The statement seemed to strike him as though I had physically hit him. And nearby, I could vaguely see Tristan smirking. I quickly turned my anger toward him.
“I had a fun little trip down memory lane, Tristan.” I tilted my head to the side as I planted my hands on my hips, and his eyes went wide—the smirk instantly falling from his lips. “A particular room on fire happen to ring a bell?”
“Morrigan, I swear… I only took away that memory for your own?—”
“Gods!” I laughed as I brought both hands to my head. “You are both the same person!”
Both Kaiden and Tristan stood from the bed synchronously, speaking in unison.
“I amnothinglike?—”
“Howdareyou compare me to?—”
“Stop speaking!” I yelled, cutting them both off and walking toward the nearest chair to sit down. “This is what’s going to happen. You will both sit down, and I will get the truth. Right now. Then, you are going to bring the rest of the guys here. Immediately, Tristan.”
Kaiden bit his lip, suppressing a familiar cocky smile as he moved to a chair and sat down, leaning back. Tristan moved to my bed, sitting at the end as he clasped his hands. I felt like a damned mother scolding her children. These men were supposed to be centuries older than me, and they behaved like kids sometimes.
“The episodes I have,” he looked to the ceiling and sighed, “with you having half of my light… it leaves me at a disadvantage. I can’t remove the power that Ryuk left behind. It’s been poisoning me for a long time. And—while you can basically wield the power of a god—you walk in the body of a mortal. The nosebleeds, the headaches… It’s because your body can’t physically contain so much power.”
“Then take it out of her,” Kaiden argued.
Tristan shot a glare his way. “You think I haven’t thought of that? When I awakened the light in her that day, it didn’t answer tome; it answered toher. That power has burrowed itself inside of her, and it’s not going to let go. It’s different now. Changed.”
“If my body can’t contain it, what’s going to happen? What will happen toyou?” I asked, the slight tremble in my voice giving away the fear I refused to show.
“If I can’t gain access to the other half of my light, my father’s powerwillkill me one day.” He turned to face me, his eyes filled with dread and remorse. “And eventually, your power will eat away at the mortal part of you until there’s nothing left.”
Kaiden stood in outrage, storming toward him. But I met him halfway and placed a hand on his chest before returning to Tristan. “There has to be something that we can do,” I insisted.
He hesitated for a moment. “No, Morrigan.”
“So there is something?”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s too much of a risk.”
“Tell her!” Kaiden growled at him.
“This doesn’t involve you,halfling!”
I was in the center of two men, who were acting half their age. Actually, I think Azrael might have been more mature than they were. I took a breath and turned my back to Kaiden, kneeling in front of Tristan before pulling his hands into mine. “Tell me,” I pleaded quietly.
His mouth opened and closed several times before he finally gave my hands a light squeeze. “A soul bond.”
“No.” I could feel Kaiden’s shadows behind me, their presence darkening the room as they seeped onto the floor by my feet.
Soul bond. Two souls bonded as one. A ritual that is almost impossible to reverse.
“Will that save you?” I asked Tristan, ignoring the anger that radiated at my back.
He shook his head and pressed our foreheads together. “Don’t make this decision for me, Morrigan. If this time was all I had with you, I would accept my death. It’syourlife I need to preserve. But I haven’t been able to find any other way to stop the light from destroying?—”
“Tristan,” I stopped him, bringing my hand to his cheek. “Will it saveyou?”
“Morrigan,no,” Kaiden insisted. “Soul bonds between those with gifts merge their power. It’s shared between both partners. If his light merges with yours, it could speed up the process.” I felt his hand on my shoulder, and he turned me to face him. “This could potentially kill you.”
“I’ll be fine, Kaiden, and this isn’t your choice.” I ripped away from his grasp to look at Tristan again. “Will it save you?” The moment I watched his head nod stiffly, I stood and dropped both men’s hands from me. “I’ll do it.”
Kaiden’s eyes shot wide. “Morrigan, just think about this?—”
