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“Who are you, Landers?”

“It is notyouthat is scared!” Landers shouted, whirling around to face me, his eyes frenzied and wild.

My back straightened but I stood my ground. I had never heard him raise his voice, never heard him yell—not at me.

“Iam the coward, Hyacinth.Iam the one that is scared. Scared that when you know—when youtrulyknow what I am, what things I have done to be awarded such names—you will not want me. You will not want the man thatisworse than you can imagine.” The edges of his voice wavered as he said the words and my heart cracked at the sound, the echo of its fracturing reverberating between my ears.

We stood there staring at each other and I watched as fear flashed in those beautiful green eyes before the dark veil fell back over them.

“Landers,” I whispered and took a step toward him.

He backed away, running a hand through his hair as his muscles tightened.

“Landers,” I said again, my tone firm—demanding—as I locked my eyes on his. “Don’t you dare back away from me, don’t youdarehide from me.”

Shadows began flowing from my body, dripping out of me and reaching for him, holding him in place.

He didn’t fight against them.

He did not flinch from the power that poured from me as I took another step closer.

“I refuse to let this be who we are, refuse to let us drift apart because you are too scared of your past to let me in.” I took another step forward and his jaw feathered at the movement. “You think I don’t know that you have killed? That you’ve had to do unspeakable things in order to stand where you’re standingnow?” Another step. “If you really think you could lose me over the truth of your past, then you don’t know the kind of woman I am. I will not run from the hell you hold inside of you. I love the man standing before me and I’m not afraid of the things you’ve had to do to become him.”

Landers stepped only inches from me, his eyes piercing mine as a low growl escaped his lips.

“The curse that was bestowed upon the bloodlines of the Fallen Ones is a life of misery, a life as a beast in fae form. I know because it is that bloodline that runs through my veins. I am the great grandson of a Fallen One, I am a beast—a monster—to my very core. You want to know what I have done to be called the Lord of death?”

I stood my ground as I lifted my chin and let my shadows pull him even closer.

“I have leveled towns, cities of innocent people. I have breathed fire upon the realms and watched as theyburned. Watched as lives have been turned to dust.Thatis what has given me the name that I wore like a badge of honor when there was not a single ounce of honor to be found in me.”

I tore my eyes from his, watching as the olive skin stretching across his neck began to harden, began to shift into obsidian scales, the emerald hues shimmering in the candle light. I stifled the gasp that clawed at my throat and focused my eyes back on his.

I will not let him see fear flow through my irises.

“You want to know what the tattoo across my body is? It is a map of all the territories I have decimated when I lost control of the monster inside of me. A reminder that no matter how hard I want or try to forget, I will always be the Lord of Death—always be half fae, half dragon.”

“I’m not scared of you,” I whispered up at him.

“You should be.”

Chapter twenty-one

ATALIIA

Theflamesfromthefire licked at my skin as I sat on the floor only a foot from it, staring blankly into the scintillating colors, and prayed the heat would burn the shame from my veins.

I had no idea how long I had been sitting here when I heard Andrues say my name from the doorway, but I didn’t look at him.

I couldn’t.

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice sounding hollow against the quiet.

“A rat came to find me and led me here. I assumed that it belonged to you,” he said, pushing the door shut behind him.

“Cyloe. I named her Cyloe,” I responded, closing my eyes and listening as he walked toward me. I could feel him as he squatted down next to me and it took all my strength not to recoil from his presence.

“Ataliia,” Andrues started, his voice low. “Please, back away from the fire, you are going to burn yourself.” Opening my eyes, I finally turned to look at him.