Page 19

Tethered Souls

brIAR

D arkness swallows me whole, but Ronan's voice cuts through like a beacon. His words reach across the void, each one laced with such raw anguish it makes my soul ache. The space between life and death feels vast and empty, yet somehow suffocating. Cold seeps into my essence, not just physical cold but something deeper—the kind that threatens to freeze my very soul.

"Stay with me, moya lyubov."

His voice breaks on the words, and the pain in it pierces me like a physical wound. I try to respond, to tell him I'm fighting my way back, but my voice is lost in the endless dark. His grief washes over me in waves—tears falling on my face, desperate pleas echoing in my mind. Each drop feels like fire against my skin, a stark contrast to the curse's poison spreading through my veins like ice, pulling me further from him with each passing second.

The darkness pulses around me, alive with malevolent intent. Shadows whisper with Rurik's voice, taunting me with promises of eternal separation. The curse's magic tries to convince me to let go, to drift away into peaceful oblivion. But Ronan's presence anchors me, his love a tether I refuse to release.

"Please." His broken whisper tears at my heart, the sound so unlike his usual strength. "Take me instead. I'll give you anything."

No , I want to scream, the word burning in my throat. Don't sacrifice yourself. Not for me. But the darkness is too thick, too heavy. I can't break free. My attempts to reach him feel like swimming through tar, each movement draining what little strength I have left.

Light blooms suddenly in the void—soft at first, like the first rays of dawn, then blazing bright enough to pierce the shadows. It brings warmth with it, ancient and powerful, pushing back the curse's chill. A figure emerges, tall and radiant, her presence filling the space with magic so pure it makes my soul sing in recognition. The Goddess. I know her immediately, though I've never seen her before. She emanates the kind of power that birthed the Nexus itself, that shaped worlds and bound realms together.

Her form shifts constantly, sometimes appearing as a woman of impossible beauty, other times as pure light given consciousness. The air around her sparkles with possibilities—all the paths a life might take, all the choices that lead to destiny.

"Child." Her voice resonates through my very being, each syllable carrying echoes of ancient power. The sound ripples through the void, making the darkness retreat further. "You hover between worlds."

"I need to get back to him." The words finally break free, urgent and raw. My entire being strains toward where I can feel Ronan's presence. "Please. He's suffering." Through our bond, I feel his pain like physical wounds—each sob, each plea cutting deeper than any blade.

"The wolf who bears my curse?" There's something in her tone I can't quite read—curiosity, perhaps, or judgment. Golden light swirls around her form as she studies me. "He offers his soul for yours. Such a price, freely given."

"Because he loves me." I push against the darkness holding me in place, feeling it resist like thick chains. Memories flash through my mind—Ronan's silver eyes softening when he looks at me, his gentle touch despite his strength, the way he says my name like a prayer. "And I love him. Please, I'll do anything?—"

"Anything?" She steps closer, her form shifting like starlight on water. The air crackles with power around her, making my skin tingle. "You would bind yourself to a cursed man? Take on his darkness, his pain? Share his battles?"

"He's not dark." The words burst from me with surprising force, carrying all my conviction. "He's good and loyal and brave. The curse doesn't define him." I think of how he protects his pack, how he fought against his own brother to save us all. "It never has."

Another figure materializes beside the Goddess—a woman with features that seem to flicker between human and something else entirely. Magic radiates from her in familiar pulses, warming me like the library's hearth on a cold night. Her presence feels like home, like all the quiet moments I've spent in Frostspire Keep's halls.

"Arcanum," I breathe, recognizing the spirit of Frostspire Keep. The castle's magic sings through my blood, recognizing its source.

She smiles, and in that expression I see centuries of watching, waiting, hoping. Her form shimmers with the same magic that flows through the castle's stones, that drew me to the library time and time again. "You know me."

"Of course I do." Tears spill down my cheeks, warm against the void's chill. "You've been trying to help us all along, haven't you? Leading me to the right books, showing me the way..." All those moments when I felt guided, when doors opened or closed, when exactly the right tome fell into my hands—it was her, watching over us, hoping we'd find our way to each other.

Arcanum steps forward, taking my hands in hers. Her touch feels like coming home—warm and familiar, yet crackling with ancient power. Magic surges between us, and I see flashes of the castle through her eyes—centuries of watching over its inhabitants, the pain of seeing it cursed, and then the hope that sparked when I first crossed the threshold.

