I slid my fingers over the crook of his arm. Caelan’s eyes shut for a moment, and when he opened them, his stare rocked me back on my heels. My mouth tasted of copper and fear.
“Tell them to keep their distance,” he growled.
“They heard you.”
At his nod, we were off, my bond with Rowan tugging painfully the farther we walked. If the roles were reversed,Caelan would have burned the world down because he wouldn’t have trusted me or Rowan. And that was ultimately the reason why I married Rowan. He trusted me in matters like this, even when we were all in danger.
“Are you alright?” His skin against my fingers was so hot it had to be uncomfortable for him.
“As long as I hold the power, my people will live.”
I glanced at him. “I don’t understand.”
We walked for a little while longer, turning a corner in the path, obscuring us from Rowan and the others. Caelan spoke once more.
“Every Lord has a power they rarely reveal. Mine calls on the entire Pack. I take their strength, but I also take their wounds. For now, they are in stasis, not healed, but not dying either. This power makes me almost invulnerable, but when I release it, I will become almost human in strength and magic for several hours until my own power replenishes. As a downside to becoming almost godlike, If too many of my people succumb to their wounds, I will die as well.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Caelan. Why?”
He looked away. “Because I did not think you would come.” A harsh breath escaped him. “I did not think anyone would come.”
Even after I promised him I would always be there when he asked, Caelan still wondered whether I would leave him high and dry.
I couldn’t help myself. Tugging him closer, I brought him in for a hug. His arms slid around my waist and crushed me to his chest. Caelan buried his face in my neck and inhaled a shaky breath. I said nothing when I felt hot tears fall against my skin, but I held on to him.
I knew what it felt like to be abandoned, the hopelessness that came with knowing no one was going to come and save you. I’d felt it on that cool night lying broken in the field of heatherthousands of miles away from home and many times before then, and I felt it when Caelan abandoned me due to his own prejudices.
How could I do the same to him? I would never be the kind of person who would confront him with his own cruelty when he was breaking down in front of me. I rubbed my hand down his back and through his hair, murmuring soft, nonsensical words.
He shuddered and brought me to the ground, still holding onto me tightly. There was nothing sexual in this, only a raw and heavy grief and a need to share it with someone. I sent a small spiral of power into the ground and brought up a cage of vines and flowers to give us some privacy, ensuring I gave the cage a little extra padding to muffle the noise.
Dad’s magical training helped, but some things did not come as naturally to me as they did with him. He suspected part of that had to do with my Chimera heritage. I was a lot stronger with illusion and earth power than with his form of wild magic.
But what I made would do for now.
I kept the top open to the sky above, the golden lightning a show unlike anything I’d ever seen before. The scent of blooms rose through the air.
“I am sorry,” he gritted out, his face still buried in my shoulder.
“You’ve already apologized and made amends.”
“I’m sorry for being a stubborn ass.”
“Ah. Yes. You haven’t apologized for that, but I suspect I don’t need to tell you the cost.” It was written in his skin, in the blood and cuts and broken bones I couldn’t see.
He sighed against my skin. “I’ve been such a fool.”
“You’re still alive, Caelan. You have a second chance to get things right.”
He pulled away then but didn’t let go of me. Our faces were so close, our noses almost touched. There was an intimacy between us, but no longer a spark. Those belonged to Rowan.
“Thank you for coming.”
I touched his face. “I’m sad you didn’t believe me.”
He looked away, shame flickering over his features. “I’m not sure I would have done the same for you.”
“I know,” I whispered.
