Page 65 of The Spark that Ignites (Shattered Soul #1)

T he world spun and the air thinned as her ribcage crushed her lungs and heart in a single clawed squeeze. The disbelief and hurt scalding Vesper’s stare was undeniable. Her disregard for his final wish had caused this. She had done this to herself.

“I—” Her voice collapsed. “I had to. I couldn’t ... you were—”

“You ruined everything.” His knuckles whitened as he gripped the table. “This wasn’t your choice to make. I asked you to do one fucking thing.” His jaw clenched as his eyes lit into flames. “This was our one chance. I—I can’t fix this. You wasted this.”

“What are you talking about?” she stammered, her mouth dry. “Let me explain—”

“You wasted this on me!” His voice was cold, calm, and terrifying and if looks could kill, she would have dropped dead. It knocked her back a step.

“You’re wrong,” she croaked, her insignificant voice breaking. Tears pricked her eyes as his hatred stifled all the affection he once held for her. Oh gods, she couldn’t undo this. He looked the same as days before, but everything had changed. “It wasn’t a waste.”

Vesper gathered the sheet around his naked waist. All his marks remained; the cavae and zvezda under his collarbones, the black Shadowheart centering his chest, and the two pactums; a lion and a mark of the Hollow.

But their bargain was complete. Which meant, he no longer had to protect her. Vesper could hurt her. And gods, the anguish in his eyes told her that was exactly what he would do. Insidious terror slithered through her. Her own selfishness had brought this upon her.

“It should have been her, not me. Izzy deserved to live. To fall in love and get married and have babies and breathe life back into this place. This was her kingdom. Not mine. It was never supposed to be mine and I don’t want it.

” He blinked rapidly; his gaze fixated on the stone floor.

“I’ve wasted my whole life. Spent time like it's earned.” He shot Emmery a vile look.

“And now, all the plans I made, all the hopes and dreams to restore my home ... they’re gone”—he snapped his fingers—“in an instant. Gone . And it’s your fault, Emmery! Why— why did you do this to me?”

Emmery froze, clutching her trembling fingers into fists.

“You can do all those things. Do them because you wanted them for her, Ves. This kingdom could be yours. You could restore it and watch it thrive. Maybe it was always supposed to be you, and this was supposed to happen. Maybe the gods had other plans.”

“ Fuck you ,” he spat.

She flinched like he had struck her.

Standing from the table he searched through the clothes she set aside, pulling a pair of trousers from the pile.

“The gods had nothing to do with this. You did this to me.” After tugging on his pants and tossing the sheet aside, he fell to his knees and sorted through the remains of the items—clutching them like he could undo this.

He whispered, his voice mirroring hers that day at the Skyborne Temple, “I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this.”

And then Vesper quietly sobbed, his shoulders shaking with his grief. The sound broke something inside her and she watched helplessly.

Emmery backed away, retreating from the room. They could discuss this later. When he could think through his sadness and anger again. When he cooled down. He just needed space.

His voice echoed cold and hollow through the room. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Vesper’s head snapped up, his face unrecognisably cold.

He stalked across the room. Emmery turned to run but he reeled her back and she stumbled into his chest. His arms shackled her waist as he carried her, kicking and shrieking to the jail cell.

For someone who had just risen from the dead, he was incredibly strong.

The punishing click echoed through the room as he locked it.

Fear crawled up her throat, her voice rising. “What are you doing?”

He flexed his hands as if they didn’t belong to him. He’d never touched her so roughly.

“ Vesper ?” she rasped, searching for some sign of recognition. His gaze met hers and she gasped, shrinking against the cell wall. His eyes were a strange, foreign black—his moonlight glow nowhere to be seen. And the lion scar reddened like a vexed pulse.

“What ... what are you doing?” Her heart pounded in her ears. “Vesper, unlock the cell!” What was going on? The walls slowly closed in, and she couldn’t breathe.

He shook his head so slowly she thought he didn’t hear her. “I can’t.”

“ No ,” she choked, gripping the bars. “This isn’t funny. Let me out .”

He stared through the window; the moon now peaked in the sky. It had to be close to midnight or later. “We’re out of time.”

“What are you talking about?” Panic rose in her chest like a fluttering bird trying to escape. “Let me out. Now !”

“I’m sorry, Emmery,” Vesper pleaded, his eyes black as night. “I know you’re going to run, and I need you to stay here until I can get you to him.”

