Page 41 of To Shatter the Night (Mistlands #2)

Kiara

The treasures of the gods are disguised as everyday objects. They hold immense power, infused with magic by the deities themselves. While impressive, none are as remarkable or as elusive as Arlo’s looking glasses, mirrors crafted during the birth of the world. They display the owner’s greatest fears and most ambitious desires. Too late is it discovered that they expose nothing but lies.

Excerpt from Asidian Lore: a Tale of the Gods

Jude’s searing gaze burned into me.

I looked anywhere but at him. Truth was, looking at Jude now, knowing what could happen—

I was terrified I’d walk through that portal and never come back. That this —here in this cursed tomb—would be the final time I’d see his hauntingly handsome face.

Liam was arguing with me, his voice a distant screeching in the background. Only my heartbeat thudded clearly, pounding away in my ears, fraying my already unraveled nerves.

Jake joined in on the yelling, but my attention stayed locked on the door that would either lead me to salvation or damn me to the underworld.

I was a creature of both light and dark…and only I could do this.

Through all my inner turmoil, the steady throbbing of my scar remained constant, reminding me that Jude was right there. At my side. Waiting.

Look at him , I scolded. This might be the last time.

As much as I didn’t wish to think that way, I had to. If I did die, then what would happen to the sliver of power inside of me?

Sounds came rushing back as reality settled in like an intolerable itch.

The blade.

Reaching down, I slipped my fingers around its hilt and retrieved the one tool that could slay a god.

I looked at Jude.

Hardly any emotion showed in his expression, and his ethereal glow diminished until I could make out the traces of gold dotting his brown iris. Even his left eye had returned to its cloudy blue-white haze.

The pain scrunching his features froze me in place.

This next step was bigger than us—we stood on the precipice of salvation. Our realm finally being brought back into the light. Children with full bellies and fields thriving with healthy crops.

If I didn’t make it…Jude needed the Godslayer. He wouldn’t rest until our enemies were struck down. He’d find a way to save our people from vengeful gods.

We locked eyes as I offered him the blade I’d kept secure throughout our little journey, the onyx metal vibrating. He hesitated, like I knew he would, his lips twisting. He understood why I presented him with the cursed weapon now.

I let out a relieved sigh when Jude grasped the handle. He tucked the weapon into his jacket, his eyes searing into mine.

I never expected to find Jude on the day of the Calling. Never expected to journey into the Mist with him and fall for the sensitive and caring man behind the mask of death.

And how could I not?

I glanced at his old scars, the ones he’d received before his magic awoke. He hated them, the red slashes given to him by his father. He was just a boy when he’d been injured, and he had to look in the mirror every single day and be reminded of the man who called him worthless.

While Jude beheld a monster, I saw a man who rose above pain and brutality, who stepped into the flames and fought his way to the other side. He may believe it was his trauma that marked him, but I saw only his strength. His beauty.

“Do you trust me?” I asked, lifting onto my toes to touch my temple to his. His arms were around me, the action instinctive.

“Always,” he replied, his voice cracking.

“ When I return with what we need, we’ll finish this together,” I said. “We’ll figure a way to save us both, and then, we’ll have that ending you’re so fond of.”

I felt his lips quirk into a smile, and I melted, shutting my eyes.

A pleasant warmth flared in my chest, and in my mind, it was just us and the rising sun, and all the possibilities laid out, ours for the taking.

In this dream, I wore armor that gleamed gold, and Jude…he was radiant in a tunic of ivory with gilded threads. A warrior and a god.

I let myself envision the future I desperately desired, and in return, my scar seared bright and unapologetic. It didn’t hurt, but it overwhelmed in a way that reminded me of how love felt.

Jude drew back, his finger moving to my chin so he could hold me captive with his trenchant gaze. “I trust in you, I do, but I swear to all the gods, Kiara, if you don’t come back through that door, I will raze this entire realm to the ground.”

“So bossy.”

Jude shook his head, strands of black hair falling low over his temples.

“I love you, Kiara Frey,” he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. “You have years of ruining me to do yet.”

It wasn’t a demand so much as a plea, and it knocked down the final wall barricading my heart.

“I…I love you, Jude Maddox,” I said, finally releasing the words that had been trapped. I should’ve spoken them aloud a hundred times, and yet they’d always failed to form on my tongue, even though my actions relayed what my voice could not.

Perhaps I hadn’t considered myself worthy or maybe I’d been too fearful of what would happen should I make this real . Terrified it would be taken the second I put my love into the universe. But I said those three words now, and a great relief whispered through my soul. My heart felt light.

His face went slack, a breath whooshing from his lungs. I glimpsed a matching relief spreading across his harsh features, his eyes wide with yearning, with a happiness that would surely vanish the moment I gave him my back.

Before Jude could form a response, I severed contact, looking to the others, who watched on quietly. Liam swallowed thickly, trying his best to smile. Jake, holding my brother in his arms, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. And the Fox, who held Finn steady, dipped her chin in encouragement.

My body felt too hot, the sudden flush causing my hands to shake. I brushed it aside as nerves, knowing deep down, it was a lie.

Something had shifted when I told Jude I loved him, and while the curse didn’t break and the world wasn’t cast in light—not that we could see it from inside the temple—it felt like the start of a great change.

Not that it mattered. I still had to finish this by myself.

I sucked in a deep breath and pressed against the handle, and then I walked through.