Page 43

“He’s gone,” one of the councilors whispers, echoing my thoughts. “By the Old Gods—the old bastard is really , finally gone!”

There’s a shocked silence for a moment and then all the councilors break into cheers!

I stare at them, uncomprehending. Are they really that excited that their ruler is dead?

Apparently so, because the lot of them start slapping each other on the back and grinning and shaking hands. Meanwhile, the grizzly sight of the blackened skeleton sitting silent on the golden throne doesn’t seem to bother them at all.

It’s bothering Alaric though. When I drag my eyes from the GodKing’s skull to my Paladin’s eyes, I can see the horror in them.

I want to go to him, but the Heart of the Eclipse suddenly gives out a bright beam of light that’s nearly blinding. Everyone gasps but it doesn’t happen again. As everyone is blinking and shaking their heads, the priest suddenly points at Alaric and says,

“I have seen it—the will of the Old Gods! Our brave Paladin must be the new GodKing!”

The Councilors seem to like this idea. They all clap and cheer and begin to chant,

“God- King! God- King! God- King!”

“Stop!” Alaric cries and when they won’t, he roars, “STOP” using the voice of his Drake.

They stop then, their eyes wide with shock.

“I am not the GodKing,” Alaric tells them, shaking his head. “I never meant for this to happen. I brought The Heart of the Eclipse here hoping to heal the GodKing and our nation—not to hurt them.”

He looks down at the chest, staring at The Heart still glimmering within. I can see how heavy the GodKing’s death weighs on him. He feels responsible though it isn’t his fault.

“But Sir Alaric, you haven’t hurt Solaris at all,” one of the councilors says.

“No—it was the old GodKing who was hurting us. He cut off all trade with our neighbors—he isolated us,” another councilor says.

“And of course, he wouldn’t listen when we begged him not to. He thought he knew best about everything ,” a third remarks. “He simply wouldn’t listen to reason!”

“We’ve all been praying for his death for years, but somehow he was able to unnaturally extend his life,” the priest adds.

“We know you have the good of Solaris at heart—which is why you would make a perfect GodKing,” the first councilor says. “What say you? Will you rule us with honesty and integrity? The priest here can bless your reign right now and we can crown you by tonight!”

Alaric looks to me and I give him a nod. This is his true destiny—he can lead his country in the right direction now. He can mend the relationships with all the neighboring kingdoms the GodKing damaged. He can do so much good if only he stays here in Solaris.

Slowly, he nods.

“All right,” he says at last. “I’ll do it.”

The Councilors cheer and the priest comes forward to bless him. But through it all, Alaric’s eyes are resting on me—not any of the other people in the room. I wonder if he feels our impending parting as deeply as I do.

There’s no way I could or would block his destiny. Surely The Heart of the Eclipse has something to do with this. It must have gotten rid of the old GodKing to make way for Alaric. He’ll be an honest and just ruler. And he’ll have no need of me.

I turn to go, but Alaric shoulders his way through the crowd of councilors and comes after me.

“Wait!” he exclaims, as I pull out my travel crystal. “Sylvanna, please—don’t go!”

I turn to him, frowning.

“I must. I have to get back to Nocturna.”

“And never see me again? Is that it?” he demands, his voice hoarse with emotion.

I shake my head.

“Your destiny is here, my Lord. The Heart of the Eclipse puts all things right and it has put you on the throne of Solaris. You can do much good for your country by remaining here to serve your people. Just as I must go back to Nocturna and serve mine.”

“Don’t call me ‘my Lord!’” he exclaims, then he turns to the crowd of Councilors and the priest and guards and shouts, “Everyone out—NOW!”

His Drake’s voice is like thunder and it gets their attention at once. Their eyes wide, they file out of the throne room leaving the two of us alone in the vast, golden space. Alaric puts down the chest with The Heart in it and comes towards me.

Just as he reaches me, the sun comes out and shafts of blinding sunlight come down through the skylights, hurting my sensitive NightBorn eyes. I tell myself that’s why I’m crying—it must be.

But Alaric sees my tears and cups my face in his hands.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart. Please, don’t,” he murmurs. He swipes at my cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the salty droplets.

“I can’t help it,” I whisper. “I’m going to miss you so much!”

“You don’t have to miss me!” Alaric exclaims.

