Just what I expected.
My teeth ground together as he added, “But, in the spirit of also acknowledging that you didtechnicallycomplete the task given to you, mortal, I will offer you a new trial.”
Swallowing the growl rising in my chest, I stared the undine god down. I didn’t like this one bit. Whatever he was going to offer had to have an even heftier price tag attached than what was asked in the first trial, especially if he was giving up the opportunity to take my magic and dragon.
“No,” I quickly disagreed, stepping forward and letting go of Sia’s hand. “Take my dragon and let us be done with this.”
“Theo!” she yelled, her voice hoarse from crying. She stepped back to my side, clasping my hand between both of hers. I turnedto gaze down at her as she implored with wide eyes, “At least hear him out, please.”
Her fingers squeezed my hand tightly, and my heart thudded wildly within my chest. Everything in me screamed not to give this god another minute of my time, but I couldn’t deny her. Not when she made it clear that my choice to give my dragon up for her would haunt her.
“Fine,” I relented, looking back at the elemental whose eyes were bouncing back and forth between us, a gleeful smile tugging at his lips that more than proved that he couldn’t get enough of our discourse. “Spit it out, but we’re not agreeing to it before hearing it.”
He hummed as his lips split into a full-fledged grin. “It’s simple this time.”
We stood our ground as he approached, walking around us in a slow circle before coming to a stop at our front once more. I only barely resisted the urge to lash out at him.
“Initiate the mate bond,” he demanded, earning a gasp from Sia.
My eyes instantly narrowed, and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to go fuck himself, but he kept speaking, stilling my tongue for the time being.
“If you are mates, I will ensure the curse is broken,” he offered, splaying his hands out before his smile fell. “And if you aren’t, well, that won’t be my problem to deal with.”
The callousness of his words had my body tensing up to the point of shaking, but Sia snapped me out of it as she stepped forward and tilted her chin up, staring up at the elemental with seemingly no fear.
I’d never stop being in awe of the way she never cowered or wilted in the face of danger.
“We accept.”
My mouth popped open as the elemental looked us over. “My, my, little mortal, how the plot thickens.”
“Sia!” I whisper-yelled, yanking her back to me harsher than I’d intended. “We need to decide this together!”
Before we could talk, the elemental intervened, taking back over the conversation. “She’s already agreed, King. I will keep the seer with me, where he will be safe, for the time being.”
Sia’s eyes blazed with determination as her head whipped toward him, her braid flying out behind her as she did. “I want him returned to us, now.”
“Oh, mortal,” the elemental practically purred at her as he brought his hands up to his center, “I don’t think you want him to see what is about to happen.”
This time I knew what to expect as he clapped. After descending into the portal, I was held in an ice-covered copy of my own castle for what felt like hours before he’d transported us to the arena with the same gesture of his hands.
Reality shimmered around us, blurring as if we were walking through a wall of water. I gripped Sia’s hand tightly, not trusting that we wouldn’t get separated again. Moments later, though, we found ourselves within a stone chamber that glowed with the light of the countless candles peppered throughout.
I quickly glanced around, searching for an escape, but there was none, only a large bed covered in rose petals, a steaming bathing area, and a small hutch with drinks and flowers next to us that occupied the space. The flickering light of the candles being the only source of light casted dancing shadows on the walls. Wherever he’d transported us, there were no doors to come and go, only four seamless walls and a roof over our heads.
A heavy sigh crossed my lips, my head falling forward and hanging heavily. We were trapped here, and at the whim and mercy of a god that wanted nothing more than to see us fail. And now, part of my soul wasn’t the most important thing on the line.
Small hands trembled as they grabbed at my own, the warmth of her skin instantly soothing my rattled nerves. Instinctively I turned my hands over, holding her in return.
“We always knew we would end up here one day,” she whispered, her soft voice drawing my head back up to look at her. “It was a miracle that your dragon hadn’t attempted to force the bond again, as is, but we both knew that it was coming for us sooner rather than later.”
I slammed my eyes shut as I bit down on my bottom lip. I hated that she was right. I hated that there was nothing I could think of to get us out of this situation now. Even if we had to go through with this,thiswasn’t how I pictured it being—forced and under the voyeuristic watch of a god.
She deserved better than this moment.
“Look at me, Theo,” she demanded softly, her voice gaining confidence as her hands stopped shaking in my own. “You know I’m right.”
It didn’t matter if she was right. We shouldn’t have been here.
