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She guided Finnian’s hand on the bump of her belly, as he could fully hold her up with one arm. His palm was warm through the material of her shirt, and she watched the emotions cross over his face, one by one. The slight dip of his brow, the glossy proof of moisture gathering in his eyes, the surge of intensity cracking through his aloof demeanor. He did well not to show it, but she could feel his magic protectively sticking to her like a cloak settling over her shoulders.

“He will have your strength…” Finnian murmured. “Mr. Kahale’s infuriating tenacity.”

Ronin gave a breathy laugh from behind her.

She knew Finnian’s assumptions came from sensing Ash’s aura. An emotion lingered in his voice she could not identify, and it unsettled her how he had yet to bring up the subject of Cassian.

“Finny,” she whispered.

Her stomach coiled as she observed her little brother, who refused to meet her eyes.

“How do I break the curse?” she asked.

Finnian gently placed her back on her feet. All sentiments vanished from his face as he backed away from her. “Naia, there’s no way to break the curse.”

The breath perished in her lungs.

“No.” She shook her head, her knees shaking. “No, I don’t buy it, Finnian. Do not lie to me.”

“Cassian covered his tracks. There is nothing that can be done.”

“No!” Naia reached out and gripped his arm to keep herself upright. “You are lying!”

He stared down at her, brow pinched, pain welling in his eyes.

“Did you even look for a way?” Naia lashed out. “Or let me guess, you made some vile deal with Cassian instead. What? Did he discover you snooping and offer you something in return to forget what you learned?”

Finnian winced.

“Naia,” Ronin cut in.

“I did not make a deal with him,” Finnian said, his voice like ice. “I upheld my promise to you.”

“That’s it then? I am just supposed to hand over Ash—” A sob sprung from her lips.

She stumbled backwards on her heels into Ronin’s chest.

His hand wrapped around her arm from behind. “Naia, everything will be?—”

“No!” She pushed him away. His comfort was only a reminder of the path they would have to take. Choosing to oppose Cassian, endangering Ronin and the others in the house. Through the night, her eyes jumped to the Kahale cottage. Yuki had a life and a career. She was a mother. And Akane was only a child. This island was not Theon and Avi’s home, but they’d stayed out of loyalty and devotion. They deserved to return to the city.

Pressure built in Naia’s lungs. Her lips had gone cold as she pushed her fingers through her hair. She could already see their broken corpses, their souls no longer tethered to this land.

Refusing to accept such a fate, Naia clung to Finnian’s arms and shook him. “You cannot do this to me, Finny! Find a way. Please. I do not want to do this!”

He snatched a hold of her elbows and pulled her into a suffocating embrace. Her forehead crashed into his shoulder, bending her nose against his collarbone.

The force of his affection, the old scent of the licorice he loved to chew on, was her undoing. She wheezed out a mangled sound and wailed, her snot draining all over his dress vest.

It felt as if a burning inferno surrounded her, with no water to extinguish it.

Finnian held her with the strength of a god, straining her bones. “They have taken from you your whole life, Naia. Let this be the last time.”

34

STRING OF FATE

The weeks that came after, Naia hid away in bed, watching black and white movies with Theon while Ronin juggled business calls and inventory meetings.