Page 138 of May: Bloom & Bane

She’s fine, I snap back. She was never in danger.

FINE?! Her breathing slowed to almost nothing! I couldn’t reach her, couldn’t feel you. I thought she was dying!

She was safe in the void with me.

You pulled her into a realm you don’t know anything about without warning me! Without asking! I’ve been trying to wake her for ten minutes, Ashán! Ten minutes of thinking I was losing her!

Guilt twists in my chest.

I needed to talk to her alone.

So you took her? He hisses. You pulled her consciousness out of her body and dragged her somewhere I couldn’t follow? Where I couldn’t protect her?

From what? From ME?

I didn’t know that! His roar echoes through our shared mind. All I knew was she stopped responding, and you were gone. Both of you. Just.. gone.

His voice cracks. I’m asking Therael if we can be split.

You don’t mean that. I flinch.

I do mean it, Ashán. I cannot do this! I cannot share a body with someone who doesn’t respect me enough not to take her somewhere I can’t reach. What if something had gone wrong? What if you couldn’t bring her back? I want to be separated!

Separated? I snarl. You would rather rip us apart than trust me for ten minutes?

Trust, Sage laughs bitterly. You want to talk about trust? You just proved I can’t trust you. Not with her safety, not with anything!

She is my mate too! I growl.

Then act like it, he roars. Mates don’t steal their partner away without warning. They don’t let me think she’s dying while I can do nothing to save her!

Sage, wait⁠—

No. The moment we get back to the house, I’m asking Therael if it can be done. I won’t share a body with someone who would do this.

Panic floods through me.

Sage, please! Hold on a minute.

For what? So you can explain why you thought it was okay?

I didn’t think⁠—

Exactly! He snaps. You didn’t think, Ashán. You didn’t think about what it would do to me. You didn’t think about what could go wrong. You just took her because you wanted to talk to her alone.

I needed⁠—

I don’t care what you needed, he bellows. Do you understand what that’s like? Holding your mate while her life slips away.

I didn’t know you wouldn’t be able to reach her, I answer honestly.

I picture Sage alone in the meadow with Eden’s limp body in his lap.

I’m sorry, Sage, I murmur. I’m so sorry. I wish I could take it back.

But you can’t, he says. And I can’t risk you doing it again.

He scoops Eden into his arms, cradling her protectively against his chest.