Her ache to behis and her own.
And she feelshisdevotion, raw and monstrous and pure. That he would give all he is for her. All of it to the last thread of his being.
Their two magics meld as lovers, intertwined and interconnected as though always meant to be.
Until there is no Kailorien.
No Auryn.
OnlyUs.
Only Bonded.
The frenzy leavesOurminds and bodies, butWeremain entwined, still joined—still boundless and inseparable.
He can’t move. Not yet. Not when her warmth still cradles him, stillkeepshim.
A breath. A heartbeat. A kiss. And a vow—all pass.
And timelapsed…
…andstilled.
When their breaths settled and their thoughts steadied, he shifted—eased out of her— drawing a soft protest from her lips.
Don’t go. Not yet.
I won’t. I’m here.
Her body wrapped around his. His heart thundered beneath her cheek. And then—her breath hitched. But it wasn’t pleasure this time. A panicked sound. Distressed.
He pulled back instantly, still lost. Still reeling.
“What is it—?”
Hereyes were glowing. Her breath faltered. And still—she reached for him. Coaxed him down for one more kiss. As though without him, she would wither. As though without him, she knew not how to breathe.
When she broke it, her voice was changed. Still his Auryn. But echoing with ancient sentience—something that remembered stardust and silence, long before the Shattering, or gods, or ruin.
“Breathe into me, Silari.”
The title rang through him like a strike of thunder. Just like before. Just like the Moores.
“Breathe into me so I may rest…so that the price of choosing you does not take all of me.”
He didn’t understand.
Didn’t need to.
Blind—adoring—he obeyed.
She could command me to kneel, to destroy, todie—and I would. For her. Always.
Cradling her jaw, he coaxed her mouth open wider with his thumb on her chin. Their breaths melted into one another, and he poured all he was into the kiss. His strength. His will. His soul, even the pieces that were broken. Even the shards he’d thought he’d never allow to see the light of day.
Azure mist passed between their lips. Breath given form and voice and purpose. She took in all of it, gasping, clutching at him as though it fed something that had hungered far too long. At last, she pulled away, still not his Auryn, still somethingelse.
“When I wake…”she whispered, voice unraveling with light,“you will take me as your Sokâr…and we will go together into the Endless Dark. Bound. Bonded.”
