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He took a deep breath and dropped his gaze to the ground. “Before I get into that,” he said, lifting his face and removing his mask, revealing eyes full of longing, “I have to know. Did you choose him?”
Even though his mask shielded his eyes, I could feel the intensity behind his stare, causing my skin to tingle. I wanted to tell him I had chosen both of them and end the torture of trying to hide my feelings, but at the same time, I was scared to cause a rift between him and his brother.
With a trembling hand, I reached up and cupped his cheeks, feeling the prick of stubble against the softness of his skin was beneath my fingertips. Then, slowly, I leaned in until our faces were only a breath apart.
“I choose you both,” I whispered, unable to look away as his gaze filled with surprise. “I was planning on telling you and Bastian everything tonight. I’m tired of fighting it. I know I shouldn’t want you both, but I do. I loveyou. . . but I also lovehim.”
His arms encircled me, pulling me close until our chests were touching. His eyes searched mine for what felt like an eternity before he said softly, “I never thought I’d ever hear those words leave your lips.”
“So, you’re not mad that I can’t choose between you?”
His eyes filled with sincerity and his lips formed a tender smile, which stirred something deep in my soul. “I would rather share you with my brother than not have you at all.”
A swirl of emotions rose within me, but joy was the strongest. Bayleon cast his gaze downward and paused momentarily, then looked into my eyes, his lips still curved into a faint smile.
“May I kiss you?”
My heart fluttered and I nodded in response. His arms tightened around my waist, and he leaned forward, his kiss gentle yet full of passion. An indescribable electricity rushed through me, reminding me of my connection with Bastian, only slightly different. The feelings I had for Bastian were raw and exciting. With Bayleon, they were deep and all consuming.
When Bayleon pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine, and without warning, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as I realized I was harboring feelings for two brothers. Bayleon said he would rather share me than not have me at all, but that didn’t mean Bastian would be okay with it. He ran away before I could tell him everything. Bayleon opened his mouth to speak but stopped and shook his head as if searching for the right words.
“There’s something you need to know.”He released his grip on me, and anguish flashed across his face.
“What is it?” I asked, wishing to know what had him so conflicted.
Bayleon sighed heavily and kept his gaze on mine. “I know why Bastian couldn’t control himself tonight. You may not be able to tell, but it took every ounce of strength in my body to stop myself from kissing you.” His eyes were a blazing fire as he continued, “Even now, as I’m standing before you, my desires for you are tearing me apart. It’s an internal battle I fight every single day. I’ve been trying to resist them for a long time, but Bastian has reached the point where he can’t hold on anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
Bayleon’s jaw clenched and he looked away. “My brother and I are cursed, Lia. There is only one way for us to be healed, but I would never ask that of you.”
Bayleon and Bastian were Tyvar, magical fae creatures who lived off the powers of seduction and had abstained from being with a woman for decades. In an instant, the truth dawned on me—how could I not realize that denying their nature would cause them so much pain? They neededmeto heal them. I had the power to heal wounds and bring people back from the brink of death, but that wasn’t the kind of magic they needed right now. I grabbed Bayleon’s hand and met his gaze, desperation in my voice.
“We need to find Bastian. All it’ll take is one female to accidentally look into his eyes to seal his fate.”
We both knew that if he or Bastian chose to enthrall any women with their powers, the punishment would be death. And I wouldn’t be able to save them from that.
Bayleon nodded and quickly pulled his silver mask over his eyes before we ran toward the back entrance of the palace. My warriors, Ezra and Brig, stood guard outside and bowed when they saw us.
“Have either of you seen Bastian?” I asked, my lungs burning from exertion.
Ezra nodded toward the hallway. “He ran through here a few minutes ago.”
Relief coursed through me as I thanked them, and we made our way up the stairs to our private section of the palace. When we got to Bastian’s bedroom, the door was slightly ajar. Bayleon stepped protectively in front of me and carefully pushed the door open. It was a sight neither of us expected to see inside: Bastian’s room was a wreck—glass shattered on the floor, curtains ripped apart—and at one of the windows was Bastian, hunched over and drenched in sweat. The moonlight glinted off Bastian’s sweaty, pale skin as he stood up and paced the room, his breathing fast and ragged. Red gashes crisscrossed his hands and arms from the broken glass, but his wounds were not healing as they should have. I glanced at Bayleon, who radiated pain and sadness. He grabbed my hands, the warmth of his skin spreading through my body and looked into my eyes with an intensity that made me feel like he’d looked into my soul.
“He needs you, Lia. You’re the only one who can save him.” His voice was deep and unwavering. I hesitated, but I knew he was right.
“What about you?” I asked softly, already knowing the answer.
He lifted his mask and tenderly cupped my face in his hands. “Don’t worry about me, my queen; I know you love me.” The love we shared was powerful and palpable in the air around us.
“I do,” I said softly. He nodded toward Bastian before releasing me from his embrace.
“Stay with my brother tonight,” he said quietly before turning to leave. “But tomorrow, you’re mine.”
He walked down the hall and paused at his room, sending me a fleeting glance before shutting the door. Then, taking a deep breath, I entered Bastian’s bedroom, closing the door behind me. Suddenly my steps felt too loud, and I feared he would hear me and turn around. But he remained facing away, unaware that I was there. I’d never seen him so angry and out of control. My heart ached for him; seeing him in such pain felt like a stab wound in my chest. If I had spoken up sooner, I could’ve saved Bayleon and Bastian some of their suffering.
The closer I got to Bastian, the louder my heart beat in my ears. Reaching out, I touched Bastian’s shoulder, but he spun around and slammed me into the wall, trapping me with his body. When he realized it was me, his expression softened but he did not move away.
