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Their maws curled in happy grins, eyes bright and sparkling despite the mercury-like fluid that obscured everything else.
Sorin couldn’t help but to reach out to those images. He wanted to touch their joy, feel their elation.
And then, the two winged-beasts transformed into men. Standing chest to chest, two bodies as one, arms wrapped around each other in a heated embrace.
The memories of their brief moments of tender exploration and ecstasy exploded within Sorin’s mind like brilliant fireworks. Sharp and incandescent. They enflamed his heart and lifted his soul.
He remembered everything so clearly, as if it had happened only moments ago, not many millennia.
How Rai and his eagle prince, Sol, as Sorin had been known back then, found their small piece of heaven in the middle of a tumultuous, war-ravaged time. How their love had led to Rai’s decision to sacrifice all for Sorin.
So that he could survive.
But for what?
Sorin lost the one thing that made him feel alive for thousands of years afterwards. Endless years of loneliness and isolation. Of silence and pain.
What would have happened if they had never fallen in love? Would the Twin Goddesses have won the gods’ war?
Sorin had never contemplated the possibilities because it was inevitable that he loved Rai. No matter his form, Rai, Ere—the dragon was his one true Mate.
But…
Not everything must needs come to pass.
Did it?
The images shifted until a beautiful woman’s face came into focus. Dark hair, dark eyes. Sorin recognized her as the Dark Queen Ashlu.
It had been so long since he thought of her. In truth, he never thought of her at all.
Once upon a time, in his bid to end his loneliness and misery, while sacrificing himself for the betterment of the Beasts and other immortals who were subjugated by the Dark Ones, he’d entered the Challenge to win the right to be her Consort. His plan had been to kill her after the Mating ceremony Bonded them, merging their life force into one. He would die too, but that was the plan.
Two birds with one stone.
What if he’d succeeded? What if the Earth Elemental disguised as a Dark One hadn’t won?
None of the ensuing madness, chaos, war and bloodshed would have come to pass. Perhaps he could have spared Erebu thousands of years of torture and heartbreak. As well as Erebu’s parents, Tal-Telal and Ishtar Anshar.
Perhaps he would not be here now, mired in this swamp, following his soulmate to the ends of the earth.
Would that be such a bad thing? If Ere could be spared eons of suffering?
Sorin sank further into the seemingly bottomless fluid, barely registering that when he’d been standing, the swamp had only covered him up to his waist.
Now, he was falling deeper.
Ever deeper.
He didn’t struggle and didn’t want to. He couldn’t breathe, but didn’t panic. It seemed like the most natural thing to let go.
After all, he’d been existing on borrowed time. He didn’t belong here. In this world.
It felt good to die.
Until a steel band wrapped around his chest directly under his armpits and dragged him upwards, practically flinging him through the surface of the swamp.
On reflex, Sorin took in a lungful of air the moment he broke free, fists swinging.
