Page 97 of The Incendiary

I hadn’t brought the sweater. There was only one more thing of his that I possessed.

Suppressing a groan, I unfastened the clasp behind my neck and removed his ring from the chain. Even if surrendering this ring left me with the same hollow, empty feeling I’d had while living alone in Warrich before he stormed into my sheltered world and breathed life back into me, I would do it. If this was the only way to free him, I’d let it go.

“Does this work?”

Shera rubbed her cold nose against the ring in my palm. “Yes.”

I sniffled and ran my finger across the tarnished metal, now stained by my blood. I memorized the smooth curve of it, how it started off cold but warmed beneath my touch. Kind of like him.

With the vial wrapped in my note, I threaded the strap through his ring, then wound it all together using the makeshift collar around Shera’s neck. I couldn’t risk the message falling into the wrong hands, so I kept it simple and vague. If she got to him, he would know it was from me.

My blood will free you, I wrote. And because I couldn’t get rid of the irrational panic in my chest, I added, Live.

“Go,” I ordered, before I grabbed and held both her and that ring against my chest like they were all I had.

I sucked in a ragged breath when my umbra leapt off into the night, gone from sight within seconds. My palms flattened against my chest, colder and much emptier than before. The longer I stood staring in the direction she’d gone, the more I doubted myself.

My knees hit the dirt as I stared after Shera.

I had only told him to live.

Why hadn’t I begged him to come back to me, too?

TWENTY-FIVE

GAVIN SMYTH

I’ve spent a long time pretending that I didn’t, because I think that maybe I shouldn’t, but gods, I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts.

—UNSENT CORRESPONDENCE FROM QUEEN ARYELLA I TO THE BUTCHER OF NYRIDA

1st of Soltum, 402 Years Ago

She was arriving in about thirty minutes. I hadn’t decided where to take her tonight. I didn’t have a rooftop like the castle, but we could find somewhere else to look at the stars. I’d had a long day and wanted nothing more than to drown in her.

“Gavin?”

I smiled, and my body warmed at the sound of her voice.

“Hey, you’re early. I just finished,” I called over my shoulder, spreading the coals in the forge. “The fire will be out soon. Let me clean up, and we can go do whatever you want.”

I turned and stopped when I noticed her troubled expression. Her shoulders were drawn tight, just like her fists.

“What is it?” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Is it the smell? Because I admit, I can barely stand myself after a long day…”

I trailed off when she blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“What happened?” I demanded. She stared like she was trying to memorize me. I knew the look, because that was exactly how I looked at her. “Ella.” I set the wrench on the table as warmth and color left my skin. I felt the life trickle out of me, because the addicting sweetness that always made my stomach flip was wholly absent from her face. I stepped toward her. My heart sank when she retreated. Like she was afraid. Of me? Unyielding, frantic panic wreaked havoc within me. “Aryella, please tell me what happened.”

“I can’t come here anymore,” she rushed out.

“Okay.” I tried to control my nerves. “We can meet somewhere else, or I’ll come to you. We can⁠—”

“No.” She blinked out a tear. “We have to stop seeing each other.”

“No.” I shook my head at her in warning. “That isn’t happening.”

“Please don’t make this difficult.” But her plea sounded unconvincing. That was how I knew this wasn’t really her decision.