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The years had made him hard and cruel, much like Ezra. At the beginning, he searched for her, forgetting the memories that Ezra's curse had blocked. But now, all the memories had been freed, and he would be free from the male who held his leash. For years, he had played by Ezra's rules and played his game, but no longer. It all started on that fateful day when she turned eight.
That day, everything began to unfold.
She been so young. So innocent. Her beautiful green eyes, full of terror as the boar ran for her. The creature was crafted of pure nightmares. He couldfeelthe fear and terror radiating from her. She had displayed who she was. The power that lay in her veins on full display as she eviscerated the boar into nothing. Too soon had she been able to pull from it, too soon had she accessed it. Appearing out of her terror, one of her strongest emotions, to protect her.
When it could have killed her.
He should have taken her then, handed her over. But something had fractured in him- the cracks had started. The fear he had felt that day had never left him. He’d forgotten what it was like to love, to hope. She awoke that part in him.
Those memories he had of her, he cherished now.
He’d gone back every year to check on her. To see if she displayed any more of the power she held. He would do everything he could to save her. His web of lies, his plan forming into what it had become, but he had to do it. He had to protect her from Ezra. Keep her from this world until she’s ready. She was hoped for the whole realm. He would sacrifice himself over and over for her. If it meant she would survive. He would do it.
She washis.
And he was hers. Forever, he would be hers.
If only he had known then what he knew now. That part of him, he realized, would do anything for her. He would reorder time, he would give her every dream, he would do it all for her. And for the last eighteen years he protected her. For eighteen years, he sacrificed another in her place. He took the punishments for failure if it meant keeping her whereabouts secret. And still, he’d lied to her. He’d pushed her, he’d been cruel to her. But everything he did was necessary.
Even though he had forgotten what she meant to him, it was her touch that brought him back to reality and made him see the errors of his ways. He realized that it was not about breaking the curse to free himself, but it was about her and how much she meant to him. He knew he had made mistakes and had to make amends and ask for her forgiveness. He was willing to spend the rest of his life doing so, even if it meant sacrificing everything to protect her from her Uncle.
“No matter. This was your last chance, and after the last girl you brought me. . .” Ezra declared, flicking his hand, “You know what the punishment is for your impertinence and betrayal this time.”
Before he could even draw his sword or the power in his veins, the Keepers had pushed him to his knees. A hand in his hair, yanked his head back to stare into Ezra’s dark soulless eyes.
“My new invention.” Ezra said as the Fae male handed him a syringe. Holding it up, inspecting the cloudy serum inside as it glistened in the evening light. A vicious smile formed on his face. “It’ll keep you conscious, but unable to move. Unable to access any magic you have gained, keep you weak.”
Ezra scoffed as Eirsen realized what he was saying, “Do not think I did not know Eirsen. Do not think that I didn’t know you betrayed me years ago. Don’t try to lie to me now when I know what you’ve been up to. Iknowwho you are. I always have, and I know who she is. You cannot protect her forever.”
His heart plunged in his chest. No. No he had to have been making a mistake. There was no way, he had been so careful. So aware of the choices he had made, how? How did he know? But it was too late.
Eirsen fought hard against the hands that held him, but he was no match for them. Not as he was held down, the cloudy serum was injected. The effects of Ezra's serum took hold of him immediately. The feeling of lost control, no longer the master of one's own body. A feeling of true drunkenness as it coursed through his system. The source in the pit of his stomach hummed, angry that it couldn’t be wielded. Could not defend him.
The first blow came from behind, the pommel of a sword hitting the back of his head, the agony of it. Another came in the form of a kick to his ribs. They were going to beat him to death right here. In the same throne room where Ezra took Elias’ life. A couple more blows to his back, his head and his chest sent him spiraling, the edges of his vision blurring and darkening. His head pounding in agony as his heart screamed in grief.
He’d never see her again.
“Enough.” Ezra’s voice pierced through his foggy daze. The darkness at the edges closing in. “Take him away. Do with him what you will. Drown him, hang him, bury him alive. I don’t care, I do not want to see him again. I free you from your oath Eirsen. A deal struck can be unstruck. Not that you will live long enough to enjoy it.”
The clanging of heavy armor filled his ears as the Keepers hoisted him up. Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision, but he held on, his mind fixated on her face, her eyes, and her smile. He tried to piece together what had happened, but his memories were fragmented and foggy. They dragged him out of the throne room, out of the city, and left him near the Dead Forest by the Dried River. The serum pulsed through his veins, amplifying the pain of every blow to his head and ribs. Each breath was a struggle, causing sharp stabs of agony in his chest.
But he endured it all, he did this for her.
His vision blurred as the Fae male's cold, blue eyes bore into his own. The blonde-haired male, his helm tucked under his arm and a long sword strapped to his back. Eirsen recognized him immediately.
Ezra’s Commander.
Without warning, he kicked Eirsen in the chest, sending him tumbling down the riverbank and leaving him unable to move. As he lay dying, he regretted leaving her vulnerable and alone, with his heart in her hands. She was about to say something, but he couldn't bear it. The thought of leaving her had torn him apart.
But it was the right thing to do.
There was always a right thing to do.
* * *
By some miracle, the Dried River hadn't flooded for the rainy season, and Eirsen had found himself lying at the bottom, barely alive. His body was battered, bruised, and broken. He couldn't move, couldn't even cry out for help.
But then, through the haze of his pain, he saw her. The Haruspex, with her wild eyes and her tangle of dark hair, hoisted him out of the water and brought him to her hidden home beneath a fallen tree. She tended to his wounds with a gentle touch, her hands working miracles as she nursed him back to health.
