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“No,” I answered truthfully. “Or maybe I’m just very gullible.”

“Promise me, you’ll talk to me tomorrow. I want to take you somewhere, but I must know that you are staying in Crimson first.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I’ve missed sleeping in bed with you,” he whispered, and I felt the sadness from the bond.

“How could you visit my dreams when I was in Exile?”

His eyes shined brightly as he pulled me to him tightly. He buried his face in my neck and breathed in.

“Tomorrow. I’ll tell you everything.”

I nodded and felt my eyes drifting back to sleep now that I was safe with Cassius.

Chapter 32

When I woke up in the morning, I stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. Cassius’ scent of rain and forest took over the space, even though he wasn’t here. I wasn’t in a hurry to go find him because I was worried it would only reinforce that I should be leaving Crimson, not staying. So, I laid in bed a little longer before getting in the shower.

The sound of the water drowned out Cassius climbing into the shower with me. His hands wrapping around me startled me as I turned to face him. He kissed me softly before grabbing soap and washing my hair for me. His fingers gently untangled my wild curls. He turned me so I could see his face as he tilted my head back into the water to rinse my hair off. Cassius smiled at me brightly when I opened my eyes again.

“Are you ready for our date?”

“A date.” I smiled. “Is that what you were doing this morning?”

“Yes.” His eyes flicked down to my mouth before he leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine.

“Aren’t you scared?” I whispered because I was terrified. He knew what I meant by my question.

“No.” He traced the crown bond on my arm. “I was, but I know you better than anyone. I know you’ll understand and forgive me.”

Relief filled me with his words.

“Let’s go on our date then.”

?????

Outside, the weather was nicer than it had been in days. The sun shined, and it made the air perfect as we rode our horses through the woods.

I realized we were going to the cliffside overlooking the waterfall. My heart pounded so fast that I thought it would explode before we got there. The flowers and waterfall were as breathtaking as they had been the first time, but I felt nauseous as I looked around.

This could be the end. This could be everything I wanted, withering and dying before my eyes. We slid off our horses, and I stood quietly for a moment before deciding to sit. Cassius followed my lead and sat down. His eyes stared off into the distance for a while before he looked at me.

“You know, a long time ago, there was a prophet who foretold of a goddess who would fall from the stars. It was before you or I were born.” Cassius smiled at the darkening sky as the clouds moved in. “It was said that the gods and goddesses had been warned about a future where Elloryon would be destroyed and ripped apart by the fae. They didn’t know what to do to save the fae because they had been unable to save the humans. The gods are not supposed to directly interfere with our realm in significant ways.”

I watched Cassius’ eyes burn brightly in wonder as he admired the view.

“One day, a woman came to offer guidance. She claimed to have had a vision and knew how to stop the realm from being destroyed. But for her to save the realm, the gods had to grant her a child. Not just any child, but a child touched by stars and who shared the blood of a god.”

“It sounds like she was using misfortune in her favor,” I scoffed. Cassius’ lips twitched as he looked at me.

“Well, the woman convinced the gods after she shared her vision and told them how she knew Elloryon would be destroyed. She also told them she had a vision of her child saving the realm. The gods and goddesses were desperate, so they agreed."

“Seriously?”

“They told the woman that after stopping the madness of Elloryon’s destruction, her child would be brought back to the stars to claim their place among the other deities. The woman protested at first but ended up agreeing with them. A power like that was not to be among the fae.

“The woman became pregnant not long after, so the gods waited eagerly to see if the child would be the answer they needed. The woman ended up having a daughter, and she was more powerful than the gods had intended. They feared for the child’s safety while she was in her mortal form. So, they bound some of her magic inside of her to keep her from being feared and killed by others.”