Page 31 of Beast and Remedy (The Last of the Heirs #2)

Coming Here Was a Risk

T iled floors line the archive and library.

The marble design of brown, beige, and gold blend with the wooden beams lining the center of the room, each board connecting to an aisle for sections of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

The second story follows the same pattern of organization, tying into the glass dome above, my favorite part of it all.

A lightness I haven’t felt in recent months lifts my feet through each step I take, my fingers twitching with the temptation of reading my life away.

But I’m keenly aware of Beau’s presence and the tension brewing since I didn’t take his hand, nor the rose he offered me as he pats an armchair and settles in it.

Silently, I press my lips together, dipping my chin and letting my hair conceal my face as I sit across from him.

Relief and hope are what I should be feeling with our reunion, but shame and guilt fuel my nerves, gnawing and churning in my gut. And my unease is a clear reminder to keep him away because, no matter how enticing or alluring he is, I can’t have him.

If I do—if I let him in again only to lose him once more... I don’t know if I will make it out whole.

He rules over Torgem, and I will eventually take Papa’s place in ruling Belmur.

We wouldn’t be allowed the luxury of merging our kingdoms. That occurrence was a rarity already taken by Axidoria and Palaena with an arranged marriage. And the joining of those two was a nightmare, one the other monarchs have expressed not revisiting again.

Even more of a reason to keep us apart.

“Are you ever going to allow me more than a few seconds to admire those emerald eyes?” Beau asks.

I bristle, hating that I’m lingering on our unresolved past rather than prioritizing my sister—my kingdom.

I allow air to fill my lungs before I expel my drawn-out breath and twist to the man I love. The man I can never have.

He breaks into a wide grin, his teeth gleaming. “Better. Now, care to tell me what you’re thinking about?”

Letum damn that smile.

“It’s not important, Your Majesty.”

His smile falters. “You don’t have to call me—”

“ Yes , I do.”

Regardless of how much I love him, I have to put my feelings aside. I have to.

For Marian. For my kingdom. For everyone .

“Coming here was a risk, a bigger risk than I would ever dare to let on to my sister,” I admit, needing him to know I care about him, but my hands are tied.

“But we are here, and you are the only other person with more expertise and knowledge beyond the average healer. Your magic and my own knowledge could bring us a cure quicker, but—”

“But what?”

An ache pushes against my chest, and I rub my sternum, trying to keep my fears and emotions locked down.

But a knot forms in my throat, and I choke out, “I-I-I’m afraid there isn’t enough time for Marian.”

Beau’s demeanor shifts, concern and sadness lining his handsome features as he hunches forward.

“Vi,” he murmurs.

I avert my gaze.

I can’t let him see me like this. I can’t break.

“Rosebud,” Beau whispers, the couch dipping as he sits by me.

I shake my head, my stubbornness the only thing keeping me together when all I want is to fall apart.

But when arms envelop me and drag me to a hard chest, I waver.

Adjusting in Beau’s embrace, I grip his shirt as he cradles my head, letting the nostalgic scent of sugared lemon and pine cocoon me and shelter me.

I want to damn my heart for weakening my resolve—for tapping into how badly I’ve missed everything about him—about us . But I can’t.

All I can think of are the hundreds of letters, late-night confessions, and promises…

All now broken, tarnished, and even more forbidden.

The wishes and dreams fizzle, and I relax my hold, arching away and separating us.

“I-I can’t,” I whisper, needing to stop before I get ahead of myself.

But when his calloused fingers rest on my chin, tilting it up, I go taut.

“I can if you want me to,” he says, his voice lowering and his eyes simmering with desire.

It undoes me. “Deities, do I want you to. So. Fucking . Badly.”

He lowers his lips to mine, and I melt into him, closing my eyes and pulling him close.

My heart bursts as our mouths clash, our souls reuniting as one. As they were always meant to be.

I climb into his lap, the kiss deepening, turning frantic.

Beau’s touch drifts down to my throat, and another touch roams to my backside.

And when he squeezes both, I whimper, loving his hands collaring themselves to me.

Owning me.

Possessing me.

Beau groans, and it sends me into a frenzy.

I dig my nails into his back, wanting him— needing him.

Rolling my hips, I revel in the friction of our bodies rocking in tandem, his hardness pressing against me.

He rewards me with another light squeeze, stealing my breath and keeping me captive. But slowly, Beau relaxes his hold and lessens his movements, our moment ending.

Pulling away, his golden irises pin me in place, his breath still heavy as he says, “I can’t even begin to tell you how long I have waited to do that.”

I draw in his scent, sighing at the hollowness in my chest filling the more I remain in his arms. “H-How long?”

His lips caress my forehead, lingering. “Seven years.”

Tears spring forth, and I pinch my eyes shut, understanding the gravity of those two simple words. We remain quiet, so much history hanging in the balance and so much at stake in the present.

This moment will never be enough, but deep down, it has to be.

I sniff, blinking away the tears before he can see. My waves fall forward as I move off his lap, hating every second of it.

Beau tucks the loose strands behind my ear, his eyes soft and filled with tenderness.

Even though I want to drown in his warmth and love, I need to steer us back toward my purpose here.

“Do you think your magic could help?” I ask. “Can you heal Marian?”

His jaw flexes, his expression solemn as he replies, “My gifts go as far as my knowledge does. If I don’t know anything about it, I can’t treat it.

And even if I did learn about it, my power cannot completely fix an illness or someone’s injury.

Just bring them to a point of stability.

Going beyond disrupts the balance of life and death. ”

I slump against the couch and cover my heart from the anxiety expanding from my chest, seeking to absorb my entire being.

Beau interlaces his fingers with mine. “But maybe I can treat Marian’s symptoms as they come. Try to buy us some time.”

I meet his hopeful, stunning smile. “Y-You think that could work?”

“I do.”

Guilt threatens to eat me from the inside out, and I don’t deserve this possibility. But Marian’s face flashes in my mind, and I close my eyes, taking everything in.

If there is any chance to keep Marian from dying—any chance to give me enough time to find a cure—I have to take it. I’ll submit to all the heartbreak and consequences when I see Papa again.

I’ll even damn myself into Oblivion if it means Marian will live.

“Okay.” I finally cave, rising.

“Wait.” Beau latches onto my wrist before I’ve taken a step. Confusion lines his features as he asks, “Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.” I lace every word with indifference, even though my soul is breaking. “I need to rest if we are setting out tomorrow.” I drop my gaze before I can see the hope shatter in his eyes as he releases me.

My heart fissures as I see myself out. And each step I take away from my favorite place and my favorite person amplifies those cracks, a chasm swallowing me whole.