“Tits, it worked,” she said with a disbelieving laugh.
Esmyra lifted her hand to her face, and talons leisurely slid out from the tips of her fingers. That feisty, wicked grin of hers tilted her lips, and it was one of the most glorious sights Draevyn had ever seen.
He sent up a silent prayer to Irah, thanking the god for the first time in his life.
But then a sudden exhaustion slammed into him, and once again the room blurred and swayed. Draevyn’s legs gave out, and he dropped back down to his knees before her. The world tilted, his chest still heaving with the aftermath of everything he’d endured.
“Drae!” Esmyra’s voice echoed from above him, but she sounded so distant.
His forehead found her lap without thought, the warmth of her seeping into him. Her fingers slid into his hair, weaving through the sweat-slick strands as if he would disappear if she let him go. He tilted his head just enough to lock eyes with her.
Esmyra looked just as exhausted as he felt, but she gazed at himwith such raw love he was unable to look away. Neither of them spoke a word, but he knew none were needed.
The edges of his vision darkened, the pounding in his skull drowning out everything else. He wanted to keep looking at her, to cling to the proof that she was finally safe.
But the pull was too strong.
Draevyn’s eyes fluttered a few times before he sagged forward, consciousness slipping away as the world went silent and dark.
CHAPTER 53
Esmyra
The room was quiet except for Draevyn’s soft, even breaths as he lay asleep on the bed. Jenli had provided them her largest guest room, tucked away in a quiet corner of her enchanted tree.
Kaelypso’s powers now thrummed through Esmyra as if they never left, and her flickering merlights hovered all around her, casting teal shadows against the rough-hewn walls.
After she cleaned Draevyn and his wounds, they carefully brought him to their new room. Jak and Jenli decided to join the rest of the crew downstairs, begging Esmyra to go with them, but she refused to leave Draevyn’s side.
Their chatter and footsteps from down below were muted by the thick wooden floors, but knowing they were all able to relax and enjoy one another’s company for the first time in weeks brought a genuine smile to her face. Even with knowing she would need to finally explain everything to them all in the morning.
Esmyra sat perched on the open windowsill, her legs crossed beneath her, staring out at the moon’s pale glow filtering through the branches. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Draevyn had done. How he willingly swallowed her pain, accepting it as his own. That selfless act burned in her mind, but that wasn’t all.
It was theweightshe felt, and the tension raging through his heart that threatened to tear her apart.
Esmyra now knew the grief and blame Draevyn held, likely stemming from everything he’d endured because of her.
And because ofSyrena.Her sister had twisted their lives into knots with her endless lies and manipulation. She had turned Esmyra against the only man who had ever truly loved her, knowing very well he felt the same way.
And all because of an ancient jealousy stemming from Naerysa.
How many times had Draevyn held himself responsible for what Esmyra had done? How many silent nights had he wrestled with the agony of watching the woman he loved destroy his kingdom?
She had carved these invisible scars into him with every cruel twist of fate dealt to them by the betrayal of gods.
Esmyra was the root of all the heartache he felt. She loathed that her torment had spilled over and drenched him in sorrow and guilt. And yet, despite it all, Draevyn never turned away from her. He stayed, bled, and loved her fearlessly, carrying her brokenness as if it were his own.
That love was a fierce, painful thing. How could she accept such sacrifice when she felt so unworthy? When all she wanted was to protect him, but until now had only brought pain?
“Draevyn may hold a piece of Irah’s soul, but he is twice the man the God of Rage and War ever was,” Kaelypso tried to comfort her.
She never thought it possible, but Esmyra was more than thankful to have her goddess back. When Kaelypso was locked away, it felt like a piece of her was missing. As frustrating as it was sometimes now to share their body, there was a strange sense of comfort the Goddess of the Depths brought her.
“And I say this to you, Esmyra, as someone who has witnessed love at the hands of both men,” Kaelypso continued. “There will be a hole in my chest where Irah tore out my heart for eternity, but Draevyn would sooner carve out his own before even considering touching yours.”
In that moment beneath the moonlight, Esmyra vowed to herselfshe would find a way to shield Draevyn from the darkness that still threatened to consume them both.
“I missed you, Kae,” Esmyra whispered aloud.
