Page 70 of Kingdom of Chaos (Creatures of Chaos #2)

But what I have with Talon is different.

Deeper. It blows past the first-love layer of my heart, burrowing down into the center of my soul and rooting there.

My love for him, and his for me, started as a seed that bloomed, branching out through every part of me until there was no space left for anyone else.

“It’s good,” Talon says, his voice thin but certain. “If we can’t be together, I want to know that you have someone. A partner who cares and loves you as much as I do.”

“If it’s not you, it’s not anyone,” I say, the words broken through sobs.

Talon just smiles, as if to say I think that now but he knows it will change.

He’s wrong. It won’t.

Even though Becks was my first love, Talon was supposed to be my forever love. It’s not the same. Becks can’t just be a stand-in for Talon. That’s not fair to him, or me, or any of us.

“Get up,” Imogen orders, and when I look up at her, she’s holding a bundle of Shadow Striker shards in some sort of cloth someone must have ripped from their shirt.

“You have to do this now or it’s going to be too late.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know how to open a portal. I didn’t even really do anything before. It just happened. I don’t have any magic anymore.”

“You have to at least try,” she says.

Talon cups the side of my face, his hand trembling, and I snap my gaze back to him. “I believe in you, Freckles. You can do this. And this might help.” He hands me the tamalite ring that had been on his finger.

As I take it, the threads shimmer faintly between us, pulsing like they’re waiting.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I close the ring in my fist. Letting go of Talon, I rise to my feet, legs shaking beneath me.

As I accept the cloth bundle of shards from Imogen, dropping the ring in with them, an unexpected warmth spreads through my palms, as if the remnants of the blade still hum with energy.

I can feel Talon’s gaze on me, a silent tether pulling me back to him.

I close my eyes, focusing on the weight of the shards in my hands, the echoes of power they still hold.

The threads pulse brighter between Talon and me, and I let myself feel the connection.

Not the magic, but the love, the bond we forged together.

I think about home, the creature world I grew up in; my parents who are there; our apartment above our shop; Pete’s gym that’s practically a second home.

I think about the times I spent with Ensley and Becks at Sloan’s drinking milkshakes and laughing.

I think about how desperate I am to get back.

“Please,” I whisper. To whom or what, I’m not exactly sure. I’ve never thought much about the Creator before, but if demons forged this cursed blade, then maybe there is a force out there with greater power who can help me now, because I know I can’t do this on my own.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifts, crackling like static, and when I open my eyes a faint glow appears at the edges of the shards. The space in front of me ripples with heat and energy, while the ground trembles beneath my feet.

“Come on,” I whisper. “Come on.”

The air distorts; a crack splits open in the ripples before me, leaving what looks like a rip in the air—shimmering, unstable, but real.

A portal.

Different than the one that appeared before, but that’s clearly what it is.

“Go!” Imogen snaps, her voice cutting through the hum of the magic.

She doesn’t wait for anyone to argue, grabbing Titus’ arm to help him up. Ensley quickly moves in, supporting him as they make their way toward the shimmering tear.

Before crossing through, Titus lifts his head, catching Talon’s gaze. His face is pale, battered, bloodied, but there’s fire in his eyes as he rasps, “You’re a good creature, Talon. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Talon gives him a sharp nod, but the gratitude in his eyes says more than words could.

Ensley’s sad gaze lingers on Talon, her voice soft but full of meaning. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for us. And for getting my brother back.”

Then, with Titus leaning heavily on her, they step through the portal and vanish.

“Becks, Locklyn, let’s go,” Imogen says, waving us over. “I’ll stay behind and?—”

“No,” Talon says, struggling to sit up. The movement looks like it costs him.

“You’re all going,” he says, his voice firmer than it should be considering how weak he is.

“Take the shards and him.” He gestures toward the figure on the ground that’s been all but forgotten since Talon collapsed.

“Neither of them belongs in this world. Bring them back to the Society. They’ll know what to do. ”

With her lips pressed into a tight line, Imogen hesitates for only a second before nodding. Bending down, she hefts the figure to his feet and all but drags him toward the portal. She glances back once before stepping through.

“I love you,” she says to her cousin, her face fierce.

Talon nods back. “And I you. Live well.”

With shining eyes, she walks through the portal and disappears.

I know I have to leave. If I don’t, and soon, Talon will die. But with my eyes locked on his, I can’t make my feet move.

Talon’s gaze shifts over my shoulder and connects with something. “Becks,” he says, asking for help, then strong hands grab me from behind.

“It’s time,” Becks says softly, his familiar heat seeping into me, yet doing nothing to warm me. “We have to go.”

I shake my head, my world shattering around me.

I can’t .

But I have to.

“Promise to protect her,” Talon says to Becks.

“I won’t have to,” Becks answers. “We both know she can take care of herself. But I promise to be there if she ever needs me.”

A weak smile crosses Talon’s face. “Now you’re getting it.”

Becks pulls me back a step, and panic tears through me. Talon is still so weak, and we’re just leaving him here.

I snap my gaze to Kade, who stands a bit off to the side. I don’t know him well, but after everything that’s happened, I trust him. I trust his word, and I at least need to know that when I’m gone, someone will look out for Talon.

“You’ll make sure he’s okay?” I plead with the Order leader.

His dark eyes soften, and he gives a firm nod. “You don’t need to worry. He’s one of us now.”

With that, my tears only fall harder.

“Thank you. For what you’ve done for us, for this world,” Kade says, even as Becks all but drags me toward the portal behind us. “For your sacrifice. It won’t be forgotten.”

I glance behind me and see we’re mere feet from the portal. Two more steps and I’ll be separated from Talon forever.

“Wait! Wait!” I scream, right before Becks forces me through.

He pauses, and I lock eyes with Talon, pouring everything I feel for him and everything I am into the next words.

“I love you,” I say, knowing it’s the last and truest thing I will ever say to him.

A smile splits his face as a single tear runs down his cheek.

“I know,” he says. “I always have.”

And then Becks pulls me through the portal.