Page 135 of Vengeance of the Gods

Bridger was afraid his teeth would break with how hard he clenched his jaw.

“But do you know what he sees when he looks at me?” Vega asked, slipping her hand into his. She pulled his wrist with the scar up to her eye level, inspecting the brand they all wore.

Bridger didn’t have the answer to her question, and even if he did, Vega wasn’t looking for one—not one from him.

“He sees the girl he used to know. The kids we were before this started. He sees a version of me I can never be again.” Vega dropped her hands to wrap around his forearm, a single finger grazing over the raised line of their bond. “You stopped seeing that version of me the second I died. You treated me like the person I was becoming, not the person I’d been. How could anyone blame you for not loving the person I turned into when I wasn’t who I’d been when you fell in love with me?” Her sad smile made Bridger want to barf. “I don’t blame you.”

Bridger’s fury started to dissipate, but it was replaced by something else. A hum traveling up his arm from Vega’s touch.

“You saw my weaknesses, the cracks in my soul.” Their eyes met, and Bridger reached out with the hand he kept suspended for her to inspect and cupped her cheek. Vega wrapped her hand around his branded wrist. “You showed me that sometimes loving someone isn’t enough to save them. Your love couldn’t have saved me from this. I was the only one who could save me from this.” Vega stretched up on her tippy toes, placing a soft kiss on Bridger’s lips. “Khort would have pretended to love any version of me because it was what he was told he wanted.” Another light kiss on his lips. “You knew what was most important to me even when I couldn’t. It’s never been my life I wanted to protect. It was theirs. The people of Tolevarre. The people we care about. They deserve a happy ending even if I can’t get one.”

Bridger was ready to argue when he felt a rush of pain slam against the bond. His gasp turned into a hiss of air as his eyes fell to Vega’s hand wrapped around his wrist.

The brand was black, inked the same color as Vega’s veins.

Bridger snatched his hand back, the color disappearing as soon as her touch was gone. “What the fuck was that?” She’d distracted him long enough to slip between his shields unnoticed. “Did you just…?” His question trailed off because he already knew the answer.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if I could feel it.” Vega didn’t look remorseful. “I can. I can also feel how strong you are when you’re angry.”

Irritation flooded Bridger’s senses, but he knew it would be misplaced if he took it out on Vega. She was doing what any of them would do if they were in her position.

What other choice had she been given? Her soul was already his—all she’d done was get what she wanted out of it.

He slowly slid a shield around his bond, letting Vega feel the grating door close. “I didn’t get you back to lose you.” Bridger closed the distance between them, his index finger pressing underneath Vega’s chin, forcing her gaze up to his. “Don’t you ever fucking do that again.”

Vega nodded.

“Say it.” Bridger gripped her chin delicately, holding her face in place.

“I won’t,” she whispered, her eyes telling Bridger all he needed to know.

She would.

Which meant he had to keep shields up. He couldn’t let her slip through again like that. He wouldn’t let her be the one to break their bond. “You’re lying, and I know it.”

Vega sighed, taking a step back. “I know this is going to be hard for everyone… But it’s already done. We can’t change this ending.”

“You gave up fifty-five years of your life to a curse. You’re not giving the rest of it away.” Gods, why did this woman have to be so fucking stubborn?

I take back everything I said about loving her sassy-ass attitude.

“You don’t get to tell me what I can do with my life,” Vega bit back.

“It’s not just your life, Vega! It’s mine too. It’s Khort’s. It’s Arlet’s.” He couldn’t help the natural rise in his voice’s volume.

“Not if I break the bond.” Vega reached out for him, but Bridger pulled back.

He wanted to touch her. Fuck. He wanted to so badly, but he knew he’d let this go for another time if he gave into the craving… and if they were starting over, it wouldn’t be on shaky feet. “What if you break the bond and it takes Arlet’s powers? Her dragon? What if it takes Khort’s enhanced warrior abilities?” He slipped inside her mind. “What if it takes this?”

“This is going to come to an end eventually…”

Her words felt like a punch to the gut. Bridger inhaled a sharp breath at the same time a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. He closed his eyes, flexing his hands a few times before reopening them.

“Commander?” Halo’s voice was muffled from the other side of the door.

Bridger used the small amount of wind he could control to swing the door open, knowing it was another piece of Vega he’d been given access to after the summoning—because of their bond.

Halo stepped inside and froze when he caught the tension in the room. “Oh, sorry. Should I come back?” He took a couple steps backwards, looking like a child sneaking out after snooping on his parents. “I’ll come back.”