And he had to stand strong beside her, as if it didn’t shatter him to look every time she lifted her shirt.
Through it all, Esmyra had remained so calm. Socomposed. It didn’t make any sense, but it was why Draevyn had forced himself to appear as calm as possible. She was acting like she wasn’t being consumed from the inside out by a power no mortal or god could survive.
And here she was, some hybrid mix of them both.
And Draevyn was supposed to stand there and do nothing? He had never felt so fuckinguseless.
His mind flashed to several nights before, when she had finally become his again. Where she had finally seen his actions for what they were and admitted to loving him anyway. And then her scream—that agonizing, pain-riddled scream—that erupted from her the momenthe claimed her mouth with his and lifted her shirt to reveal the cursed veins.
His heart stuttered, feeling like he was losing her all over again.
Draevyn blamed himself. He’d promised to protect her, swearing it on every wretched fucking god who had hurt her before.
It was then he realized they could be wrong.
Perhaps they were never meant to survive each other and were instead fated to be undone by a love so consuming, somerciless, it devoured their very souls and left their hearts in ruins.
And now, with every passing day, the veins spread farther across her back.
Draevyn knew Jak was as desperate to save her as he was, but he didn’t trust the cousin. He didn’t trustanythingthat promised salvation when it had never come before.
But Esmyra had hope, and Draevyn would chase it with her. Even if it killed him.
He just knew he wouldn’t survive watching it killher.
The words drifting through the room finally pierced the fog of his thoughts, and Draevyn blinked, pulling himself out of the spiral he found himself in every waking and sleeping moment of his days.
“How long has it been inside of her?” Jenli asked, her tone resembling fear.
“At least two weeks,” Jak said quietly.
Jenli’s gaze snapped to Esmyra, eyes wide. “Two weeks? That’s impossible. She should be?—”
“Dead?” Esmyra offered flatly, a tired smile tugging at her lips. “Aye, we know.”
Jenli turned a full circle, hands on her hips. “How in all the hells have you survived this long?”
“You haven’t been listening to her,” Draevyn said through his teeth.
“Drae, it’s okay. This is a lot to take in,” Esmyra admitted before turning to Jenli. “I don’t even know where to begin with this, but the reason I’m still here is because I’m a god.”
Jenli blinked, her expression twisting with shock and a hint of dread. “Well,” she said finally, “that would explain a lot.”
Esmyra let out a breath, her face looking relieved.
Until Jenli said, “If I believed you.”
Esmyra’s eyes went sharp then, and a growl erupted through Draevyn’s chest.
“Everybody, calm down!” Jak said, lifting his hands between them all as if to separate them. “Jenli, we know how this sounds, but you need to hear us out. She’s telling the truth.”
“Oh? Then which god is she, huh? From what I can remember, they’re all accounted for.” She crossed her arms.
“Kaelypso,” Esmyra, Draevyn, and Jak said together.
Jenli’s jaw fell open. “I stand corrected. They’re all accounted for…Except for Kaelypso and Naerysa. Because they’re?—”
“Dead.” Esmyra’s eyes softened, seeming to plead with Jenli. “I know it’s impossible to believe, but Kaelypso was reborn. Throughme. I’m Esmyra Aeress, an heir to Maerinys before its collapse.”
