Rosalina drops to her knees and carefully pulls Dayton’s head onto her lap.
He blinks up at her dreamily. “Got your mom back, Blossom?”
“Yeah, Day, I did.” Tears pool in her eyes, and she looks across at me. “What’s happening to him?”
“He was fine and then he…” I start. “He collapsed.”
His skin is ghastly pale, breath shallow, sweat dotting his brow.
“Farron used the Green Flame to tie him to life,” Caspian says, stepping forward. “When he gave it up, there wasn’t anything keeping Dayton together anymore. I suspect when we destroyed the Baron’s connection to our world, that was his last thread.”
A bubbling sob bursts out of Rosalina’s lips.
I hold Caspian’s lavender gaze. His irises are specked with tiny dots of green. “But you can do it. You still have the power.”
Caspian looks down at his hands. Green flames curl up and down his arms. “This magic…it’s not meant for that. There was somethingwrongabout the way he was brought back before. You felt that, Farron.”
I turn away from the Prince of Thorns, because he’s right. I did feel that. It’s why I had to let Billy go?—
“I can’t lose them both,” I choke out. My brother. My love. My heart’s not built for this sort of grief.
“It’ll be alright,” Dayton murmurs, his voice so weak. “I don’t want that fire inside me, Fare. Let me go like this, a hero. In a blaze of glory, like Dammy said.”
“Day, no!” Rosalina sobs. Her hands on his chest are glowing, but from the look on her face, the fact that Ezryn is standing behind her, not even trying to heal him…
There’s nothing they can do.
There’s nothing toheal. The fire I fueled his body with has burnt out.
“I can’t survive this.” My hair falls over my brow, and I collapse over him. Eyes closing, I rest my head over his chest. His heartbeat is slow. So slow.
Every one is precious.
“Such a pretty color, like the brightest leaves.” With the last of his strength, Dayton smooths a hand through my hair.
Hands that have protected me. Held me. Loved me.
Another sob racks through me. I clutch him tighter. A distinct and strange feeling runs through me. I notice it immediately because it’s so different from the terrible soul-wrenching grief that consumes my body.
Something beautiful that burns in the most comforting way—the press of a high summer sun on your shoulders, the crackle of an autumn fire.
Something that burst into life that’s been living inside me for a long time. And by the shocked gasp that escapes Dayton’s lips…
He feels it too.
I open my eyes and pull away, blinking at him. He rubs his chest, a crooked smile on his face.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi,” I reply.
The light bursts between us, blinding and brilliant, a tether of golden light hovering between our chests.
“Mates,” Rosalina gasps, smiling.
This shouldn’t be possible to see, but I follow the golden motes of dust swirling in the air to the queen. She’s still held tight in George’s arms, her palm extended, glowing. Like she’s pulling back the veil for us.
“Fare,” Dayton says, running a hand along the golden thread, “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Rosie.”