"I knew from the moment you crossed the threshold. You were meant to be here, Briar. Meant for him." Her voice carries the weight of ages, of countless stories witnessed and kept safe within the castle's walls.

Through our joined hands, I feel the castle's magic pulse. Memories flood my mind—every moment I've spent with Ronan, every touch, every look. The way his silver eyes soften when he thinks I'm not watching. The gentle way he holds me, as if I'm something precious he fears might break. The strength in his arms when he pulls me close, contrasting with the tenderness in his touch.

His voice reaches me again, thick with tears. "I'll bring you Rurik. I'll deliver my brother to the Council myself. His experiments, his corruption—all of it ends. Just save her."

The raw desperation in his words makes my heart clench. I feel his agony through our bond, the way he's willing to tear his own heart out to save me.

"He would give up his own brother?" The Goddess's light flares, filling the void with golden radiance. Power ripples through the air, testing, measuring. "For you?"

"Because it's right," I say firmly, standing straighter despite the darkness still trying to pull me down. "Rurik's darkness threatens everything—the castle, the pack, the balance itself. Ronan sees that now. He's chosen love over blind loyalty." Pride fills my voice. "He's chosen to protect what matters most."

The Goddess circles me, her presence both terrifying and beautiful. Each step leaves trails of starlight in the void, and the air thrums with power. "And you, child? What would you choose?"

"I choose him." The words come without hesitation, ringing with truth. "In any form, under any curse. I choose us." Magic surges through me with the declaration, warming my blood, fighting back the curse's poison.

"Even knowing the price?" Her voice sharpens like winter wind. "The darkness that follows him? The enemies he's made? The battles yet to come?"

"Especially then." I lift my chin, meeting her ethereal gaze. Golden light reflects in her eyes like distant galaxies. "He's carried these burdens alone for too long. Let me help him bear them." Through our bond, I feel another wave of Ronan's anguish, and my resolve strengthens. "Let me be his strength, as he's been mine."

A sound like distant thunder rolls through the void. The Goddess's form brightens until she's almost painful to look at, her power filling every corner of this between-space. "You speak of love so easily. But do you understand what it means to love a man like Ronan Wolfe? A beast who walks in two worlds?"

"I understand that he's not a beast." My voice rises with conviction, carrying all the love and certainty in my heart. "He's a protector. A leader. A man who would sacrifice everything to keep others safe." I take a shaky breath, feeling the truth of my words resonate through my very being. "And yes, he's a wolf too. Fierce and loyal and beautiful. But that's not a curse—it's part of who he is. Who we are together."

Arcanum's grip on my hands tightens as the Goddess's power surges around us. Through our connection, I feel Ronan's anguish more clearly—his tears falling on my physical form, his desperate bargaining with forces he doesn't fully understand. Each sob feels like a knife in my heart.

"He needs me," I whisper, my voice breaking. "Please. I can feel him slipping into darkness." The bond between us pulses with his pain, his fear, his desperate love.

"As you slip into death?" The Goddess's words cut like ice. Magic swirls around us, making visible the curse's poison flowing through my veins. "You took on his burden willingly."

"And I'd do it again." The truth of it burns in my chest like a star. "A thousand times over."

"Why?" She demands, her light pulsing with each word. The void itself seems to lean in, waiting for my answer. "What makes this cursed wolf worth such sacrifice?"

"Because he would do the same for me. Because he has done the same." My voice grows stronger as memories flood through me—every sacrifice he's made, every moment he's put others before himself. "He took on the original curse to protect his brother. He's spent years isolating himself to keep others safe. And now..." I swallow hard, feeling his tears on my skin even in this spiritual realm. "Now he's offering his soul for mine."

The Goddess moves closer, her presence overwhelming. The air crackles with ancient magic, making my skin tingle. "And what of your own destiny? The powers awakening within you? Would you sacrifice all that for love?"

"My destiny is with him." The certainty of it fills me with warmth, pushing back the void's chill. Magic rises in me, responding to my conviction. "Whatever powers I have, whatever I'm meant to become—it's all connected to Ronan. To Frostspire Keep. To this life we're building together."

