“I think a part of me knew even then. How special you were…”
Ava raised a trembling hand and cupped his face. He placed his hand upon hers. “I…think deep down I knew it too…” she said, voice weak. “I…love you…Even when I’m gone, I’ll always love you…”
“Not yet. I’m not ready…Don’t say goodbye yet…Please,” he begged, urged. “Don’t leave me…My Mi’ra Vässa…my heart. My soul. Don’t go.”
“Cas…I…thank you…” She took the tiniest breath. “Thank you for seeing me…I love you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.
But inside he was scrambling, clutching at those threads, trying to hold on, to keep them together. They were slipping and he couldn’t hang on…
With one last trembling breath, Ava stilled, her green eyes now glassy and dull. Her hand fell from his face, dropping to the ground. Lifeless.
Casimir felt the very moment of her death down to his bones. Like his heart was being ripped from his chest. Those threads unraveled. From strong, golden rope…to the tiniest sliver…to nothing. He couldn’t feel her anymore. Couldn’t sense her.
And his soul shattered into a thousand pieces.
“No…No, no, no. Ava, please. Please come back to me, princess. Please come back…come back…”
He pulled her against his chest, burying his face in her hairand ignoring the cries and shouts of grief around him as he rocked back and forth. Luna whimpered and whined. Aro roared. Sabriel howled. Bastien snarled.
Skye’s eagle cry pierced the air at the same time Thorne crumpled to his knees and let out an agonizing wail.
Ava was gone. Their princess was gone. His soulbond…was gone.
“I don’t know how to do this without you…” he murmured, his tears falling onto her neck.
Because without her—without his other half—the world would cease to exist. The sun would never rise, the moon would fall from the sky, the stars would lose their light. There would be no more laughter, no more joy. No more smell of lavender and vanilla as he buried his face in her hair. No more soft touches or sweet kisses. No more morning tea together. No more silent reading by the fire, just being in each other’s presence. No more dancing. No more teasing.
No more life.
She was the center of his universe and now he was lost in the void with nowhere to go.
He bellowed as if the gods could hear him—sobbing and yelling and raging. As he pulled her even tighter, the sun disappeared behind the clouds. And as if the world grieved with him, the sky cried its own tears.
Casimir thought he knew pain. Thought he knew grief. But nothing could have prepared him for the agony of losing his soulbond. And though the others around him were hurting, they would never feel even half the anguish he was drowning in.
Something gold caught his eye, and he turned to see his father standing there. Watching.
“You,” Casimir growled. “Save her. I know you can.”
His father stepped forward, brow pinched with thought. Looking down at Casimir, he shook his head. “You know thecost to my people for bringing back a life. I will not give up my magic.”
“You selfish bastard. She gave her life for you. For all of you. Do something good for once. Help. Her.”
“Her sacrifice will be honored. We will not forget. All will know of the princess who died to save Eorhan.” He walked away.
Casimir wanted to scream at him. Wanted to rip his father’s spine from his body. It was Orion’s fault. Ava’s death was his fucking fault. If he hadn’t been so power-hungry, so blindly selfish, it never would have come to this.
But Casimir didn’t do any of those things. Didn’t say any of those things. He was too lost in his sorrow to care about anything aside from her.
How many minutes had gone by? It was going to be too late. It was too late.
Too late.
Too late.
Too late.
