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“I thought I lost you—” My voice breaks.

The corner of his mouth curves up, and he looks at me so tenderly. “There are many uncertainties in life, but this one thing holds true: I will always come back to you, cherub.”

Des is not just darkness. He’s moonlight and stardust; he’s wishes and adventure and a love as vast as the night sky.

And he’s here,alive.

He’s alive.

A flash of anger flares through me, and I give him a light shove. “I thought you weredead.”

He smiles, catching my wrist. “Aww, cherub,” he says. “Don’t be mad.”

“Don’taww, cherubme, Des,” I say, yanking my wrist out of his grasp. “You can’t even know what it was like,” I say hoarsely. “Youcan’t.” I couldn’t dream up a nightmare worse than that. Those hours I spent lamenting him.

Des closes the last of the space between us, his face turning somber. “Ican, Callie. I almost lost you once.” His eyes pinch shut and he gives his head a shake. “I’m so sorry,” he says. He opens his eyes, his gaze blazing. “For deceiving you and forcing you to experience that. There isnoworse hell.”

There really isn’t.

“And I’m so sorry for making you face the Thief alone.” He takes my hand and cups it between his. “Never again,” he vows, his voice fierce.

I take a deep breath and pull myself together. Now that Des is alive and burning with his own brightness, my skin has finally started to dim, my wings and claws and scales disappearing from view.

“I want more than promises and apologies from you,” I say.

Des’s eyes brighten and a corner of his mouth lifts when he realizes exactly what I’m asking.

He brings his wrist up in front of himself. As I watch, a strand of spider silk forms around it, then a dull black bead.

“Is this fair?” he asks.

A deal. One thatIget to claim.

I give him a skeptical look. “One bead? I endured my soulmate’sdeathand faced down a god, and all I have to show for it is one measly bead?”

“Demanding siren. Fine.”

A second bead appears next to the first.

I give Des another light shove, a laugh slipping out. The laugh turns into a sob. And the sob … the sob gives way to ugly, heaving tears.

And that’s how this fearsome siren ends up sitting on the Bargainer’s lap in the Death King’s throne room, listening to the Bargainer sing her a fae lullaby, his head pressed to hers.

It was bound to happen. The last bit of my bravery was spent killing Euribios. I’ve got nothing left.

“I love you, cherub,” Des murmurs. “More than any fairy has a right to love anything.” He sweeps away my tears with his thumbs.

I nod against him.

“I’ll add a whole row of black beads to the bracelet—several rows. Just please stop crying. I can’t bear the sight of you sad.” He punctuates the sentiment by taking my hand and kissing the base of my palm. And then he kisses each fingertip, and the whole thing is so ridiculously sweet that I choke up again.

Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths. It’s a physical thing, putting myself back together, but eventually I do it.

I open my eyes and cup Des’s face. “I love you.” I smile a little as I say it.

I rise to my feet, pulling the Bargainer up after me. He still wears his crown, and he looks every bit the fairy king.

He squeezes my hand, and I think that’s his way of seeing if I’m ready to leave this room, and God am I ready, but before we go, I notice a discarded shirt several feet away. It’s Euribios’s shirt—he must’ve removed it right before he entered the pool.