Arcanum steps forward, her form solidifying until she looks almost human, though magic still shimmers beneath her skin like starlight. "She speaks truth, my Lady. Their souls were paired long before they found each other. I felt it the moment she entered the Keep." Her voice carries the weight of centuries, of countless stories witnessed within Frostspire's walls.

The Goddess turns her radiant gaze to Arcanum, power crackling between them like lightning. "You would stake your existence on their love? After what Rurik did to corrupt your magic?"

"Without hesitation." Arcanum's voice rings with conviction, and the void itself seems to resonate with her words. "Ronan is nothing like his brother. And Briar..." She squeezes my hands, sending warmth through our connection. "She's brought light back to places I thought would stay dark forever. She's awakened magic that lay dormant for centuries."

Tears stream down my face as I pull Arcanum into a tight embrace. Her form feels solid yet ethereal, like hugging sunlight given shape. "Thank you," I whisper against her shoulder, my voice thick with emotion. "For everything. For helping us find each other. For believing in us."

Through our bond, I feel another wave of Ronan's grief wash over me. His voice reaches across the void, heavy with tears: "I love you. Stay with me, brave, beautiful mate. Stay."

The raw anguish in his words tears at my soul. I can feel him slipping deeper into darkness with each passing moment, his hope failing as he holds my lifeless body.

"Please," I turn back to the Goddess, not bothering to hide my desperation. Magic surges through me, making the air shimmer. "He's given everything for others. Let me give this to him. Let me go back."

The Goddess's light flickers, then stabilizes into a blinding radiance. Her power fills the void, testing, measuring, judging. "Very well." Her voice echoes with finality. "But he must make good on his vow, or we'll release you both to the Darkness."

"We will," I promise fervently, pouring all my conviction into the words. "We'll find Rurik. We'll bring him to justice. Whatever it takes."

She nods, then turns to Arcanum. Power crackles between them like northern lights. "Notify the Council. They have a new hunter on their roster. I want the man who dares to harm my creation."

As the Goddess begins to fade, her form dissolving into motes of light, I call out, "Wait!" When she pauses, I gather my courage. "Will I ever find my mother?"

Her expression softens slightly, becoming almost gentle. "That's a journey for another time. For now, know that you and Ronan will share a lifetime of love." Her voice carries both warning and promise. "But first, you must keep your promise. Bring Rurik to the Council."

"One more thing," I ask as Arcanum prepares to send me back. Magic swirls around us, reality pressing at the edges of the void. "Why me? Why us?"

Arcanum smiles, her form beginning to blur like a painting in rain. "In the Nexus, souls are paired before they connect with their bodies. He was always yours, and you were always his. You just had to find each other." Her eyes twinkle with ancient wisdom. "The Keep simply helped things along."

The void begins to brighten, reality pressing in from all sides. Arcanum's voice follows me as I feel myself being pulled back: "We'll be here when you return. Now go. He's waiting."

The darkness shatters like glass, and sensation floods back in a rush of pain and awareness—the weight of my body, the burn of the curse's poison in my veins, Ronan's tears falling hot on my skin. I fight through layers of pain and exhaustion, clawing my way back to consciousness.

My eyes flutter open to find Ronan's face above mine, his expression raw with grief and hope. Silver eyes wide with disbelief meet mine, and I feel our bond surge with renewed strength.

"Moya lyubov," he breathes, the words carrying all his love and fear and desperate relief.

I lift a shaking hand to his cheek, feeling the wetness of his tears beneath my fingers. "I promised I wouldn't let go," I whisper hoarsely, my voice rough from disuse. "And I keep my promises."

His arms tighten around me as he presses his forehead to mine. Through our bond, I feel everything—his relief, his love, his lingering fear. But underneath it all is something new—a fierce determination that matches my own.

We have promises to keep, after all. A brother to find. A council to face.

But for now, I simply hold him close, breathing in his familiar scent as the castle's magic pulses around us. Each breath feels like a gift, each heartbeat a victory against the darkness that tried to separate us.

We're together. We're alive.

And nothing—not curses, not darkness, not even death itself—will tear us apart again.

The Goddess's words echo in my mind as Ronan's lips find mine in a desperate kiss: souls paired before they connect with their bodies . No wonder finding him felt like coming home.

He was always mine.

I was always his.

And now, with the blessing of powers beyond our understanding, we'll face whatever comes next—together.