The memory of sitting beside a fire with Keir just before the battle surfaced in Evelina’s mind. Of Keir mentioning how she soundedjust like Senna.She didn’t think anything of it then—theyhadserved together as soldiers for years, after all.
But neither one of them bore the mark of the soulbonded.
“Keir was an incredible man,” Evelina whispered. Her heart ached and she watched a tear roll down Senna’s cheek. The image of Keir’s lifeless body flashed through her mind.
“I didn’t tell him I loved him the last time we saw each other.” His voice cracked. “The last thing I said was something unimportant and useless.”
Tears welled in Evelina’s eyes. “Senna?—”
“We never know how limited our time is, nor do we know what fate has in store.” His gaze met hers, undeniable heartbreak shining in his eyes. “If you find someone you love, spend every day as if it were your last.”
Fifty-Seven
Daimon
A sheetof rain fell like a curtain outside, the whir of rainfall covering the sound of crashing waves from the beach nearby. Daimon was hollow inside, breaking piece by piece as he grieved in silence. His anger slowly melted away in the dampness of the cave, leaving nothing but remorse and grief in its wake. Now that he wasn’t giving reports or being the commander, there was nothing to stop the memories of his friends dying in front of him.
He saw Keir and Codax as they plummeted to their deaths. Ranick and Elias as they were killed by Moros. So many of the soldiers who had followed him into battle and ended up never leaving that dark-infested valley. Soldiers who would never come home to their families.
Tears streamed down his face. He swatted them away, his breathing uneven.
The empire had lost so much…
Every bone in Daimon’s body screamed for him to find Evelina.
Zephyr huffed, her eyes following him back and forth as he paced.
“Zeph—”
His mouth froze as a rain-soaked Evelina appeared across from him. She was shivering, her arms crossed over her chest, hugging herself tightly. His eyes fell to her white satin gown, which was molded to every curve of her body, translucent from the water. His mind immediately went to their night beneath the waterfall together, when their friends were still alive. When they had hope of winning the war without losing those closest to them.
“I can’t stay long,” she whispered, her teeth chattering. “But I—” Her voice broke.
Zephyr nuzzled her side, and Evelina wrapped her arms around the wyvern. Daimon’s heart squeezed at seeing his two favorite girls so closely connected. The wyvern finally pulled away and moved past Evelina to the mouth of the cave. Despite the heaviness weighing down on Daimon’s chest, he smiled as his beast sat outside in the rain.
Her tail swished behind her as her body blocked the opening. She chomped at the air, jumping and catching droplets in her mouth. She loved the rain—always had. But he knew it was more than that. He knew she was keeping watch while he and Evelina talked.
A sob tore free from Evelina. Daimon ran to her. He pulled her against his chest and held her close. She was freezing, her skin as cold as ice. He wrapped one hand around her waist, the other cradling her head.
For a moment, he just held her. No words could ease the pain of what they had both lost that day—but he could hold her.
“Ren is gone,” she said, breaking the silence. “Lyria said Mother just passed last night.”
Daimon pulled her closer against his chest, as if he could shield her from her heartbreak.
Evelina had lost her father when she was younger, but she hadn’t been through war before—hasn’t seen firsthand whatbrutal death looked like. Daimon may have been hurting, but he wouldn’t break, not when he needed to be there for her.
“I’m sorry, Eve,” he whispered, his heart thundering in his chest. “Tell me what I can do. Tell me what you need.”
He wanted to grab her hand and let Zephyr fly them to a remote island. To find an untamed place for them to make their own. No war, no Furies or death or heartbreak.
She leaned back, her hands sliding up his chest. “I needyou,” she whispered. “I need to feel something other than this pain.” She eased the collar of his shirt apart, slowly opening its buttons one by one until she reached the bottom. Her eyes fell to where her hands rested on his lower abdomen.
He needed her so badly it hurt. She was the only remedy for his heartache.
His muscles clenched beneath her touch. He trailed his hand from her hair to her jawline, stopping with a finger beneath her chin. He lifted her face to his, kissing her as if it were the last kiss they would ever share.
She pushed his shirt off and pulled away from him abruptly. Her eyes were fixed to his hip. He opened his mouth to ask if she was okay when she suddenly reached forward. She traced the ink etched onto his skin, running a single finger over the sword.