Emmery blanched, her stomach dropping. “To him ? What are you—”

“I thought this would be easier. After all this time, after what you did—I thought I could put it all aside and do it. But you made this so bloody hard.” Emmery reached for her magic but not even a spark answered her call.

As if seeing her thoughts he said, “It won’t work. The seal on the cell suppresses magic.”

Her heart fluttered like a frantic bird. “You can’t. What are you doing? I don’t—”

“You should have let me stay dead. It would have saved you from all this. That was your biggest mistake.” Vesper stalked away, his back and shoulder stiff.

As he reached the stairs he glanced over his shoulder.

“I’ve failed you in so many ways. And for that, I’m eternally sorry.

I never wanted to hurt you.” His whistle cracked through the air and his raven appeared on his shoulder.

It surveyed her with four violet eyes, cocked its head, and returned to Vesper with a question in its avian expression. “Now, Quill. It’s time.”

Vesper left Emmery crumpled on the cold dungeon floor.

EMMERY PICKED THE LOCK for hours before admitting defeat and tossing her hair pin against the wall, wishing it made a more satisfying sound. The cold ground seeped a chill through her clothes, and she shivered, her arms wrapping around her middle to fight it off.

She ground her teeth, her confusion warping into frustration. Why was Vesper doing this to her? And there was something wrong. Had someone done that to him? His eyes had been black . And Vesper had said he needed to get her to someone ... but who?

Emmery thumped her head against the wall, sifting through the night.

Oh gods, she had ruined everything. She couldn’t take this back, so she sat with her choices as the night dragged on.

She really was a fool for letting Maela slip away from her again.

That brief moment of selfishness could have given her everything she wanted, and she had squandered it.

Or at least, what she thought she had wanted.

Images of Aera frantically scratching at the door plagued her mind.

She had left her closed in her room to keep her safe from the spell should something go wrong.

Would Vesper let her out? They never cared for one another and maybe Aera sensed something was wrong before Emmery ever could. Oh no, would he hurt her?

A chill ran down her spine at the muffled footsteps on the stairs. She jumped to her feet and gripped the bars. When no one appeared, she glanced anxiously around the room. “Hello?”

“ Shhhh ,” a voice hushed, far too close to her face.

Emmery squealed and leapt back, clapping a hand over her mouth.

“Be quiet, would you?” The voice hissed. The shadows dispersed and Briar’s face appeared, floating amongst the blanket of darkness. “Miss me?”

She nearly cried out in relief, but forced her voice to a whisper, “Bri, there’s something wrong with Vesper. He locked me down here and—”

“I know. I found him a few minutes ago.” Her hands fumbled beneath the shadows, the sound of keys clinking and the lock clattered to the floor. Briar winced before saying, “He sent Quill to deliver word to Destonne.”

Destonne? No . Emmery shivered, her thoughts and emotions tangling.

The cell door creaked open and Emmery grit her teeth. Briar’s shadows blanketed them, and they snuck to the castle walls. Why was she saving her? Vesper was one of Briar’s oldest friends and she’d gone against his wishes.

Briar retrieved Emmery’s cloak and pack from behind a bush and shoved them into her arms.

With numbed hands Emmery clasped the cloak around her neck and slung the pack over her shoulder. “Bri, what’s going on?”

“He’s under compulsion. That’s why his eyes are black.” She scanned the surroundings, adding, “But you have to get out of here.”

So, the King had done something to Vesper. Tricked or manipulated him or—

She didn’t know. But whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Her stomach cinched as she scanned the woods beyond the gates. “Are you coming?”

Briar pressed her lips together. “I’m going to keep him busy while you get away.

Don’t forget this.” She handed Emmery her enchanted cuff.

She secured it around her upper arm, bringing her gaze to meet her friend’s.

They shared a long look before Briar caged her in a suffocating hug. But this time Emmery gripped her back.

“What about Aera?” Emmery asked, her voice shrill. “She’s in my room. She’s in my room and I don’t know—”

Briar pulled back and squeezed her hands. “I’ll get her to you. I promise. Just go.”

A lump formed in Emmery’s throat. “I don’t know where to go.”

“You can do this.” Briar scarlet eyes bore into her. “Stay safe, Emmy. But if they do find you, Deimos forbid, tell my brother I love him and that I miss him.” She pushed Emmery forward. “Get out of here.”

Briar waved her hand, now invisible to her elbow, and disappeared into a swirling shelter of shadows.