Page 137 of Moonlight Hearts

I was so cold.Soyer wasn’t there.

Chapter Forty

Underanightskybright with stars, there once lived a firebird, and he was all alone.He knew pain, but no pain he’d ever felt had been worse than the constant loneliness that ate at his very being, at his very heart.

Each night, the firebird cried.He cried for a mate he didn’t know existed, and he cried because he couldn’t understand the longing in his firebird heart.

Help me,his cry said.Find me, his cry said.

But it was a long time, a long, long time, and there was never an answer to the firebird’s cry.He had given up, had forgotten about his voice and even the color of his plumage, which the heavy coat of night had hidden from him.

I burn for you.

I am fire for you.

I am sorry it took me so long to find you.

I cannot let you go, Amory.Stay with me.Stay.

A firebird’s heart is not like a flame that burns out, but like an ember that waits for life-giving breath.The firebird had never truly forgotten his voice, he’d just never known the truth behind his cry.He was the beating heart of fire everlasting, and no fire could ever hurt him.All it could do was force rebirth.

Everything sort of hurt.Everything was wet and dark, and I was naked.

“My heart?Amory?Look at me.Open your eyes and look at me!”

I did.I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them.

Soyer was there, my firebird.He was naked, much like me.I looked down at where the blade had gone into me, and—

My phoenix had moved.He was back on my chest, his beak right where I thought there should be a scar, where I saw only unmarked skin.

“Oh, Amory, say something.”

Soyer.I reached out to touch him, and got to his hair, which was wet and sooty.

“S-Soyer?”

He wrapped me in his arms then, so tight it hurt, but in a good way.In the best way.

“I love you, Amory.”

“Did I burn again?Did I make the sprinklers go off?”

He cackled.“No.This time, I did that.This time, I saved you.I didn't know I could do that, but I can save you.I’m worth something after all if I can save you.”

I curled my fingers through his hair.“You’re worth everything.Don’t you know that, Soyer?You’re everything.”

I was on the floor with Soyer bent over me.I realized this when Simeon’s head of blond hair came into view.He looked down at me, slinging a battle-axe over his shoulder.It begged the question of where he’d gotten a battle-axe, but I decided to ignore that for the time being.Everything hurt, Soyer had burned for me, and—

“The witch!”

Simeon tsked.“I got the head off after Caecilius went stabby on her.I wanted to ask if that means I can’t use my axe anymore, but I thought it might be awkward since you’re both naked.”

“Thaeros?Echo?Soyer, let me up.”I remembered I had hands and tapped his shoulder, but he growled and wouldn’t budge.“Soyer, please.”

That did it.He pulled back and helped me up into a sitting position.How he’d been able to fight a vampire right after I’d burned for him back at the Moonlight, I had no idea.Then again, I was no badass like he was.

Valentin and Elias were taking care of Thaeros, and Ambrose was there.He was bent over Echo, keeping his neck stabilized.