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Chapter Ten
“So we grew together, like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition; two lovely berries molded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart.”
—Helena, Act 3,A Midsummer Night’s Dream
New York City. Modern day.
“It’s the spell, Ere. I’m almost certain of it.”
Eveline Marceau’s hypothesis was both a balm and a curse to Ere’s state of mind.
A balm, because they had identified the potential cause of Sorin’s current catatonic state.
Between Eveline, the Pure and Dark Ones’ historian and seer, witch extraordinaire; Jade and Rain, both powerful healers within the Immortal Kinds; and Ava Monroe Takamura, a superhuman geneticist—Ere didn’t have a third or fourth opinion to ask for.
This was it. This was as close to the possible truth as they could get with their accumulated knowledge.
A curse, because…what the fuck was he supposed to do with this knowledge!
According to what Sorin had told Ere once upon a time, he’d been bespelled millennia ago toward the beginning of the Dark Queen Ashlu’s reign. A “gray witch” had put a protection spell on him by inscribing ancient runes into his skin all up and down his left side.
They used to be visible black markings when Ere first encountered him many years ago. They even glowed at certain times. But over the course of their relationship, trials and tribulations, the runes had almost entirely faded to invisibility.
Ere had considered this agoodthing.
He thought it meant that Sorin no longer needed the protection. He’d been rejuvenated as the golden phoenix after Lilith had torn him apart in the final battle. It was supposed to have been a new beginning.
He’d beenwhole.
Why did this happen now? What changed?
The fact that Sorin’s weakening coincided with the disappearance of the runes had to mean something.
Had the spell kept him alive all this while? Or had their quests something to do with Sorin’s condition? Why had the spell worn off? Had Sorin’s brushes with death depleted the powers it had bound his soul with?
If their best guess regarding Sorin’s condition was a spell, how did they break or strengthen it? Which avenue was the right one? They didn’t even know that much.
“What would it take for you to be absolutely certain?” Ere asked through clenched teeth.
He was barely holding himself together. Inside, he struggled mightily with the terrifying reality—that Sorin could perish. Could disappear from this universe.
That Ere would be all alone. For eternity. Because there would never be anyone else for him but Sorin. He would rather die than even think about the possibility.
Yes, he had friends and family who cared for him and loved him. But…he was a selfish bastard for thinking it:
It wasn’t the same.
Sorin was part of him. And he was part of Sorin. If Sorin was…gone, then Ere didn’t want to remain.
Eveline sighed, shaking her head.
It was only Ere, Eveline, Rain and Sophia in the healing chamber together, hovering over Sorin’s prone body on a padded steel table. Jade and Ava had returned to their homes, seeing as there wasn’t anything more they could do to help.
It wasn’t Sorin’s body that failed him. It wasn’t even his mind. Both of which Jade, Ava and Rain could do something about.
