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Aruan turns his gaze on Tarix, staring at him and seeing the truth.

“Look what she did to me,” Tarix whines again.“Help me, my son.”

The hand Tarix holds out to Aruan starts to bubble and boil.

Aruan’s lips pull back from his teeth.“You dared to put your hands on my mate.”

The scream that leaves Tarix’s mouth is in his own voice.He can’t hold up the act any longer.He changes back into himself, showing his true colors.

Aruan extends an arm toward me.“Come here, Elsie.”

I don’t hesitate.I stumble over to his side and let him pull me against him.He brushes a kiss over my temple without taking his eyes off of Tarix.“All right?”His power rages, I can feel it, but he’s in control, our completed bond a steadying influence on him.

I smile through the pain.“You know perfectly well how I am.”

“I just wanted to hear your voice.”He kisses the top of my head.“Don’t look.”

“Don’t do it.”I place a hand over his heart.“Don’t melt him.”

A muscle ticks in Aruan’s jaw.“He deserves nothing less.”

“The people he betrayed deserve to hear his confession.”

Cradling his arm against his chest, Tarix splutters through sobs, “I did what I did for Zerra.”

Contempt distorts Aruan’s features.“I’ve heard enough.”

He looks over his shoulder at the open portal.“We have to get back to the portal my mother created.”

If she’s still holding it open.

I can read his thoughts, even though he doesn’t say it.

I brush my palm over his chest and offer him a smile.“In the worst-case scenario, we’ll stay close to my parents.”

His expression darkens.“Zerra needs us.”

Because I almost destroyed it.And I have to go back and fix what I can.

Before I can fully process that, he bends down and grabs Tarix’s good arm.“Hold on to me, Elsie.”

I cling to him as he takes us through the portal to the lawn in front of my parents’ house.I’m only grateful their car isn’t in the driveway, which means they must be out.I don’t want them to see the blood and gore.

Dragging Tarix along, Aruan rounds the neatly trimmed hedge.His chest expands with a breath when the circle of lights comes into view.

This time, as he pulls me through, I go willingly.Wholeheartedly.Because the only place I want to be is at his side.No matter where that is.

The immediate royal family waits on the other side.The king and queen, as well as Gaia, Kian, and Vitai, are gathered in the queen’s reception room.

Aruan shoves Tarix in front of his mother.

She clenches her hands.“You betrayed me.”

“I did it for Zerra.”Tarix repeats the same line over and over.“I did it for Zerra.”

“I trusted you to advise me,” the queen says.“Instead, you abused my trust.”

“He’ll destroy us,” Tarix exclaims.