“My witch, if you must call her so, is the Silversbane heir. She loves this man, and he loves her. I could not in good conscience allow that bond to be broken in such a way. Both of them deserve better.”
“You are Death and Shadow, Lord of these lands and ferrier of souls between realms. Conscience does not concern you. Nor do the specifics of prophecies, Silversbane or otherwise, nor the emotional frailties of a witch who, for all the power inherent in her blood, is still scarcely more than a child.”
At this, I got to my feet. The Old One had the power and right to scold me, to banish me, to torture me, as was their way in the face of abject disobedience. But I wouldnotlet them speak of Gray so dismissively. Not while I still had strength left in my vessel to defend her.
“The woman you call a child,” I said, struggling to keep my tone respectful, “is destined to prevent the slaughter of thousands.Millions. Humans, vampires, shifters, fae, witches, countless others—your children. All of us would be wise to support her.”
The smoke thickened around me, inside me, forcing a cough from my chest before it finally retreated, giving me a modicum of breathing room. Hovering over the ground before me, it roiled and twisted into the rough shape of a man, large and looming, with cavernous pits for eyes that glowed like lava. There was no mouth.
“Do not presume to speak to us of wisdom,” the voice warned, and I stumbled a step backward from the splitting pain in my skull. “The witch is by all rights an abomination. She should have died long ago, many times over. Her life scroll has already been burned, has it not?”
It wasn’t a question, merely another accusation. One I wouldn’t deny.
“Yet she persists,” I said. “Her strength, her fortitude, her compassion, her love for—”
“She survives by breaking our natural laws and mocking the semblance of order we’ve abided by since the dawn of consciousness. She simply should not be.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that sheis.” I regained my footing and approached the smoky essence again, my feelings for Gray propelling me forward. She was with me always; by my nature I transcended the bounds of time, experiencing her every wondrous touch as if it were the first again, as if it were merely moments ago, as if she were standing right beside me.
The memory of our last kiss arched like fire across my lips.
“There is a spark in her,” I said, “the likes of which I’ve not seen in others of her kind. I have learned a great deal during the time and space I’ve shared with her, and—”
“Learned a great deal?” The voice was mocking now. Cruel. “It seems you haveforgottena great deal, as well. Including your sacred oath.”
I closed my eyes and lowered my head, the collective weight of the Old One’s accusations piling high on my shoulders. I would carry the weight of my discretions for the rest of my existence, for it was true—I’d broken sacred oaths for her. I’d strayed from my path. I’d… I’d changed.
I was Death, the Great Change, the Ultimate Transformation. How many times had I told Gray just that, trotting out the appellations like badges granting me supreme authority?
A smile touched my lips. In the end, it wasn’t the Shadowborn witch who’d been changed so drastically by our relationship.
It was me.
“Indeed, I have forgotten things,” I conceded, my eyes meeting those glowing pits once again. “But I cannot regret the things I’ve received in exchange. Despite all that I’ve forgotten or discarded, there is one thing I know beyond the shadow of all doubts.” I recalled the sight of the moonglass, Emilio’s soul swirling inside as Gray held him close. In that moment, I’d felt his thoughts, the ache of past regrets he’d feared he’d never have the opportunity to make right.
And I felt his love for Gray, burning brighter with every passing second.
“In the face of his sudden departure,” I continued, “her spark would’ve been utterly extinguished. And the darkness of that loss would echo across the realms for eternity.”
“For her, you have disobeyed your sacred duties at all turns. You say that her loss would’ve echoed across the realms, yet do you not believe that your own actions would have similar consequences?”
“It matters not,” I admitted, “for I would do it all again, through time immemorial, if it meant sparing her even the briefest touch of heartbreak.” Shame flared inside my chest for all the pain I’d already caused her, but I spoke the truth. “I will not bring the witch to harm again.Thatis my solemn oath now, and in obeying it, I must also serve those to whom her heart belongs. I must love and protect them as my kin.”
“You’ve no obligation to her guardians.”
“Obligation, no. But respect. Gratitude.” And, dare I hoped, should we survive what was to come, brotherhood. Family, just like Gray had said when she’d brought Emilio back to his body.
For that is what we’d become, Gray’s men and I. Regardless of their feelings toward me, regardless of my form on this realm or another, regardless of my many mistakes and missteps, our love for her bound us as family.
I knelt down in the grass again, placing my hands on the impression Emilio’s body had left behind, making my final decision. “I will not carry him through the gates to the Shadowrealm on this night or any that follow. Nor will I defend my decision further. This matter is closed.”
“Very well. In creating moonglass and sharing it with the Silversbane witch, you have brought it forth from the mists of legend and into the realm of thought, idea, and possibility once again. Your primal oath has been broken, and even now, you remain defiant. As such, you shall inherit the consequences of this decision, to be determined by cosmic tribunal at such a time as we deem appropriate.”
I bowed as low as I dared, respectful once again.
But not remorseful.
Not regretful.
