Page 228 of Dark Souls

The bird cawed loudly as if it was trying to say something, and my chest tightened with empathy for the animal—or whatever it was. Luka rubbed his hand across his jaw as he stared at it, deep in thought.

“This creature has a strong connection to you, Luka. It is your choice. We can let it go, leave it in this form, or change it back to find out who it really is. But you must understand the risks that come with that.” Grandpapi stood up and walked over to the window. “I’ve already interrogated Belladonna. She knows nothing about the raven, so I know she didn’t cast the spell, and I doubt it was her father either.”

Luka stared at the raven for a few silent moments and then lifted his head to look at Grandpapi. “Do it. Change it back. If this isn’t its true form, it must feel trapped. I know I would rather be free than under a curse, even if freedom means death.”

Grandpapi nodded and walked over to the cage. I sat back, tapping my fingers against my thigh as he opened the latch and the raven flew out. It took a few swoops around the room. Hana lifted her hands to her lips while we all watched it soaring, wings spread wide around the perimeter before it landed on the floor in the corner. Luka stood up and walked over to it, and we all followed, keeping a little distance behind him because we didn’t want to spook it to take off again.

“Still sure?” Grandpapi asked, standing beside Luka and staring down at the bird.

“It’s not trying to escape,” Hana said. “It seems to be agreeing with this.”

“Do it,” Luka repeated and Grandpapi lifted his hand and started chanting in Latin. His eyes glowed purple and a beam of light expelled from his outstretched hand and surrounded the raven. The intensity of his magic grew thicker and the ball of energy became too bright to continue to stare at. I shielded my eyes until the magic slowly crackled away and when I glanced back, I couldn’t believe what I saw happening.

The raven’s smooth feathers transformed into flesh and its dark wings twisted and contorted back into enormous arms and broad shoulders. The sound of crunching and clicking filled the air as its joints snapped back into place with brutal force. Seconds later, a naked male form hunched over on his hands and knees, wheezing painfully as his lungs fought to remember how to take a human breath. His body trembled as his hands dug into the wooden floorboards and I noticed his nails were caked with dark blood and ash. The smell in the air became potent with charred flesh as I took in his blistered and split skin, the weeping burn marks and black smears of soot that covered parts of his body.

I slammed my hands over my mouth to stop the gasp of sympathy from leaving my lips when I realised how badly he was injured. His skin screamed with raw agony just from its appearance, so I could only imagine the kind of pain he was in.

Long, deep red hair, almost a shade of burgundy, hung towards the floor, shielding his face from view. And then he slowly lifted his head and glanced up. We were all met with leaf-green eyes, unfocused and shocked. Not a sound passed his cracked lips.

Hana and I let out a loud gasp at the same time, because there was no denying the family resemblance. Luka stood rigid a few steps ahead of me and I glanced at his back, wondering how this could be true. He seemed frozen in time.

“Who is it?” Ronnie whispered, placing his hand protectively on Hana’s shoulder when she started sobbing hysterically.

“Zoran,” she whispered. “Our brother.”

Grandpapi moved quickly to the sofa and grabbed a throw, passing it to Hana. “Put this on him. I’m going to get some herbs and healing lotions for his wounds and something for him to drink.” He disappeared from the room quickly as Hana hurried forwards and fell to the floor, carefully attempting to place the blanket over Zoran’s muscular shoulders. He groaned in anguish through gritted teeth and Hana whimpered on seeing her brother in so much pain. He shook his head, slowly sitting back on his heels and draped the throw over his lap instead, covering his modesty.

“Zoran, is it really you?” Hana asked.

He reached up and touched the back of his unsteady hand to her cheek, studying her face. I couldn’t stop staring at him, unable to believe how alike he and Luka looked. They could have been twins, except Zoran had no tattoos or piercings, just long wavy hair that fell below his shoulders.

“???? ?????? (my sister),” he croaked. His voice was so deep and hoarse. I felt the pain it must have taken to speak those two words all the way to my toes. “???????? ?? (you’ve grown).”

Hana broke down into more tears and lifted her hand to his face tenderly, stroking the flesh that wasn’t covered with burns and cuts.

I stepped forwards carefully, reaching out for Luka’s arm. I gazed up at his face and swallowed hard. Luka was a statue of stone-cold disbelief. He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t reacted. I wasn’t even sure he was breathing. His cold red eyes bore down on his brother as if he wasn’t really seeing anything at all.

“Luka?” I whispered, trying to pull him out of his shock.

Zoran turned his head to look up at us, and his face became taut with painful emotion as he met Luka’s glare. His chapped lips pressed firmly together and every muscle in his face strained as he tried to stand on his feet. Hana beckoned Ronnie over and they both helped him take a few unsteady steps towards us. With only the blanket wrapped around his waist, Zoran’s full height and size when standing put even Ronnie to shame. He was a titan of a man and the power that rippled off him even in his weakened state was terrifying.

Zoran stopped, letting go of Hana and Ronnie and, with determination, stood on his own only a few inches in front of Luka. He lifted one hand and placed it on Luka’s shoulder. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few silent seconds as the rest of us watched on with our hearts beating out of our chests. Zoran moved his hand up to the nape of Luka’s neck and slowly tugged him forward. Their foreheads touched.

“???? ?? ???????, ?????. ?? ???. ????? ??.” Zoran spoke in hushed tones, his native language sounding so beautiful and meaningful as my eyes watered and I struggled to hold myself together.

“What did he say?” I whispered, unable to peel my eyes away from the two brothers.

“You are safe now, brother. I’m here. Come back,” Hana sobbed, leaning into Ronnie’s chest as she stared at them too, as if this was a trick of the mind.

I felt it before it happened. Deep in my soul. The intensity of heartbreak and grief, of anguish and pain, of happiness and love; they all rushed through me like a broken dam at an alarming rate, causing me to stumble back and grip the wall. And then everyone else saw what I felt because Luka’s stoic mask crumbled. Something momentous awoke inside him. His humanity surged back, reattaching itself to his soul and his heart. His chest rose, and a fractured, painful noise tore free as he reached for his brother. Trembling, he grasped his shoulders and pulled him closer.

My own heart felt like it was breaking with him as I watched his strength and detachment dissolve. His knees buckled, and Zoran held him tighter, keeping his body from falling despite the state of his own. Luka’s red eyes closed, and he buried his face into his brother’s shoulder, his muffled breaths coming out as ragged gasps. Ronnie threw his other arm around me, pulling me close to him and Hana, which made me realise just how much of an emotional mess I was, too. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I hid half of my face behind one hand and watched my mate come to terms with all that he’d lost–and everything he had just rediscovered.

After what felt like a lifetime, Luka lifted his head, opened his eyes and looked over Zoran’s shoulder directly at me. For the first time, I found myself staring into the most stunning, captivating green eyes that were so complex that they shifted as the light flickered over them. Layers of rich emerald, moss and jade sparkled behind fresh tears and at that moment, I felt the fierceness and gentleness of the man they belonged to. They represented everything he was.

They were the eyes of my soulmate.

Beauty Within