Page 66 of Evermore (The Never Sky #3)

Thorne

I ’d perfected the art of looking unbothered over centuries of practice, so I leaned against the marble column in Aldus’s castle like a man who hadn’t spent the last three days watching his Ever withdraw further into herself.

Each glimpse of her had been both a blessing and a torment, seeing her pace the floors like a caged storm, beautiful and dangerous and breaking my heart.

When she had finally emerged onto the rooftop that first night, every carefully crafted pretense of indifference shattered.

But I knew it would. She knew it would too.

We’d made eye contact in the dark, lit by only stars.

And then she danced. The moonlight caught in her hair, illuminating the markings that spiraled across her skin like terrible constellations.

But even in her pain, she was magnificent.

She’d come out every night since, checking to be sure I was there before she performed. I hadn’t missed a single second of it.

Elowen stepped between us, ever the protective mother. Her accusation stung more than I cared to admit. “Thorne Noctus. I trust you’re not here to cause trouble. Don’t think I haven’t seen you haunting our grounds.”

I slid my hands into my pockets. “It’s not haunting, per se.

I’m just making myself available. Should the need for one such as myself arise.

” Should she need me , I didn’t say. I’d been keeping watch, counting the hours until the other gods descended, knowing I should maintain my distance but unable to stay away.

“I’ll go check on Quill and Thea,” Elowen said in that calm, knowing sort of way, though her pointed look made it clear she was simply giving us space. As she passed Paesha, she added, “Try not to break anything expensive.”

The moment we were alone, I could see the battle raging across her skin.

The Remnant’s darkness swirled visibly through the markings climbing up her legs and along her bare arms. My fingers itched with the need to help, to heal, to protect.

But I knew better than to offer. She’d never accept it, not from me.

“You look…” Like sin incarnate. Like every damn fantasy I’ve had for centuries.

“Unhinged? Corrupted? One bad day away from burning down a castle?”

I pushed away from the column, drawn to her. Foolish, perhaps, but I’d never claimed to be wise where she was concerned. “I was going to say beautiful.”

“Careful there. Your silver tongue is showing.”

“Is it? And here I thought I was being remarkably well behaved.”

She shifted deliberately, the slit in her dress revealing more of those swirling markings.

Good girl. Come play with me.

My eyes tracked the movement before I could stop myself, and her resulting smirk made my heart stutter. “See something interesting, Supreme Sovereign?”

I adjusted my glasses, using the gesture to compose myself. “Simply monitoring the spread of corruption, Paesha darling.”

“And here I thought you were just being a typical man.”

“There’s nothing typical about me.” I let the arrogance seep into my tone, falling back on old habits.

“No? Because from where I’m standing, you look remarkably typical. It’s unfortunate, really. All that power and all your ridiculous titles and you still have to look at that hideous face in the mirror.”

The familiar dance of our banter felt like coming home. This was how we’d learned each other, and this was how we’d learn our way back.

“It’s a tragedy I survive every day. Thank you for noticing.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. I fucking loved that little smirk on her lips. “How could I not? What with that nose.”

I stepped closer. “Feeling ruthless today, I see.”

“Honestly, I feel ruthless every day. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.”

“It’s adorable that you think I haven’t noticed every single thing about you.”

“That’s in line with your stalker tendencies, Thorne Noctus. Three days of pining in the treeline is beneath you.”

“How are you, Paesha? Truly.”

She lifted a shoulder. Not to shrug, but to try to silence the voices, I was sure. “I’m alive. I guess that’s something.”

I glanced at Archer. “I’m going to find a way to free you from that.”

“From being alive? Let’s not.”

“From those voices.”

Her eyes flashed and I could have sworn for half a second I saw the plea within her before she blinked it away. “Let’s not make promises we can’t keep to each other. You have no idea what I need right now. No one does.”

Moving closer, I took her hand. She didn’t pull away, those fucking eyes staring into mine with an intensity that made my soul shake.

I lifted her fingers to my mouth, kissing each one, lingering over the space where she used to wear a ring that marked her as mine.

“You needed someone to dance with you in the rain, and I was too busy trying to control the storm. So dance with me now. Not because I’m yours or you’re mine, but because when you move, the whole fucking world stops to watch.

