Page 432 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

The familiar taste of regret soured my tongue.

Because it had been my fear—my choice—that robbed him of an outcome where his family stayed intact.

Well. Mine or Reagan’s. Either way, it was Aren paying for it now.

Somewhere far above, thunder rumbled softly. Nausea bubbled in my stomach but I nodded and rushed to catch up.

Good luck, Rika pressed into my mind.

Thanks. Pushing my legs to catch up to his much longer stride, I bumped my elbow into his forearm, looking up as he glanced down—a permanent dip between his brows.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

Very convincing. “Are we okay?”

Pain flickered in his eyes, but his broad hand lifted as though in reflex, reaching for the back of my neck and tugging me toward him as he slowed. Pausing for the first time all day, Aren pressed his lips to my forehead, rough thumb tracing over my pulse point before breathing, “Always.”

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

His lips twitched, but it seemed almost practiced, his eyes still weighed down with burdens he wasn’t sharing. “Just… thinking, dove.”

“About?”

“You’re relentless today,” he noted as he slipped his hand into mine, dragging us into motion, as if he couldn’t bear to be still.

“Learned from the best.”

That finally earned the smallest of chuckles, the sound like the flicker of torchlight on a moonless night.

“I just… what if it was all for nothing?”

“What?”

“I can’t hear them,” he said on a breath that sounded like it belonged inside a confessional.

“Oh.” Because what else could I possibly say to that? “How far can you usually⁠—”

“Certainly a helluva lot farther than line of sight.”

My stomach sank. “Part of the wards?”

“Maybe.”

“Have you ever ventured this far outside the grounds?”

“No.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “So, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We didn’t come this far to come this far, and regardless of what we find in that castle, I’m here. I’m with you. And we face it together.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, but the quiver in his tone convinced no one. “I guess I got swept up in the relief of seeing you—being with you again. I let myself believe we could just stay in that bubble, and now that it’s over, I…”

“You what?” I prompted gently when his words wandered off. He shook his head. “What were you going to say?”

He gave my fingers a little squeeze as we trudged forward. “I guess I’m just reconciling that our reality hasn’t changed even though our dimension has. God willing, I reunite my people in another day’s time and… then what? I lock you away in The Middle until I can bring down Adrastos—kill the man you loved to free you of his hold? That could take weeks—months—years if his track record proves consistent. Even then, can you forgive me for that?”

“Aren,” I breathed, but he was shaking his head.