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Warmth swells through the bond as he kisses the side of my mouth, only to pull back, his eyes roaming over every inch of my face.
The way he looks at me makes my heart flutter even though my mind is still in shock, unable to truly grasp what he said.
A knock sounds on the door and Fynn jumps up to open it, revealing a male I’ve never seen before. He has long black hair that is pulled back into a messy bun. Muscles stretch against his clothing, and he has the palest skin I’ve ever seen. Draven walks over to him before I can ask him who it is, and they grasp hands, pulling the other in and patting each other’s backs.
“I see she’s awake,” the male says. His voice is smoky and deep.
Draven nods, letting the male walk over to me as I push myself up to sit, resting my back against the headboard. “Have we met before?”
A humorous smile touches his lips. “You can say that, but I looked a little different.”
His eyes are a deep brown, almost black in the way the light hits his face. As he steps closer, I notice specks of green are mingled in the color. Then, the pupils of his eyes shift to a slit, changing to a glowing silver, much like Draven’s when he changes his form.
When they return to normal, my hands fist the sheets and I stare unblinkingly at the male before me. “You’re the one who carried me.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle with his smile as he nods. “And you’re the one who saved us all.” Before I know what he’s doing, he drops to one knee and bows his head. “My name is Ragon.”
My heart stalls in my chest at his name, one I’ve only heard once before. He’s Mauve’s mate.
“And I speak for the rest of my people that we are yours to command.” He pivots on his knee, facing Draven. “As well as yours. You are the true chosen one that we will follow.”
Draven looks to me with a silent question he doesn’t need to voice through the bond because I already can sense what he’s thinking. So, I nod. Draven never wants to be above anyone; he only has ever wished for peace and to live as equals. But the one wish that he never thought the stars would answer would be to have his people back.
Draven rests his hand on Ragon’s shoulder, pulling him up to stand. “We will never command you. We only wish you to live freely and for us to share the sky as one.”
Ragon stands, following the movement and placing his hand on Draven’s shoulder. “We must fly together soon then.”
“It would be an honor,” Draven says, before Ragon turns back to me, engulfing my hands with his.
“You freed us all, and the tethers between our bodies and souls were able to come to life again. We didn’t hesitate to shadow out of Gehendra, even if it meant using what little power we had.” He squeezes my hands more firmly. “I am forever in your debt.” He dips his head again before gently releasing my hands. “I apologize for needing to leave so quickly, but it’s been too long without my mate, and I don’t want to miss another moment with her. I only wanted to wait until you woke so I could speak with you and formally introduce myself.”
Placing my hand over my heart, I feel the back of my eyes burn. “Mauve has missed you terribly, and she has been blaming herself for your death.”
He shakes his head with a sigh. “It was never her fault. There was nothing she could have done back then. But I plan to make it up to her for all the days I’ve missed.”
I offer a wobbly smile as my eyes glisten with unshed tears, and his do the same. Then he sniffs roughly and pulls back to stand at full height. “Thank you, my Goddess. I’ll take my leave.”
Something tightens in my chest from his words as my eyes are glued to his retreating back. A different weight has settled on my shoulders, that I am now the sole blood of the Gods that exists. But the weight doesn’t feel like it will drown me. Instead, it feels like it will make me stronger.
The door clicks shut behind him and Cora races back to my side, brushing her fingers through my tangled hair. “Come, let’s get you washed up.”
In that moment, I couldn’t be more thankful for her. Because though they have made sure I’m clean while I rested, this will feel like a different kind of cleanse. One where I will be scrubbing the grime of Whiro’s deeds and Aiden’s deceit from my body. A finality. The ending of this fatal game.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Draven
After Emma freshened up and ate, she said she still felt a little tired and wanted to lie back down for a little while. It has been an hour since I tucked the blanket over her and came down to the library. I’ve been sitting by the fire, mesmerized by the flames that sensually dance together, getting lost in thought.
Until I sense her.
Her rose and honey scent blend into the air around me, causing me to close my eyes and inhale deeply. “Little demon,” I growl low and deep because she is supposed to be resting.
When she doesn’t respond, I peel my eyes open only to find smooth legs on display from the short hem of her nightgown. I’m momentarily mesmerized until I notice the piece of paper dangling between her fingers as it hovers in front of my face. “What is this?”
Shifting around my chair, she drops down to her knees, resting her arms on my thighs while chewing on her bottom lip. And because I can’t resist, I cup her jaw and pull her lip free from her teeth with the pad of my thumb. She looks at me hungrily, like whatever she came down here to give me is long gone and replaced by the lust radiating from her pupils.
She shakes her head as if to clear it before placing the paper in my hand. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you before since Aiden showed up.” My jaw ticks roughly at the reminder of him, but this time I don’t feel the burning rage to kill him. The bastard is already dead. She won’t see the reminder because I got rid of his body while she was out cold for those two days.
