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“I’ll leave it up to Emma when things settle down,” I tell them as I continue to sharpen the blades for each of us that I have been storing in my room. I’m seated in the corner of the library, which seems to be our favored space lately.
The room falls silent with a weighted somberness to it. That’s when I look up to see Fynn staring off into space, his eyes locked on the empty wall with a crease between his brows. Cora stops dancing when she notices and glides over to him to wrap her arms around his neck. She sits on his knee as she tucks him into her chest in a caring embrace. Dipping her head to kiss the top of his before she rests her cheek on it as he breathes out a heavy sigh and closes his eyes.
Fynn has been through a lot of shit, and losing his mate made him step one foot deeper into the grave. If Cora knows about her, then Fynn’s heart is crumbling in her palms, letting her in. She doesn’t seem to fret about searching for her mate if the stars gifted her one. She only ever seems to want to live in the moment and focus on the here and now.
When Fynn tips his head back to look up at her, the weight of emotions hanging into that look is one I haven’t seen since his mate was alive.
Peace.
The more I watch him look at her, the more I see adoration shining in his eyes. The way his eyes track every part of her face, engraving it into his memory. It’s exactly what I do to Emma. And the way his arms wrap around her, his fingers digging in to clutch onto her. How his whole body seems to lose its tension when she’s nearby. These are the signs of love.
She seems just as enraptured with him. Always making sure he knows that she’s there, by his side, offering small touches of comfort when he silently needs it and accepting the past that still haunts him.
“She’s falling for him but hasn’t told him yet.” Kye’s voice is low and it still startles me. “I have to listen to her gush about him since Emma’s not here because if she holds it all in…I believe she will literally explode.” His head shakes and I can’t help but smile at the image of him having to spend hours listening to her gossip about a guy.
“She must be rubbing off on you to come to me and gossip about a new love brewing between the two of them.” My hand moves mindlessly with another swipe of the sharpening stone over the silver blade, making it spark.
He clears his throat, huffing a curse as he leans back in his seat and spreads his legs out with his arms across his chest. “Cora does that to people. Just wait and see.”
I peer over at him as I reach to grab a new sword, noting the way he watches them. “Did you feel something for her?”
His eyes slide to look at me from the corner of them, raising a sharp brow. “She has always found a way to get under my skin, and I her, but we could never be mad at each other.” He pauses for a moment.
“Maybe if fate had different plans with my life in the past, but I could never weigh another down when I was under King Oren’s command to protect my parents. It wouldn’t have been fair. So, I never allowed myself to think of anything more.” He sighs. “But now, I only feel protective of her, much like Emma. Finding a companion is the least of my worries, and I wish to only enjoy this freedom while I can for now.”
I can’t imagine what it was like to live under King Oren’s rule and spend each day following his command. But I will forever be thankful that Kye chose Emma. That he risked so much to leave with her and keep her safe. Cora, too. They protected my mate and became her family when she was barely hanging on. And now, they’re part of mine.
The fire dwindles to mere embers as the shadows of night begin to blanket the castle. We’ve waited a couple of hours and Emma has yet to show. Every blade is sharpened and pristine, and each of us is going over the plan again. Emma and I will arrive first, her shadows binding me as her prisoner to trick Whiro into believing she betrayed me and is delivering what she was told.
Fynn will open a window to find Emma’s exact location she transports us to so that he, Kye, and Cora can do the same when he portals in a little while after us. They will stay hidden and follow the trail of shadows Emma will leave behind, leading them inside the broken mountain. And just in case, she drew a map of which way to go.
I scrub a hand over my freshly trimmed beard, my foot tapping lightly against the floor.
“Time’s ticking, little demon. If you aren’t here in five minutes, I will toss you over my shoulder, spank you to leave my handprint, and fly your ass here.”
Everything is calm in the bond. Nothing alarming that should worry me, but I speak to her through it because I’m on fucking edge without her. With not seeing her since we completed the bond. My beast is becoming restless without her touch.
My foot taps faster as it now spreads up my leg, until I hear her voice penetrate my mind and I go still. “If you think that will be a punishment, then you are sorely mistaken.” I hold my breath as I bite my bottom lip to stop the smirk daring to rise. “Because I will enjoy it.” A fizzle of amusement trickles through the bond from her. “Be there in five. Needed to tie up some loose ends.”
Loose ends? I’ll have to ask her if her loose ends are the same group she met on the boat, but right now is not the time to get into it. The letter I’ve been clutching in my hand feels heavy. Small creases remain on it that I can’t seem to smooth out. Each beat of my heart pounds harder the longer I stare at it, as if it will jinx the journey. But I have to do this, even if this note makes it all feel real.
With a final breath in, I let go of the letter, setting it gently on the table in front of me. In case I don’t make it back, I wanted my mother and brother to have final words from me to help give them peace. To remind them of why I love them. A little bit of closure none of us were able to receive when my father died.
I’ve never left behind a note, but even if we have a goddess on our side, we are still going after a god in his terrain. A prickling sensation skates up my neck as my heart beats in a thunderous beat.
She’s here. A misty cloud of black forms in the center of the room, revealing Emma as she walks through it. Even with her eyes as dead as night, I can see the measured look of determination.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Emma
The library is eerily quiet when I step through, looking around the dark space. Four pairs of eyes shine against the dimming fire, locked on me. But mine connect with pale blue pools on instinct. I watch as those icy eyes drop to my gloved hands, eliciting a rumble to roll through the room with a clench of his jaw.
I know Draven understands why the mate mark must be covered, but the primal side of him—his dragon—does not. Before I know it, I’m standing right in front of him, grabbing his left hand, and bringing his inked palm to my lips, causing a tremor to tumble through him.
“Remember, our forever is waiting for us, but right now, we must protect it,” I whisper the words against his hand until he pulls away to grab a pair of his own gloves.
The light returns to his eyes with a smirk. “Just like old times.” He winks, dipping his head to kiss my cheek.
