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“As much as I loved,” he emphasized, “my fiancée, Sebastia, this locket only brought me hurt and pain.” His teeth clenched, and his eyes strained with emotion. It dawned on me that the person he wanted to bring back to life must’ve been his fiancée. The way he reacted with the fire and the girl that he saved, and how emotional he became, all made sense.

His fiancée died, and he wanted to bring her back.

“But why?”

“It’s what you said today,‘emotions are what fuel our power.’I fixated on the loss of her. I only ever grieved for her. I never could think about the good memories. I only hurt and ached for her every time I touched that locket. She met the gatekeeper ofEzu2, but I couldn’t let her go. That locket is a symbol of passing through the gates ofEzu, but I can’t bear the thought of holding onto it anymore, knowing that it brings me such sorrow. Sebastia shouldn’t be remembered like that.” He paused, seeming to think about the next words he was about to say. “She would’ve wanted me to move on. She would’ve despised the person I became. The cherished memory of her transformed from one of warmth to one steeped in sorrow and shadow.” He peered up into my eyes. “I’ve actually felt dead for a long time. Only the darkness found within the shadows. My heart was hollow and empty until I met you.”

“Me?” I questioned, pointing to myself, my eyebrows up and ruffled in confusion.

“You,” he clarified. “Aurelia, you have shown me what life should be about. You make me feel alive. You have helped not only remind me of the good in life but have allowed me to pass through the hurt of Sebastia’s death and to accept it for what it is. You have helped teach me that grieving isn’t everything. My eyes have been opened. I finally remember the good that I had with Sebastia. And I understand the ‘had’. You are too good forthis world, and you are going to make a remarkable queen one day. You ask why I came back, and that’s why.”

I was speechless, and unsure what to say in response to his kind words. I was grateful that I could help him and that he was here with me now.

He was an assassin.

An assassin was telling me that I brought life into his own.

The gold flushed to my cheeks; my hands raised gently, attempting to cover them.

“I am speechless, Damian,” I finally said out loud. “Thank you for your kind words.” I smiled.

“I’m not kind, Aurelia. I never will be. I am a killer. I’ve killed many. And I will kill more if it means that I am able to live even one more day with you. We are allies, and I will protect you and care for you in ways that you may never fully understand. You have my word. I hope you know that I can’t change.” His body shifted, the log beneath us creaking.

I nodded, understanding who he was–accepting who he was: a killer. The blood of each death was a stain on his hands, but I accepted him, nonetheless.

He continued, “I don’t want your help or your blood. I only want the privilege of continuing to escort you on this journey if you’ll have me.”

“I’ll have you if you keep up and stop lollygagging behind me all the time,” I said jokingly, bumping my shoulder against his. He chuckled at my joke, his eyes looking down, glancing at our feet.

His hand was right next to my own. I could feel the warmth radiating from the blood flowing through the veins beneath his skin. I thought of moving my fingers to overlap his own, wanting to continue to stare into his eyes for the comfort of his touch.

“How did she die?” I asked, thinking about the locket and the weight that he had held on his shoulders.

“They died by Scalekind,” he said so quickly that I had no time to process what he muttered.

“They?”

“My parents and Sebastia.”

“And by Dragons?” I asked, thinking of how he acted with the fire.

“They flew by and spread fire on my hometown within seconds. When I returned from fishing one night, the house caved in, and my fiancée died in my arms.” His gaze drifted elsewhere as he spoke.

“And your parents?” I questioned.

“The same. The town was destroyed, leaving me alone.”

There was a piece of me that couldn’t imagine how awful that experience must have been. I couldn’t imagine losing my parents, or the person I loved, even Cora. I couldn’t imagine losing any of them–especially so instantly and not being able to say goodbye. It made sense, what was haunting his dreams, that it created nightmares while he slept.

I started to understand Damian and his odd ways better, why he was so distant and maybe even a little quiet. He was bold for what he wanted and wouldn’t back down, no matter what. I loved this about him. I could feel my heart growing fonder toward him and his actions for me, trusting him more. He treated me with respect and kindness, which was almost impossible to find on the kingdom’s grounds–especially for someone like me: a Scaleborne.

“Is that what led you to killing?” I asked, knowing that it was personal, but I was curious.

“Well,” he started. “I couldn't work after my loved one’s deaths. I was an apprentice as a swordsmith, but after the fire, we lost everything. I lost everything. We had little saved. One day, there was a note that showed up at my front door. It had an assignment on it, and in return, the person promised toprovide food, shelter, clothing, and everything that I could’ve possibly needed, without having to go out and find a job. The tasks started out easy. They started out by delivering things to sketchy people at night, then to stealing, and so forth. One day, it was that I had to kill someone. I followed them for a while. I told myself that I could only do it if they were a bad person. After following them for a few days and seeing what they did, I justified them as bad. They were a part of some gang that hurt children and all of that.

“The first one was difficult, but after that, it got easier and easier. It made it so that I never had to work and that I was provided with everything that I needed.”

“Would you ever go back in time and change any of it?” I asked.