I’ll stay at whatever distance you need, close enough to catch you if you fall, far enough that you can still breathe.

And when those shadows try to drown your light, I’ll be the bastard in the corner betting on the fire. ”

Her eyes turned haunted, as if the voices within her fought against me in her mind.

“Dance with me,” I said again, holding out my other hand.

She took a deep breath before glancing around the empty hallway, a breathy laugh escaping her lips. “Here? Now? There’s no music.”

“Since when has that stopped you?”

“Since there are actual people in this castle who might walk by at any moment and see the almighty Thorne Noctus waltzing in the halls like a lovesick fool.”

Despite her words, she stepped closer, letting me draw her into my arms. “Let them see.”

“Careful. Your reputation for being an insufferable asshole is at stake.”

“Worth it.”

She rested her head against my chest, and for a heartbeat, everything felt right.

Then she pulled back, looking up at me with that familiar mischief in her eyes.

The dance stopped. She reached for my tie, and every rational thought fled my mind.

“For someone who cares so much about the past, you dress remarkably well in the present.”

“I care less and less about the past every second.” My hand caught her wrist gently, though whether to stop her or to anchor myself, I wasn’t sure. “What are you doing?”

“Making you look less perfect. It’s unsettling.” She adjusted my tie until it hung crooked, and I clenched my jaw, fighting a smile. “There. Much better.”

“Are you quite finished?” I asked, but made no move to stop her as she reached for my jacket button. I’d let her dismantle me piece by piece if she wanted to. Hell, I’d probably thank her for it.

“Not even close.” She undid the button, misaligning my lapels with deliberate care.

“Some of us prefer not to look like we just rolled out of bed.”

“And some of us know the difference between necessity and vanity.”

“You’re impossible,” I said softly, letting more warmth slip into my voice than I intended.

A voice shattered our peace. “Boss?”

“Not now, Tuck,” I said, ignoring the urgent tone in his voice as Paesha and I circled a place of familiarity. I’d needed this moment with her like I needed air.

Heavy boots echoed in the hallway as he stepped into our sacred place. “Yes, now. Paesha, good to see you.”

“Liar. Good to see you too,” she answered. “I’ve got to go anyway. I promised Archer I’d come say hello to Aldus and give him an escape route if he needed it.”

We all turned to face the windows, watching as Archer sat on a bench across from his father’s chair. His face gave nothing away.

“It’s important they find peace,” Tuck said, his gruff voice softening.

“It’s also important that you don’t push him,” Paesha bit back. “He’s here, isn’t he? That’s what you wanted.” She turned to me. “I should go.”

“Of course,” I said smoothly, even as a part of me wanted to pull her back, to steal a few more moments. “Far be it from me to keep you from your Archer.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Jealousy is an ugly color on you, Thorne Noctus.”

“Everything looks good on me, darling. I thought we just established that.”

Tuck cleared his throat pointedly. “If you two are quite finished…”

Paesha smirked, stepping away from me with deliberate slowness. “Duty calls anyway. Try not to pine too hard in my absence.”

“I’ll do my best to carry on.” I sketched a mocking bow. “Do give Archer my regards.”

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she turned to leave.

The Remnants swirled around her like a living cloak.

I watched her go, drinking in every detail—the sway of her hips, the tumble of her chestnut hair, the markings that danced across her skin like living art.

Even burdened by madness and wrapped in darkness, she was a vision, a goddess in mortal form.

Tuck waited until her footsteps had faded before rounding on me. “She’ll push you away if you get between her and Archer. That’s how that bond works.”

“And what of our bond?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step back. “She’s still here, isn’t she? I didn’t miss you flirting in the hallways like a besotted fool.”

“That’s why you interrupted?”

“You need to tread lightly,” he said, voice hardened.

“It’s not enough.”

“It’s going to have to be enough for now.” Tuck stepped closer, lowering his chin to glare at me. “She knows the truth and she’s not dead yet. There’s a reason. You need to ask yourself why.”

I met Tuck’s glare with an icy one of my own, refusing to be cowed. “You think I haven’t been asking myself that very question?”

Mid-argument, a flash of movement caught my eye. I turned to the windows overlooking the gardens. Minerva.

