“You will be mine. I will always protect you.” I have to fight the tears threatening to spill from my eyes when I sense hisheartbeat in our new bond. This is how things should have been all along.
I just wish we were making our promises in the moonlight, not in a damp dungeon over the corpse of his tormentor.
But when he stares at my palm and the threads that have become one, his gaunt form stiffens, arm bones poking at the cloak as he shakes, taking a deep, raspy breath.
“What… no… no, no, no,” he whimpers, letting his voice break. “I didn’t agree to this. How—” His gaze is now darker than Gloombane’s heart must have been. “How dare you?”
The accusation in his voice knocks the air out of me, but before I can explain, frail hands jut from under the cloak, and Nate weakly beats my chest with his fists. “I don’t want this! I’ll never want this! I want to go home!”
I’m at loss, somewhere between elation and grief. He must be confused by what I mean after what he went through at Gloombane’s hands. I pull him closer instead of letting him push me away, because he’s cold, and I want to offer him the warmth of my body. “Shhh… This is my promise, Nate. You’re safe. You will bemyDark Companion. Do you understand?”
He shoves at me so violently his nail bites into the flesh of my cheek, drawing blood. “No! Take it back! I’m not your property, I won’t be! I’d rather die!”
I can’t force him to stay in my arms, so I let him pull away and stare, trying to gather my thoughts. “I… Nate. It’s… it’s done now. You’re my promised. I can’t take it back,” I mutter as my heart sinks in my chest. Have I… been too hasty? “I don’t even care about your shadow. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Nate covers his face, crumbling under the velvet cloth. “Of course you don’t care. It’s worthless.I’mworthless. I just want to go home…”
I swallow, sparing Gloombane another glance. We’ve killed the captain of the Nightcloaks. And the irrefutable proof is etched on Nate’s skin.Fuck.
“Sweetheart. You’re not worthless. This sack of shit here was. You will be my Dark Companion,” I try again, “and you will be cherished, protected, adored. You’re my promised now, but we can go up into the moonlight and deepen the bond even tonight. I will cover you in my shadow, and you need to say—”
“I’m not sayingshit!” Nate hisses, eyes full of so much hate I can feel it flaring down our shadow bond.
I clear my throat. “Come. I’ll take you out of here,” I whisper, and this time he doesn’t protest, just lowers his eyes, letting me pull him closer. As I attempt to lift him with both my hands, the numbness of my left arm turns into blinding pain, and I have to grit my teeth, waiting for it to pass. But I scoop him up with my healthy arm as soon as the worst of the pain is over, because his soul’s even more scarred than his body, and I can’t stand him being in this dungeon a moment longer.
He’s so light now I dread to think how much weight he’s lost. He wraps his arms around my neck and curls against me as I climb the stairs in silence, but it’s not a hug. He’s just making sure I’m carrying him securely with one arm.
A part of me is glad for the physical pain I’m in, because it takes at least some of my mind off the guilt seeping into every inch of my body. Even if he never chooses to become my Dark Companion, at least no one else will be able to bind his shadow for as long as I live.
The blood moon no longer looks beautiful when we emerge into its glow. At least the fog Gloombane had created is now gone.
I spread my wings when we reach the window at the top of the tower, and with a heavy heart, I take him to safety.
Chapter 18
Nate
Everything hurts.
I’m cold. Shaky. My head’s pounding, and with barely any padding left on my bones, each stomp made by the kelpie sends a pang of discomfort through my joints. But it doesn’t matter. I’m out of the tower. Out of the dungeon, and while I hate Tristan for leaving me with Gloombane and then taking ownership of my shadow without my permission, his presence means safety. As long as he’s by my side, I won’t be hurt any further. His body keeps me warm, and despite the hurried uneven stride of our mount, I’m exhausted enough to fall in and out of sleep, face tucked into Tristan’s arm.
The scent he carries—that intoxicating harmony of leather, smoky herbs, and salt— means I’m under his protection, and for now at least, I can just exist without fear. Dream without nightmares.
“Sweetheart,” he whispers, pulling me out of slumber. “We’ve arrived at the tavern. Here, we can rest. I’ll help you down.”
I used to light up when he called me that word, but a lot of time passed, and now it feels insincere. Still, arguing with him would require me to speak, and my throat hurts from the earlier screaming.
I crack my eyes open. The moon’s sinking behind the cliff where we made love on the night before our parting. Must be getting late. “So hungry,” I whisper as Tristan slides off Stone’s back. I stiffen when he pulls me along, but the kelpie stays still, allowing him to settle on the pavement and carefully scoop me into his arms.
“Of course. We’ll get you food. You need to regain your strength.”
Tristan doesn’t deserve my compassion, but I can’t help it, I still feel sorry for his broken arm when he uses it to help me settle into his embrace.
We’re back at Unicorn’s Rest, a place that filled me with amazement less than two months ago. Now I’m seeing the colors of the stained glass through a dark fog. I don’t have even a hint of excitement for unknown foods or fantastical magic. Anything I might encounter feels like a threat, since that’s all I learned to expect at the tower.
Tristan gently pulls the hood over my head. “Is this all right? I don’t want people staring or asking questions.”
I curl into him, because I am only safe as long as he holds me. “I just… want to be inside. Somewhere warm,” I stutter, struggling to keep my teeth from clattering too loudly.
