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Taking a deep breath, I spoke. “I owe you both an apology.”
They turned to me, their expressions unreadable in the dim light.
“For everything I’ve done,” I continued, “I was weak. Driven by fear and the shadows of my past. But Kael... she’s shown me a better path. She’s given me hope for the first time in my life.” I met both their stares, slowly looking between the matching pair of fiery eyes. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you. The part I played in destroying your homes. I know I can never fix it. But I’ll do everything I can to make it right.”
Gavril nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I forgive you.” His hand dropped back to Kael’s, holding it once more. “She told me back in the Hidden City that she loved you. I was angry at first.” He met my eyes. “But I realized it’s not about me. Or even you. It’s her.” He lowered his gaze to her still form. “If she believes in you, then I do, too.”
Haemir met my gaze, the depth of his understanding palpable. “She trusts you, Theron. And that belief has changed you. We see it.” He gripped my shoulder, and I swallowed, the memory of my father almost overwhelming. “What you do now, how you act—that’s what will define you.”
I nodded, unable to speak until I cleared my throat. “Thank you. I have something I’ve been wanting to give you for a while. Probably couldn’t be a worse time for it, but here.”
I fished out an intricately carved wooden box from under the table and handed it to him.
His brow furrowed as he opened the box, his breath catching when he saw the contents. Nestled within was a gleaming golden hand, along with several other useful appendages for Haemir’s missing hand—locks and tools of various shapes and sizes that could be attached and removed at will.
“This—this is too much.” His words were gruff as he tried to pass the box back to me.
I held my hands up. “I took your hand. It’s only fair that I replace it.”
Gavril looked over at the shining hook, rubbing a finger across it. “This is fine work.”
I shrugged. “Kael’s father deserves the best.”
Gavril cracked a small smile as he caught my eye. Haemir nodded and closed the box, placing it in his lap. He might not accept a gift given in pity, but he understood trying to impress your female’s father. “Thank you.”
A commotion at the entrance to the tent drew my attention. The air grew charged as Herrath steered Caelia and Xadrian inside, their hands shackled in earthborn iron manacles behind their backs. An undercurrent of anger and protectiveness raged within me, the bond between Kael and me pulsing like a living thing. Caelia stopped, her eyes irresistibly drawn to where Endbringer lay.
A snarl threatened to break free from my chest. “I’d relish the chance, Caelia. Reach for that weapon, and I swear, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
From the shadows, Xadrian stepped forward, his face etched with pain. “I didn’t come here to fight. Caelia knows more about Endbringer than anyone. She can help her. Kael is... she’s all that matters.”
His declaration only stoked my fury. This male thought to lecture me about how precious my mate was? As if anyone else could ever truly know?
I stepped forward, my voice a low growl. “You think you know her? You don’t. Not like I do. She’s my heart and soul. I’ve seen what she’s capable of, the darkness and pain she harbors. All of it. And I love her all the more for it.” My expression hardened. “If you want your life to continue, Xadrian, you will not speak of my mate again as if she doesn’t matter to me.”
“M-mate?” The younger male paled, shock in his voice. “Kael... she’s your mate?”
Perverse satisfaction filled me. He’d tried to steal her away from me under the cover of darkness. Now he knew she’d never want him. “Yes. The bond began after her Ascension.”
Caelia swore under her breath, no doubt realizing the seriousness of the situation. We might not have had mates since the Lightcurse, but we all grew up with stories of how possessive Elven men were of their mates. She must have realized just how precarious her position was.
“Is there any secret, any piece of information about that blade that can help her?” I asked Caelia, her eyes finally meeting mine.
She stared me down, no longer arrogant. Just... blank. “She has to heal the mortal way. It’s Atar’s choice now.”
My anger flared, hot and primal. “Shewilllive. Even if I have to climb to the heavens and drag her from Ydonja’s grasp myself.”
With that declaration, my attention shifted back to Kael, running the back of my fingers down her cheek as I addressed them. “You will address your troops. Tell them you joined us, and they will fight under my banner. They will submit to my rule, and the kingdom will know a new beginning.”
Before Caelia could protest, my voice grew dangerous, dripping with venom. “We’ve only left you alive because of the choice in front of you. Should you refuse, I will kill you both. And if I lose Kael...” I glared, letting them see the hollow cruelty that would consume me if I lost my mate. “Then I will destroy your entire House. Not just you both and your sister. I’ll slaughter anyone who has even a drop of Sarro blood. I’ll raze your land and salt the fields so it forever remains a scar on the earth. You speak of a birthright? Know that I will ensure your legacy, your very existence, is erased from our histories. Pray that she lives, for both your sakes.”
Caelia swallowed, fear filling her eyes. “I’ll tell them.”
Xadrian didn’t answer, his expression still dazed after finding out about the mating bond.
“Get them out of here, Herrath.”
He nodded, pulling them out of the tent, the pair much meeker than before. Haemir met my eye, nodding in approval.
