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“I wanted to appear strong,” I replied sadly.
He clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze, unable to hide the apparent shame that welled up inside him. “I’m the one who failed at that. It’s what angers me more than anything. I never wanted you or anyone else to see me so weak.”
“Believe me, brother,” I whispered, “I’m almost at that point. I feel like I’m barely hanging on.”
His gaze shifted back to my face, his expression unreadable. “Are you going to be with Lia tonight?”
I wasn’t sure how much Lia had told him, but I knew there was no option but to tell him the truth.
“Yes,” I answered, curious as to what his reaction would be. All he did was give a slight nod of acknowledgment. “Does that bother you?” I asked.
A hollow laugh escaped his lips. “I don’t even know how to answer that. I was certain she would choose you over me.”
“Why would you think that?” I was surprised by his assumption.
He shrugged his shoulders, a hint of bitterness in his voice as he spoke. “I’ve always felt second best to you. Our father certainly had no qualms about showing his favoritism.”
While it was true that our father had often spent more time training me than Bastian when we were children, Bastian had the undivided attention of our mother—something I would have given anything for.
I placed my hands on Bastian’s shoulders. “Lia loves us both, brother. I need to know if you’ll be able to handle her with me. There’s no room for jealousy in this. Lia deserves our love and loyalty, not anger and discord.”
Bastian blew out a sigh, his brows furrowed curiously. “Are you saying you didn’t get mad last night knowing Lia was making love to me?”
There were so many emotions warring inside me, but anger wasn’t one of them.
I met his gaze head-on. “I wasn’t angry, but envious. I’ve waited so long to touch her in the same way you were able to last night.”
His expression saddened. “I’m sorry, Bayleon. That had to have been torture.” He hung his head and sighed. “But to answer your question, I can’t promise things will go smoothly all the time. I love Lia and the thought of sharing her is not ideal, but”—he sighed and lifted his eyes to mine—“I will do it for you. You let her go so she could be with me last night when I knew you needed her just as much. You put my needs above your own.” He held out his hand. “I promise I’ll do everything possible to make this work. All I want is for Lia to be happy.”
A promise in the Land of the Fae was a binding contract; they were never made lightly. His confession was all the affirmation I needed.
Grasping his hand, I squeezed it tight. “And I promise to do the same.”
Lia emerged from the shadows, her gaze moving over our faces with a warmth so full of love that it seemed to radiate through her. She took my brother’s hand in her right and mine in her left.
“I’ve heard your promises, now here’s mine,” she said firmly. “I promise to love you both equally and with all my heart. You will never have to compete for my affection. I will give everything I have willingly.”
As Lia spoke, the wind whistled around us as if it was sealing our promises as tangible words in that moment. Looking into Lia’s eyes, I could feel the pure truth of her words reverberating through my whole body down to my very soul. We were bound together by those promises, and although I wanted nothing more than to sweep her into my arms and feel her lips on mine, I could tell something else was going on.
“Where do we go from here?” I asked.
Lia gently pressed her hands against ours, and a faint glimmer of excitement and hope twinkled in her eyes. “I want to break the Tyvar curse.” Her lips curved upward into a breathtaking smile. “Elvena’s going to help us. She’s waiting for us in the gardens.”
Bastian and I exchanged a glance, disbelief and uncertainty rapidly replacing our optimism.
“How is that possible? The curse dates back hundreds of years,” Bastian said hesitantly.
Lia released our hands from her grasp and cupped our cheeks instead, her gaze flitting between mine and Bastian’s.
“I don’t know if it can be done,” she whispered, “but I’m willing to try anything. I’m hoping you two will as well.”
I covered her hand with mine. “I’ll do anything for you.”
“Same,” Bastian solemnly echoed, leaning into her touch. Lia beamed, like a ray of sunshine had suddenly illuminated all around us.
“When all of this is over and the curse is broken, I want you both to be mine—heart, body, and soul. You’ll be kings of the Blossom Court.”
My brows furrowed as reality set in, doubts and worries creeping up on me once again. “What about the land? There have never been two kings. Will we even be accepted?”
