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I resist the urge to defend myself and simply say, “I have found her, but I have no intention of claiming her.”
His smirk fades into concern, which is almost worse. “I see. Can I ask why not?”
“I will not be bonded to another again.”
“What will you do once you’ve protected her? Will you return to retake the oath with me?”
I hesitate, unused to admitting these words aloud. “I hope to find a way to end the need for it altogether.”
“Of course.” There is understanding in his expression, as I knew there would be, but there is also pity.
Uncomfortable, I change the subject.
“Does the magic we carry from Tartarus… can it infect another through touch?”
“The portal itself leaked magic when it first happened. But I’m not aware any of our kind has done what you’re suggesting. Why do you ask?”
“My—the female is a dark fae with a talent for poisons. After meeting me, her magic has changed, and now her touch alone is lethal.”
“And you think you’re responsible?”
“She does,” I admit. “I wondered if the magic of Tartarus could affect a curse of that magnitude.”
“It’s possible,” he says, brows furrowing in thought. “I thought I stopped the magic from leaking when I returned here through the portal. But it’s possible you carry some of that magic on you. Is she at risk then?”
“I don’t know. Not from the poison, I don’t think. But there are others who are offended by what she’s done with it. She needs protection,” I add. “I can do that much.”
He nods in understanding. “But you can’t take a life I haven’t sanctioned.”
“Yes.”
“What if I sanction it?”
I frown. “Would you?”
He shrugs. “If it keeps you safe from another bond, if you wish it, then yes.”
I hesitate. It’s tempting. Not because I don’t think I can take care of myself but because maintaining the blood oath with Caius means I can’t be tempted to mate with her. Then I remember the hellfire I rained down over the Earth realm earlier. The madness that only grows stronger as the two bonds fight for dominance.
In the end, I shake my head. “I think it’s best if we end our connection. The mate bond … it is dangerous feeling both at once.”
He nods. “You’ve been loyal to me, Legion, and in return, I will show you the same respect.”
He reaches over and picks up a knife from the table setting then slices his palm open until blood pools in his hand. He walks over and holds the knife out to me.
I take it and make a similar incision in my own palm.
When my own blood has pooled, I take his hand in a firm shake, sealing our blood as one just like we did five millennia ago. The air fills with the scent of brimstone and smoke.
“I hereby release you, Legion Razginath, from the blood oath between us. Your will is now your own.”
He releases me, and I watch as the blood coating our hands evaporates, becoming thick, black hellsmoke. I exhale, knowing the demon bloodline that created me acknowledges his decree. My thoughts drift to my mother, but I shove her away. She is no longer a threat to me. And I have finally earned my freedom at last.
My muscles tense then relax as I feel the tether between Caius and me finally snap free.
In the absence of a blood bond with another, a new sense of power courses through my veins. In this moment, Caius is not the only god here. A demon might have birthed me, but a god sired me, and for the first time in five thousand years, I feel the essence of both legacies in my blood.
Inside, my dragon stirs, straining for the freedom of the skies, but I hold it fast in my grip, reveling in the feel of the only will inside me being my own—at last.
