Page 114

“I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a case like yours before. When we return to the castle, I can ask Dulsa about it.”

I was seized by a sudden burst of strength as I urgently pressed my fingers into his chest. He paused, halting his steps in the sand to glance down at me, brows drawn in concern.

“Please… don’t tell,” I whispered. “No one can know. I’m… not ready.”

I couldn’t imagine any of the Wolven Mages on the Isle would be happy to know I was one of them. They already hated me for being a witch. They would likely accuse me of casting some spell to impersonate them.

I couldn’t handle it right now. Perhaps Sasha was right—I was overwhelmed enough.

“I will not reveal your identity to Dulsa,” Alaric promised. “But I have to seek her help. Cerise, you could—you could be dying.” His voice broke on the word. “We have no idea of the dangers involved here.”

“Rupture,” I breathed.

He stiffened slightly before continuing walking. I distantly registered Onyx’s black figure just ahead. He was sitting comfortably in the sand, legs tucked under his body. At our approach, he nickered softly and climbed to his feet.

“Yes,” Alaric said tightly. “A rupture is possible. Just—just try to get along with your wolf. I know this is a lot to ask, but the more peaceful things are between you two, the less of a risk it will be.”

“Hiding something,” I murmured, closing my eyes as I pressed my face into his chest. His skin was so warm, his scent so comforting. “Sasha is… keeping secrets.”

I could hear the frown in his voice when he asked, “What kind of secrets?”

“Don’t know.” My words became more slurred as drowsiness sank into my bones. “Everyone… keeps secrets… from me.”

I could have sworn his breath hitched at that, but then darkness overtook me, and I succumbed to sleep.

Thirty-Five

THE WOLF

Irode back to the castle, my arms on either side of Cerise’s unconscious form as I kept her securely against my chest. My chaotic thoughts were torn between joy and concern, relief and regret, excitement and dread.

She was a Wolven Mage. She was one of my kind.

But thanks to Elvira’s manipulation, her wolf had been suppressed her entire life. What if she ruptured?

And yet, she was a Wolven Mage. Surely, my people would accept her now. There was no denying that she belonged here.

I still hadn’t told her about our Soulbound connection… It all made so much sense now that I knew about her wolf. But how was I supposed to explain this to her? She was already so devastated by the many truths that had been concealed from her.

She was broken by all those who had kept her in the dark—and I was one of them.

Gods, it killed me. It felt like someone wrenched a blade through my chest.

I was hurting her. With each passing moment that I kept this monumental secret from her, I was causing her pain.

“You are being too hard on yourself,” said Tavik. “You didn’t even know for sure if it was true until recently.”

“Cerise won’t see it that way.”

Tavik did not respond. I knew he agreed.

It didn’t matter if the Soulbound connection was real or not. The point was, Cerise and I had reached a level of trust where I should have conveyed that to her—whether or not it was true.

She would feel as if, once again, someone else was deciding her life for her.

Elvira hadn’t given her a choice. Sasha hadn’t given her a choice.

And now, I was doing the same thing.