“Eva, no.” His gaze was resolute. “Why do you feel the need to sacrifice yourself in this way? After everything we have been through, why would you rather die than live?” His eyes darkened. “Even if I let you go through with this idiotic plan, do you really think I would not follow you?” A step forward. “Do you think I could live with myself? That I would want to?” Another step. “I have nothing if I do not have you, and I will follow you into oblivion if that is what it takes to remain by your side.”
Matthew had drawn so close that I could feel his breath on my neck. A chill went down my spine as he gripped my neck, tilting my face up so that I was staring into the black depths of his eyes. “I will not let you go, Eva. I refuse. So we go together, or we do not go at all.” And then he leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that consumed me. It was cruel and terrifying, and everything I ever wanted and never wanted to lose. A reminder of the love we shared and what we could have had.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and nipped at his lips, letting myself have this selfish moment if it would be one of my last. Matthew broke away, panting, as he laid his forehead on mine. There was so much I wanted to say to him, to tell him, but I couldn’t, knowing I might not be walking away from these cobblestone streets today.
But with all the strength I could muster, I took a deep breath. “I am so very thankful for you, Matthew. I am thankful you came to that stupid ball in Helia and danced with me. I am thankful that you stayed by my side, loved me even when our situations tore us apart, and never stopped fighting for me. And I am thankful you are my mate, husband, and king.” My hands shook as I caressed his face. He leaned into my touch, his tears falling softly. “You have been this life’s greatest blessing, and I will find you in the next one.”
“My beautiful darling Eva,” he said, his voice breaking. “I have loved you since I laid eyes upon you, and I don’t think there is a godsdamn thing anyone could have done to keep me from you. I would have fought and killed and bled to stand by your side. And I will do so now with honor.” His hands clasped mine in front of his chest. “Because I will not leave you, Evalyne Chevalier. I will not leave you to die at the hands of our enemies, or leave my friends alone on the battlefield. So, if you ask me to leave, I must decline.”
“What if it’s an order from your queen?” I asked, my voice hoarse. The sound of my name on his tongue was my undoing, a reminder that we were tied together in every way possible.
“Then consider me a traitor because I will not abide.” He kissed each of my hands, and I savored the feeling of his warmth next to me.
The sphere cracked further, my mind warring with my heart. There were several wide streets that led to the open market space. Members of The Horde approached us from all sides, our soldiers adjusting their position to face them. The location for our final battle was shit. Most of them would be forced into tight spaces down narrow streets for we were already lacking space. My father was already creating a ward around ourselves and Lachlan, ensuring he could not send devastating blasts to our forces while we battled alongside them.
My gaze traveled back to Matthew. I did not want to let him stay, but could I blatantly refuse to respect his choice? His father had caused him just as much pain as he had caused my father.
I did not think I could, so I let him stay.
So as the palace gates closed, and the sphere exploded, I hoped he would forgive me for what I had to do.
Chapter46
Matthew
Shards of onyx glass burst from the shield Lachlan had created, sending them spiraling toward all of us. I watched it happen in horrifyingly slow motion, each individual piece barreling toward someone I cared about. Their jagged edges looked sharp enough to cut through flesh, drawing blood at the slightest touch.
“Move!” I shouted, lurching toward Eva and slamming a shield around us just in time. The sharp pieces collided with the magic surrounding us, disintegrating instantly.Watching the dusty remnants blow away in the wind as if they were never there was almost mesmerizing.
My father emerged from the remaining fragments, straightening his back until he stood at his full height in front of us. Where Eva’s power had melted his flesh, thick black skin had grown. It reminded me of the beasts he had created. While his armor was gone, replaced with a simple dark tunic and breeches, I had a feeling he was now more powerful than before.
There were bits and pieces of him that I could recognize as the imposter he portrayed, mainly the remaining pale bits of flesh that remained intact. It was slightly ironic that the man who had acted like a monster would now die as one.
His lip curled, the muscles in his jaw visible through a large gash extending all the way to just under his ear. Whatever had covered the rest of his body had not spread to his face. Black blood slowly leaked from his wounds, an oily sheen coating what was left of him. He was utterly unfazed by his wounds, but seeing his muscles flex in frustration was different when you could find every twitch.
“I see you have finally come out to play,” he sneered at Eva’s father, his eyes alight with burning rage. “But it is always like you to let your family pay the price in your stead. After all, your mate died at the hands of one of my sons. He butchered her with little thought. She died protecting her people while you were nowhere to be found. And let us not forget your daughter. Sweet Erina bled beautifully, did she not?”
I gripped Eva’s waist, feeling her nails dig into my wrists. My father was simply trying to provoke them, forcing a reaction he expected, so that he could act accordingly. But I was not quick enough to stop the man beside me.
Alric shouted something I could not make out, sending a crackling lightning bolt from his hands toward Lachlan’s chest. Instead of striking him, it rippled along his hands, and he manipulated it until the power bent to his will. He looked up with a grin as he spun the ball of energy within his fingers, shooting it back toward us with a flick of his wrist.
My shield held, though I felt it shudder as the magic collided with the translucent barrier before ricocheting off and slamming into the palace wall. Whatever he had done gave him the ability to manipulate the power of others, molding it into something new.
I had never heard of someone harnessing raw power like that, let alone using it, and I used to spend my free time scouring historical documents in search of anything to put a stop to my father’s treachery. This was something awful he had put his body through, creating a genuinely new being.
“Is this not fascinating?” he asked, admiring his hand as his fingers flexed. “To know that I could rebuild myself into something…more? I am built for battle now. Your fight is fruitless, but if you wish, I could indulge you.” His gaze slipped to Eva, perusing her body in a way that had me shifting her body behind mine. “Would you not like to know what it feels like to betrulyimmortal? To know that you would sit on a throne unlike any other with unrivaled power? Because I can give that to you.”
“Do not talk to her like that,” Alric spat. His face was becoming red and splotchy, his rage displayed proudly. The sky darkened further, the clouds growing black. Thunder and lightning crackled through the silence, charging the air with tension.
Lachlan barked a bitter laugh, finding only amusement in Alric’s declaration. “Easy,” I murmured under my breath to him. “You are only proving his point. He will use your anger against you.”
He nodded in my direction. “It is a pity that Trystan is not standing before me as you are, boy. Though I find it even more irritating that he is still standing.”
“He is yourson,” Eva snarled. Her temper flared, muscles shifting underneath my hold. “How can you talk so cruelly about your own flesh and blood?”
“He is a traitor and a disappointment,” Lachlan shot back. “I tried to raise him right, but he was a sniveling coward. The only time he was useful was when he was under my influence. But Matthias,” he said, clicking his tongue and looking at me. “You could have been great. You could have held the world, but you threw it away instead. And for what?”
“For something better. Because you were a cruel man who delighted in the torture of others. There was nothing but horrors in our home every day, and I could not stand by idly while you ripped away everything I held dear,” I said, voice rising. “I questioned your actions for decades, and yet you never cared, growing more malicious as the years passed. And then our mother…” My voice cracked, trailing off at the end. Eva slipped her hand into mine, our fingers intertwining. “You killed her.”