She’d been fucking avoiding me and here she was, speaking with fervor to Archer as Paesha and the mortal king listened in. I took a step toward the doors, but Tuck put a hand on my chest. “She won’t see you.”

“She needs to get over it. I went. I came back. No harm done.”

Tuck huffed. “She warned you. You didn’t listen. These are the consequences of your actions.”

“Did she tell you to say that?”

“She also told me to say no when you asked.”

Fucking Minerva.

“Go insert yourself in that conversation and report back.”

“That’s not going to be obvious at all,” he said, pushing open the door to the garden.

Prick. “Keep pretending like you weren’t curious,” I said before walking out.

“‘Let my strength be your shield against the darkness, Paesha. You’re not alone. Fight back with me. Fight back and I’ll stand between you both and the dark.’ That’s what he said,” I told Tuck hours later, sitting in the barracks at the castle. “I don’t see how that makes him an Unmade.”

“You can’t possibly be this thick-headed,” he answered, wearing a path into the dirt floor.

“You saw his face. He was drained. Fully. He had no power left. Aeris set him up. I bet Ezra was meant to show up there, but we did first. And I doubt she counted on Paesha’s attachment to Archer.

Paesha saved them both. She stepped in where Ezra was meant to and Aeris hadn’t anticipated it. ”

I stood, gripping his arm to keep him from pacing. “You’re making me dizzy. Be still.”

He took a solid breath, his wide shoulders falling as he scratched his beard. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“I get that he drained himself and spoke an oath, but you and Minnie are missing a big piece. You can’t simply create an Unmade. If it’s not Ezra’s power, it doesn’t work.”

His dark eyes met mine, gaze shifting between them as if he were holding a secret he held back to protect me. “When have you ever seen a Treeis bond without an Unmade Guardian?”

“It’s never happened.”

“Then can you see why Minerva has made her conclusion? Why I agree with her? You can’t possibly argue with the two of us, supported by your own power remembering those moments.”

“If a mortal drains their power while binding themselves to Ezra they become an Unmade Guardian. But?—”

“There’s no buts. Aeris set him up. Two more minutes and he would have been on the floor, Ezra would have showed up, they all would have begged for Archer to be saved and he would have taken him, refilling that void with his own power.

That’s how it works and you know it. But with Quill and Paesha, who’s got more power than she knows what to do with right now, their power filled the absence of Archer’s.

He was reborn as an Unmade right there. We fucking witnessed it.

Hell, Thorne, the boy shot himself across the house and attacked you, even knowing who you are. ”

I shook my head, turning my back on him. “He’s something else then. Something else that was able to make the Treeis bond.”

Tuck’s voice was quiet. Full of sorrow. “He’s an Unmade Guardian. He’s not bound to Ezra, he’s bound to Paesha and Quill, but that doesn’t change what he is. Minerva doesn’t get these things wrong and you know it.”

I did know. But fuck, I didn’t want to accept it. Because it just made for another puzzle. One my brother likely knew the answers to when we did not.

“This was the plan. Ezra’s fucking promise coming to fruition right in front of us,” I said solemnly. “And now we need to figure this out before he takes the throne.”

“There’s still time. It doesn’t look like he’s putting on the crown yet.”

I jerked around, hands at my side. “You look into her face and tell her we have to drag this out. I need the Fates to tell me how to help her. How to stop the voices. I don’t want time.”

“The Fates never said they were going to help you. They said they would hear your questions. You get the kid on the throne and then they’ll see you, remember?

There’s no timeline on that anyway. Did you see Aldus walk today?

He hasn’t done that in weeks. He needed his son.

Mortals need their family. You can’t change this. You’re going to have to be patient.”

“If you think I want Archer on that fucking throne, you’re wrong.

Dead wrong. And you know why. But we aren’t the only gods circling.

Fucking Bellatora was here today. Did you know that?

She’s been coming to see Aldus. Alastor is still a godsdamn wild card.

Ezra’s on the hunt. Where the fuck is Themis, Tuck?

Have you seen Vesalia lately? Something’s not right.

I can feel it in the air. And we’re sitting ducks fucking waiting to see who’s going to show their hand. ”

Tuck nodded once before moving toward the door. “Then I guess it’s time we start stacking the deck.”