Page 123

He sat down anyway, the leather creaking under his weight as his legs stretched well past the armrest.

"This is ridiculous." I moved closer, my arms crossed. "The bed is huge. We can share."

He stilled, and I could see the hesitation in his posture.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said quietly.

"More uncomfortable than watching you try to fold yourself onto that thing?" I shook my head. "Come on."

He moved toward the bed slowly, like he was still unsure. I slipped under the covers on the far side, trying to make the decision easier for him. The sheets were soft, carrying that same scent that seemed to follow him everywhere.

After what seemed like forever, the mattress dipped under his weight. He stayed on the very edge, maintaining a careful distance. The silence felt heavy.

"Any word about Lael?" I asked into the darkness.

Aether's sigh was heavy. "No change. The medics are doing everything they can, but..." He trailed off. "I should have been there. For both of you."

"You can't be everywhere."

"Tomorrow, everything changes." The words came out rough, almost like they pained him. "Urkin can't keep making these decisions."

I understood the frustration in his voice. The rigid hierarchy of the Umbra had nearly gotten both Lael and me killed. But I didn't know how to respond, so I stayed quiet.

I was drifting off when the flashes hit—not just Valkan this time, but everything. The burns on Lael's skin. The blood on the floor. That damned smile with too many teeth. My body went rigid, heart slamming against my ribs as I tried to remember where I was. My lungs wouldn't work.

"Fia?" Aether's voice cut through the panic.

I managed a shaky breath. "I'm fine." The lie was automatic.

The mattress shifted as he sat up. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then slowly, carefully, like he was afraid I might bolt, his hand found my shoulder.

"You're not." His voice was quiet in the darkness. Then his arm slid around my waist, drawing me back against his chest. The heat of him crept through my clothes, and something inside me shifted. I should have resisted, should have maintained some pretense of dignity, but the solid warmth of him broke down the last of my defenses.

Esprithe, this felt good. Dangerous, probably—letting myself need him. But as his heartbeat thrummed against my back—as his breath stirred my hair—I couldn't bring myself to give a damn about the implications. For the first time since Valkan, since everything, the darkness didn't feel like it was trying to swallow me whole.

Sleep came easier then, wrapped in his arms, surrounded by his scent.

And I dreamed of the twins again.

I was in a garden, my hands sticky as I cut back thick, dark vines that seemed to weep a black substance into the bucket at my feet. The sound of running made me look up as two women burst through an archway—the twins, though years had passed since the courtyard scene.

One wore a violet gown, a delicate tiara nestled in her dark hair, her pregnant belly visible beneath the fine fabric. A golden band glinted on her finger as she gestured wildly. The other wore simple gardening clothes, dirt staining the knees. "Leave me alone!" The one in the tiara’s voice cracked as she spun to face her sister. Tears streamed down her face, ruining the careful paint around her eyes.

"Please, just let me explain—" The other woman reached for her arm, but she jerked away.

"Explain what? That you've always been in love with him?" Her words echoed across the lawn. "That while I was preparing for our wedding, you were—" She choked on the words.

"I've always wanted the best for you," the woman pleaded. "Everything I've done?—"

"Don't! I’ve always protected you, been there for you, through everything!" The sister's hands cradled her stomach protectively. "You've always been jealous of me. Ever since the Void rejected you?—"

"This isn't about the Void! This is about father, about how he's always pitted us against each other. Can't you see what he's done to us?"

"What he's done?" The noble sister's laugh was bitter. "He made me strong. He gave me everything, while you—you chose to waste away in these gardens, pretending to be something you're not."

"I didn’t have a choice!"

Silence fell between them.