. She was still resting her head on the ground, looking up at him with her large golden eyes.
“Up for one last ride, Z?” he said softly.
Zephyr whined, a small and broken cry. She lifted her head and her gaze shifted to the sky. She whined again and heavily laid her head back on the ground.
He walked over to her, his heart squeezing with every step. “Come on, don’t be like that.”
She lifted her head, nudging his hand with her nose. He felt a rush of emotions through their bond: sadness, fear, and…pride.
“You’re proud of me?” he whispered.
She nudged his hand again and this time stretched her wings out, rising to her feet.
He reached for the rope attached to her saddle, pausing when he gripped it. With a final look, he glanced back out at the sea. Then at the cave that had given him and Evelina so much respite from the world, the final place he’d seen her. Lastly, he looked toward the palace, unable to see it through the tall trees of the forest.
He took a deep breath and swung onto Zephyr’s back.
For the final time, he said, “Wings up, Z.”
The air was cool as they flew over the sea. He didn’t know how he would say goodbye to Zephyr, but he knew she couldn’t come with him. Not where he was going.
A pinch of guilt tugged at his stomach for not saying goodbye to the people he was leaving behind. Brielle, Aster, Willow. Brielle would lead them well, and would likely find talented beta fleet members to replace the lost members of their fleet. They would recover without him.
He wondered what they would think of him; if they would think he had abandoned his post or perhaps died fighting. If they would curse his name, thinking he was a coward, or drink ale beside a fire, reminiscing, sharing stories of their time together.
Neither of those options made him feel better.
But this was a path he had to take alone.
Zephyr soared through the sky, alternating between flying high above the clouds and dropping low, skimming the waves of the Andronicus. He knew she was stalling, extending the ride by flying side to side rather than straight there. But he let her, wishing more than anything the ride could last longer too.
Zephyr lowered to the ground as they arrived at the camp. He stayed atop her, looking at his old cabin, now empty and quiet.
Then he looked to the healer’s cabin, seeing the ghost ofEvelina through the closed shutter. How many times had he walked through the center of this camp, just to catch a glimpse of her?
He remembered when he was injured, lying on the hard cot, the scent of lilies wrapping around him. Of the way she slowly opened herself back up to him, forgiving him when he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
The pain he felt in that moment was almost more than he could bear. But he would. He would bear it all for her. For Brielle, Willow, and Aster. For those who could no longer fight, the members of his fleet he would never meet again in Caelum. For the empire he would likely never step foot in again—an empire he was never worthy of inhabiting to begin with.
For all his years of fighting his fate, it amounted to this loneliness. As much as he tried to deny it, he was his father’s child.
Daimon slipped off Zephyr, his chest tight as his feet landed on the dirt. He walked around to face her, dragging his palm along her scales.
“I need you to watch over Evelina for me,” he whispered. “Even if you keep your distance, just check in on her. Okay?”
Zephyr whined.
“Please.” His voice broke. “You know why I have to do this. I need to protect them, just like you needed to protect me.”
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. Her scales were still cold from the flight. She closed her eyes, a deep rumble coming from her chest.
“May we meet again.”