“Yes, I do!” I cry. “You must stay here while I have obligations in Nocturna. My Queen needs my support—she lost all her trusted Councilors at once when Kraven took over. And your country needs you. Solaris will need a firm hand to guide it out of the murky waters the last GodKing steered it into.”

“I love my country, but I love you more,” he murmurs. “I can’t stay here and rule Solaris if it means never seeing you again!”

“I’ll come visit sometimes,” I promise. “Not too often but every once in a while. But I can’t stay here, Alaric—I’m no good in all this sun.” I blink my eyes and shade my eyes from the sunlight.

“Of course not,” he says, frowning. “I won’t ask you to stay here with me—I know you have duties at home and I know the sunlight hurts your eyes.”

“But you can’t stay with me either,” I point out. “You have a country to run now.”

“I know,” he says grimly and frowns. “I feel responsible—after all, I’m the one who killed the GodKing.”

“No, you didn’t,” I say gently. “The Heart of the Eclipse was simply restoring balance. The GodKing extended his own life, probably by magically stealing from the lives of others—The Heart simply took back the years he had stolen.”

“Truly?” Alaric looks greatly relieved. “So I didn’t kill him?”

“No, my love—you didn’t,” I assure him. “You need not have any guilt about his death. It was meant to be, and your country will be better off without him. And now I should go so you can be crowned.”

“No—don’t leave me!” Alaric takes my hands in his. “Please, Mistress,” he adds in a low voice. “I can’t bear to lose you.”

“You don’t need me anymore,” I tell him. “You don’t need a Mistress—you’ll be Master of your own destiny and King of your country. Our time together is at an end.”

“It doesn’t have to be, though,” he argues. “Because I do need you. And I think if you’re honest, you need me too.”

I start to shake my head and say “no” again but he interrupts me.

“Look, I have an idea—what if I got a regent?”

“A regent?” I frown up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Someone to rule for me whenever I’m gone.

The Captain of the Guard—Roland, he’s a good man and he used to be my superior,” he tells me.

“He’s fair and he won’t let the power go to his head.

I’ll let them crown me GodKing if they want to, but I’ll leave Roland on the throne to enact my policies.

I can come back once a week—we both can, since you can take us by magic—and make sure everything is going well. ”

I frown uncertainly.

“I don’t know about that. Are you sure the councilors will agree with that plan?”

“If they don’t, they can find themselves another GodKing.” He lifts his chin defiantly. Then, to my surprise, he sinks to his knees before me. “Please, Mistress, don’t end things with me,” he murmurs, looking up at me. “We can make this work—I know we can.”

For the first time, I begin to feel a spark of hope. Can we really stay together? I’d been so certain that once he was crowned, Alaric would want to leave me and have his own life. But does he honestly want to keep on with our relationship?

“You’re certain you want to continue?” I ask him. “You’ll be the ruler here now and you have control of your Holy Fire since your Drake emerged. You can have any woman you want as your Queen.”

“You—I only want you .” He looks at me earnestly. “I want to wear your collar and worship you with my tongue—I want to hold you at night and feel you tie me with your Shadows and take me. I want you for the rest of my life, Mistress.”

His words make me even more surprised.

“But my Paladin…you’ll be a GodKing. Are you certain you still want to submit?”

His eyes go half-lidded and fill with flames.

“Yes, my Mistress,” he murmurs. “I’ll always want to submit to you. I belong to you, don’t you know that?”

I feel like my heart will burst. I take his face in my hands and kiss him, letting the joy fill me. Together—we’re going to stay together!

We’ll keep his submission just between the two of us, of course.

My Paladin can’t be seen wearing my collar and kneeling to a “NightBorn witch” in his own land.

In public he will be the GodKing of Solaris and I will be the Royal Sorceress of Nocturna.

But in our time together, just the two of us, he will kneel to me and I will command him for both our pleasure.

“I love you, my Paladin,” I tell him and kiss him again. “And tonight after your coronation, I fully intend to tie you down and ride your tongue…and then your cock.”

His eyes go half-lidded again.

“Thank you, Mistress,” he murmurs. “I’m looking forward to it.”

I know then that our destinies are entwined. Perhaps it was foretold or perhaps it is part of the plan The Heart of the Eclipse had for us all along. But now that we’ve found each other, our love will never die.

For by his own will, my Paladin will stay with me. He will remain forever… Shadowbound.