“I don’t understand any of this,” I admit. “The Divine Six. Elyistria. My father—my fucking father—being the one whokilled Dasmyrin. I feel like everything I knew has been shattered. But I still know you. That hasn’t changed.”
Her eyes search mine. “Korithax… you said something. When Maelkar finished the ritual, before everything went dark. I heard you say that I… that I was your mate.”
I nod, my throat tight. What if she rejected us being mates? Did she know she could do that? So much for her has changed, and maybe her being my mate is too much for her.
“Yes. You are,” I murmur.
She blinks rapidly. “Mates are real?”
“Yes,” I take her hands gently. “It’s not common. It’s ancient magic, older than I understand. When two souls are created to complete each other, they tether. Sometimes violently, sometimes gently. But when they find each other… It's like breathing for the first time.”
“Are you mated to me, or Dasmyrin?” She asks, fear dancing in her eyes.
I don’t hesitate. “To you, Daisy. I would burn the world for you. Not for who you once were. But for who you are. I knew from the moment your father offered me your soul. I felt the tug, the pull. And when it secured into place when you became immortal, the strength of it dropped me to my knees. You are my beginning and my end, Daisy.”
I cup her face, using my thumb to brush away her tears. “Do you accept the bond?” I whisper, my voice shaking with fear. So many things have been taken from her or given to her without choice. She deserves to know she has a choice in this. “You can reject it if you don’t want it.” My heart hammers; the thought of her rejecting our bond makes a pain in my chest pulsate.
She shakes her head, and my heart plummets. I knew she wouldn’t want me as her mate. I knew I wasn’t good enough to be hers in marriage and soul. I lower my head, nodding just once.
“Of course I want it, Korithax. You are the only thing I’m sure of right now. You are the only thing that makes sense.”
I lift my eyes to hers, her ocean blues staring into my soul. The soul that belongs entirely to her. I exhale a long breath and slam my mouth to hers, the force of it nearly knocking her backwards. I wrap an arm around her back to steady her and pull her in tight.
“Thank the fucking gods.” I murmur between kisses.
Aran clears his throat from the pathway, and I break the kiss to turn and look at him.
“I need to speak to someone,” he says carefully. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Place extra guards on duty. I want all of my best soldiers surrounding the kingdom grounds. If the Divine Six show up, I want to hear about it instantly.” I respond.
He nods once and turns to leave without another word.
Silence settlesbetween the three of us, and I watch as Daisy turns to look out over Hell from the edge of the garden. She looks so broken, and I feel utterly helpless. I don’t know how to fix this. I’ve pieced her back together after being raped, after trying to take her own life. But this? I don’t even know where to begin.
“You need to rest, Daisy,” Elyistria says, breaking the silence. “Come, I’ll walk with you back to your chambers.”
We move together through the castle, quiet and exhausted. A servant escorts Elyistria to her own guarded quarters, and she offers a small smile as a goodbye to us both. This must be hard on her, too. Her sister, risen again after fifty thousand years, yet entirely different. But she wasn’t my concern, my little flower was.
Daisy walks beside me, her arm looped through mine, but her steps are still hesitant, her body still tense. When we reach our room, Aran is standing outside the door.
I raise a brow. “Aran, what is it? I swear if there’s another?—”
He raises both hands. “Sire, I understand you probably want some alone time right now. But I think it’s important that Daisy be around familiarity. When everything else feels foreign, she needs a constant.”
My eyes narrow. “What have you done?”
He smiles sheepishly and pushes open the door.
“Talia. Ezra?” Daisy gasps.
Her voice breaks on their names, and they run to her, dragging her into a tight three-way hug. She sobs, clutching them like her lifeline as they all fall to the floor in a heap of tangled limbs. I glare at Aran, wondering what the fuck he’s thinking, bringing two mortals to Hell after the uproar bringing Daisy here caused.
Talia pulls back first, holding her at arm’s length. “Immortal? Daisy, what the fuck?!”
Ezra laughs through a tearful grin. “So that means you don’t get wrinkles for like hundreds of years? You bitch.”
Talia rises and whirls to me, marching into my space and jabbing a finger at my chest. “I don’t know why she looks so traumatised. But if you’ve hurt her, I’ll find a way to kill you, demon boy.”
